Our adventure on Rapa Nui, the original name for Easter Island, continues. Prevented by tropical storms, we had to postpone our island tour 2/2 to day 13. Instead, we made some cultural discoveries in the evening of our day 12 at the Kari Kari Cultural Ballet.
After eight months of international travel, I’m trying to keep my expectations low whenever we join guided or cultural experiences. I generally prefer being positively surprised than disappointed. In the case of Kari Kari Cultural Ballet, Rapa Nui’s oldest artistic group – I absolutely unexpectedly loved the experience!
The almost 1.5 hours flew by. We were completely spellbound by the energetic ancestral songs and dances. Kari Kari represents the most traditional way of life of the Rapa Nui, their customs and history. They performed for example Hoko (war dance), Kai-Kai (a game of threads that tells a story), Sau-Sau (dance of love) and Riu Uté (ancestral songs).
If you’ve ever visited a successful musical, you maybe experienced artistic energy on stage before. The Kari Kari artists sparkled this spirit with their fervent shouts and stomping group dances.
They also flawlessly involved the audience in their performance. At one point, a stick suddenly landed on the ground next to a spectator. A Rapa Nui warrior made direct eye contact and appeared eager to attack. Some spectators suddenly sat rigid and rooted to their seats. Others were pulled up on stage to join the hip-swinging folk dances. It was a joyful and engaging evening, which is not easy to achieve.
Even though I’m usually not a fan girl jumping after stars, I was happy to get a photo as souvenir.
It would have been an absolute miss not to see this unique spectacle!
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