13K views · 45 reactions | Malo e Lelei! Happy Tongan Language Week. Malo aupito to some of the contestants from the Miss Tau'olunga pageant 2019, who showcased their beautiful moves! #TonganLanguageWeek | Niu FM | Facebook

❤️ Beautiful traditional Tongan tau'olunga dance gracefully performed by Ilana Fukatonga before 🕊️ Their Royal Highnesses Princess Halaevalu Mata'aho Tuku'aho and Princess Nanasipau'u Eliana Tuku'aho 🕊️ to 🇹🇴 Her Majesty Queen Salote Tupou III lullaby composition 'Ūpē 'o Uluvalu sung by Fofo'anga Kava Tonga Club Canberra 🌺 21st Birthday & Graduation Celebration, Australian Capital Territory. 14th December, 2024. #Beautiful #Tonga #Love #Dance | Tonga Vision

The Tongan Tau’olunga, influenced by the Samoan taualuga and the ancient ‘ula’ dance, became a key part of Tongan culture, particularly among the aristocracy. The ‘ula’ was a group dance for chiefly daughters, but with the introduction of the Samoan taualuga in the 19th century, it became institutionalized within the Tu’i Kanokupolu lineages. In the 1950s, Queen Salote enhanced the tau’olunga, incorporating wrist flourishes and lakalaka leg transitions, shaping the modern version we see today. F