When a young girl is banished from her village under the order from the village chief – who happens to be her father, what is a girl to do?
Does she sit in submission, staying stagnant and stuck? Or does she long to fly, fly away, to discover her own adventures beyond the tight fortress of her village home?
The exploration of this story arc is quite common in nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Beauty and the Beast, Alice In Wonderland and even The Little Mermaid come to mind. For this is the journey of self-discovery. When a young girl longs to break free from the confines of her protective home.
In ‘Fiji Untold’, this arc is told via the beauty of Fijian contemporary dance, under a sea of misty blue and yellow light. Where a bright and cheery dance troupe of villagers sing and chant within a dreamy forest landscape. Through sharp, co-ordinated movements, they begin telling the tale of a local village girl Lagi, the chief’s daughter, who resembles an innocent young village princess dressed fanciful In a white and blue printed costume.
But things are not always so stagnant as they seem.
When Lagi dares to break the rules of the traditional Meke dance, and not follow vital instructions, things get complicated.
In repeatedly leaping and pirouetting like a ballerina; even as the villagers try to settle her energy down by lifting her on a giant mat, as if to contain her, she cannot be stopped. As free as a flying bird – her disapproving father and community are at a loss of what to do with her.
So, their choice is simple.
Her tribal clothing is removed. Her head bows down in shame. They banish Lagi to the bamboo forest and she runs straight into the unknown. A adventure all her own, where she meets a plethora of creatures great and small.
An old witch. A menacing, female snake. Mythical sticks held by creatures lure her over a makeshift ladder, straight into the realms of the underworld, where she falls to the floor in a spotlight of white.
But in order to learn her lessons, she must face some challenging scenarios. Namely, facing mythical creatures from Pacific folklore.
Firstly, in the spiritual form, she meets five majestically tall women on stilts, looking like giants overhead. Their beautiful costumes shimmer under red lights. A bit demonic and larger-than-life, keen to teach her their ways. Suddenly, mythical creatures appear and circle her, trying to put a spell on her. Another giant whispers in her ear. Slowly, she also transforms into a giant woman.
When her costume disappears, a male creature tries to attack her. She knocks him out, and the other creatures drop their weapons.
Lastly, we meet a colourful, pink-haired, shape-shifting iguana. But he is peaceful, handing Lagi two magical sticks that, culturally speaking, are embodied with mana—spiritual energy. The kind of Chi, a positive universal life force, that helps her realise she must correct her wrongs, discover her power and come back home with forgiveness in her heart.
Fiji Untold is a vibrant show to watch, blending traditional Fijian folklore with bold, contemporary dance and spiritual, mana-driven storytelling. With beautiful costumes featuring tribal touches of spiky-straw detailing, handwoven straw spear-shaped fans, ornate hairstyles and tribal bone necklaces.
These dancers are so skilled at create mystical shapes so effortlessly. Using ornately-made props and hand movements in synch, they can transform any scene into one of legendary beauty, featuring mythical animals and folkloric beasts.
Combining high-octane theatrics and moving scenes, Fiji Untold by globally-acclaimed VOU Dance Fiji is a beautiful, cultural extravaganza that would no doubt be enjoyed by many.
