The costumes

Kennedy and Pherina talk about the costumes.

Kennedy: I’m a dancer. I’ve been dancing since I was two. So I was brought up into the dancing part of the culture, not really the language part, and costume came with that as well. So I used to design my costume on paper, my mum would make it. But then I decided to learn and make it myself. I was just born into it I guess.

I tried to incorporate the theme of 2019 Te Maeva Nui Victoria’s theme, which was Te inangaro o toku matakeinanga | the essence, heritage and joy of my community and so I tried my best to incorporate those colours into that theme as best as I can. The pieces for female costumes was a headpiece, a bra piece, a hip piece as well as a skirt. The boys was a skirt, leg piece, headpiece and a neckpiece, as well as a belt.  

Pherina: It’s a lot of work because you really have to come up with something really good that has to match the theme and to go with the dancing, with the movement, all that. So I would say at the end of all this, really, the turnout of the designs of all the costumes was really good, and especially the drum dance costume was the best.