Cook Islands Dance and the Introduction of Wearable Technology: How can wearable technology be appropriately integrated into traditional Cook Islands dance performance?

This thesis records my journey through designing Cook Islands dance costumes with the enhancement of wearable technology. In my research I aim to demonstrate cross-cultural awareness of rich indigenous traditions, such as the Cook Islands performing arts, combined with the futuristic quality of wearable technology practices.

This area of research is not widely explored, so I travelled to the Cook Islands to expand my basic knowledge of costume design. Applying an ethnographic approach to the topic, I interviewed past and present costume makers, and documented their processes. The first trip was timed to coincide with the annual self-governance celebrations in the Cook Islands, Te Maeva Nui. Groups from all islands in the Cook Islands travel to the capital, Rarotonga for a week of celebration and trade: the highlight of which is the much anticipated dance performances, which runs every evening through the week. The weeks before the performances were spent observing and taking part in the costume making process with one of the teams participating in the event. I investigated the difference between ‘traditional’ and ‘modern’ materials utilized in Cook Islands costume making. The second trip to Rarotonga was to refine my experiments based on field research and create my final garment, Ta’akura. This was informed by my in-depth research into traditional methods of costume design, as well as practical experimentation with cutting-edge technologies.

What I found in my research is that the combination of digital wearable technology and traditional costume design can result in a unique marriage that is contemporary, yet still acknowledges and respects the fundamental values and tradition of Cook Islands dance performance. My experiments throughout the course of this research have integrated this technology cautiously. Notwithstanding the paramount cultural context in which Cook Islands dance costumes (and any modification thereof) must be considered, wearable technology can be applied in the same manner that modern materials are integrated into the costumes of today: discreet yet still effective.

There is a place for traditional, if you want to be traditional, and there is a place for creativity and you can combine the two. (Tuara, 2014)