The Kiribati Traditional Dance

Kiribati can be categorized into five main styles of dancing. They all use the bird-like movement in their arms choreography. This is where their similarities end, for in each dancing they have their own dancing costumes that identifies the particular dance.

Each dance have a general restriction to the number of dancers (males & females) that can perform. Each also have a particular type of music to accompany the dancers, and lastly, the dance position also distinguish a particular dance: sitting, stationary and mobility.

The common dances are:

                                                 1.  Te Bino: Distinctive movements:

                   Costume:                      

                   Number of dancers:

                    Accompanying music:

                    Dance position:

 2.  Te Kaimatoa: Distinctive movements:                       Costume:

                        Number of dancers:

                        Accompanying music:

                        Dance position:

   3.  Te Buki: Distinctive movement:

                 Costume:

                 Number of dancers:

                 Accompanying music:

                 Dance position:

4. Te Tireeree: Distinctive movements:                          Costume:

                          Number of dancers:

                          Accompanying music:

                          Dance position:

5.  Te Rebe/Te Kabuti: Distinctive movements:

                                    Costume:

                                     Number of dancers:

                                      Accompanying music:

                                      Dance position: