World Dance Performances

　There are many traditional dance performances/around the world.//
　Do you know the Guelaguetza  festival/in Mexico?// You can see local dance performances/at this event.// Guelaguetza  means “gift.”// Originally,/people danced and prayed for a good harvest.// Today,/the performance with dancers holding pineapples/is the most famous.// After the dance,/they throw the pineapples/to the spectators!// They want everyone/to share their harvest.//


　New Zealand has a traditional performance/called haka .// It’s a ceremonial display of strength and unity/of the Māori people.// Do you know how to perform it?// The dancers stamp their feet/and pound their chests/as they chant.// The New Zealand national rugby team performs a haka /before every game.// It’s powerful and worth watching.//
　In the past,/the performance motivated Māori warriors to fight.// Today,/it encourages everyone!//


　Indian folk dances are perhaps the oldest/in the world.// There are many different dance styles/in each region.// However,/most of the dances are religious/and they are based on myths or poems.//
　Did you know/that there are many dance scenes/in Indian movies?// Although the dances in the movies/are more modern than traditional,/these dances are still part of Indian culture.//