One of most treasured heritage art forms in the Pacific is our dance – and expression of our social roles, status, our joy for life and our soul. In Samoa and Tonga one of the most revered dances is the Taualuga – the dance of life. "With the taualuga, it's just the best way for me to express myself as a Samoan, it was like when I put my hands up it felt like all the energy from our ancestors, I wasn't just dancing for myself" - Maryjane Mckibbin Schwenke 

One of most treasured heritage art forms in the Pacific is our dance – and expression of our social roles, status, our joy for life and our soul. In Samoa and Tonga one of the most revered dances is the Taualuga – the dance of life. "For me it's always an experience ... every time I perform it, it's a different feeling and it's a different moment.  I'm dancing dances that were done by my grandmother and my auntys from back then" - Sesilia Pusiaki 

One of most treasured heritage art forms in the Pacific is our dance – and expression of our social roles, status, our joy for life and our soul. In Samoa and Tonga one of the most revered dances is the Taualuga – the dance of life. "The taualuga is the final touch to all the fiafia, the taualuga is the same word that they give to the top part of the fale.  You know when it's there that means the whole thing is finished" - Va'asiliifiti Moelagi Jackson 

One of most treasured heritage art forms in the Pacific is our dance – and expression of our social roles, status, our joy for life and our soul. In Samoa and Tonga one of the most revered dances is the Taualuga – the dance of life. "Taualuga is the dance of life, siva o le ola, with all your heart, ono mea, gracefulness & loto fiafia - happy heart!"

One of most treasured heritage art forms in the Pacific is our dance – and expression of our social roles, status, our joy for life and our soul. In Samoa and Tonga one of the most revered dances is the Taualuga – the dance of life. "Taualuga & Tau'olunga gave me the tools to be graceful and soft & just to learn to be still and be beautiful in stillness" - Amanaki Prescott Faletau 

One of most treasured heritage art forms in the Pacific is our dance – and expression of our social roles, status, our joy for life and our soul. In Samoa and Tonga one of the most revered dances is the Taualuga – the dance of life. "I wanted to start teaching Siva Samoa because I knew that, that was probably something that was lacking here in New Zealand - not everyone grows up around it" - Filoi Vaila'au 

One of most treasured heritage art forms in the Pacific is our dance – and expression of our social roles, status, our joy for life and our soul. In Samoa and Tonga one of the most revered dances is the Taualuga – the dance of life. Check out these tales of the Samoan Taualuga and Tonga Tau’olunga from 5 very different people in the Pacific.