|
||||||
A Drive Around Oahu, Hawaii
Stop 6 - Polynesian Cultural Center
The Polynesian Cultural Center is a 42-acre cultural theme park operated by the Mormon Church in conjunction with the Hawaii campus of Brigham Young University. The Center recreates villages from seven Polynesian islands and provides visitors with a fun-filled learning experience about the seven similar, yet unique cultures. Most of the persons who work at the Center are students at the University who are natives of the Polynesian islands, and they participate in a work-study program to help pay for their college education. There's so much to see and do at the Polynesian Cultural Center that you simply won't be able to do this place justice in less than a full day -- beginning at 12:30 p.m. when the Center opens (the students are hitting the books during the morning) until around 9:00 p.m. when the spectacular Horizon's stage show ends. The seven Polynesian villages you'll find at the Center are: Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Tahiti, Aotearoa (better known as New Zealand), and the Marquesas. At each village you'll see exhibits of various crafts and examples of each culture's songs and dance. The hosts are eager to teach visitors about their native islands and audience participation is a big part of the entertainment. Be prepared to have fun and to learn at the same time.
One of the most popular villages is the Samoa village, and rightly so, because Samoans are known as "The Happy People." This is immediately evident at Samoa's show, which gives demonstrations of the traditional ways of making fire, husking coconuts, and coconut tree climbing.
During the main show at the Tonga village visitors are invited to try their hand at playing the Tonga drums, which can lead to some hilarious moments.
Audience participation is also a highlight of the "hip shake" dance demonstration at the Tahiti village. As the commentator said, "In Hawaii's hula the hands tell the story, but in Tahitian dances the story is in the hips."
In addition to the shows and exhibits at the seven villages, the Center puts on a daily canoe pageant, during which dancers recreate legends from each of the seven Polynesian cultures. Then, after a choice of a buffet dinner, award-winning luau, or VIP dinner, sit back in the spacious and comfortable amphitheater to enjoy Horizons, a night-time spectacle of Polynesian music and dance that culminates with the awesome Samoan fire dance.
|
||||||
|
| Home | Intro | Ventures | Sea | Air | Space | SciFi | Racing | Movies | Art | Travel | Exit | | Intro
| Virgin Islands
| Puerto Rico |
Hawaii | Guam
| Northern Marianas
| American Samoa
| Micronesia
| Copyright ©
1996-2009 Arnold E.
van Beverhoudt, Jr.
|
