Poi Item Lacks Ihi and Wehi
A Year 12 rōpū has 16 performers and four weeks before a regional festival. They have a video of their poi item from a school showcase. The judge's written feedback says: 'Poi is technically accurate and the lines are clean, but the item lacks ihi and wehi. The reo is clear, but the kupu do not connect to the kaupapa you have chosen.' The rōpū's kaupapa is the return of a local river to its people. The item currently uses a well-known poi waiata about love, because it was easy to learn. The kaitātaki wants to fix the 'smiling and eye contact' first; another performer argues that the group should just practise the poi movements more. The kaiako has one 90-minute rehearsal per week plus one weekend noho. The group must decide what to change first and how to show improvement within four weeks.
1. Interpret the judge's feedback. What does it mean to say the item lacks ihi and wehi, and why is the mismatch between kupu and kaupapa a problem?
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Ihi and wehi are not just smiling or looking fierce. They come from purpose, unity, breath, stance, eye focus, and the performers' understanding of why they are performing. The judge is saying the technique is clean but the performance has no emotional or spiritual force. The kupu are about love while the kaupapa is the return of a river, so the item has no clear message; the audience sees accurate poi but not the river kaupapa. The kaitātaki's focus on smiling is too shallow, and the other performer's call for more drills will not fix meaning. Technique is necessary, but it is the vehicle, not the kaupapa. The first change is to align the text, the reo, and the performance intention.
2. Design a four-week plan that uses the available rehearsal time.
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Week 1: hui with the kaiako and a kaumātua to unpack the river kaupapa and decide whether the love waiata can be replaced with a poi waiata that fits, with permission, or whether a new composition is needed. Week 2: learn the kupu and meaning, slow the tempo, and work on breath, stance, and eye focus. Week 3: integrate poi technique with the kupu, using kaitātaki cues and recorded self-review. Week 4: full runs, peer feedback, and a final video for comparison. The 90-minute rehearsals should be tightly planned, and the weekend noho used for reo and kaupapa immersion rather than just repetition. Individual performers should practise poi at home so rehearsal time is not spent on basic drills.
3. How would you know the changes have worked, and what evidence would you collect?
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Collect a pre-change video and a post-change video and compare them against specific criteria: unity of movement, breath, eye focus, connection to the kupu, and clarity of the kaupapa. Ask performers to explain the kupu and the river kaupapa in their own words; if they cannot, the meaning has not landed. Use peer feedback and kaiako observation, and note audience response at a practice run. Evidence should show more than 'we smiled more'. It should show that the poi now carries the kaupapa and that the group can articulate why the item exists. This also gives the rōpū material for assessment evidence beyond technical accuracy.