Manaia

Manaia (pronounced Mah – nai – ya), are a UK based Maori performing arts company providing traditional Maori performances and workshops at festivals, private parties, weddings and corporate events.

Why Manaia?

• Enrich events with the passion of the haka.
• Engage your guests with warm harmonies, vibrant action songs and graceful poi dance.
• Bring you, your friends and guests closer to the unique spirit of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Manaia are Maori, their performers are from New Zealand. They boast the best Maori performers outside of New Zealand.

Maori concert – the concerts include many well known haka and loved action songs from New Zealand:

• Welcome guests in traditional style – the sound of the sacred conch shell, a challenge by the warrior, a sacred call of our women and a haka of welcome.
• Powerful haka performances, including “Ka mate” as performed by the All Blacks
• Singing of waiata, harmonious action songs including the famous love song “Pokarekare ana”.
• Poi, the graceful dance with balls on string.

All of the above is infused with engaging commentary to inform and entertain your guests.

For schools, festivals and private parties we also offer:

• Haka workshop – the history and meaning of haka and teaching participants the basics of haka actions, posture and dance with a focus on the most well known haka “Ka Mate”. Possibility of mass haka workshop at the end of the workshops involving all participants to be led from the main stage. (Note for corporate haka workshops, please see Haka Works)
• Poi workshop – swirling balls on end of string, often seen in night clubs and dance halls, have their traditions in Maori performing arts. Manaia trainers will take participants through the poi’s history, and get participants to learn poi moves to traditional and modern song.

Some of our favourite performances:

• 2018 Activision conference Los Angeles, California
• 2018 Silhouette conference, New York
• 2017 Speaking Minds tour of Delhi and Mumbai, India
• 2017 Wilderness Festival, UK
• 2016 & 2017 Air New Zealand promo tour Germany and Switzerland
• 2015 Glastonbury Festival, UK
• 2015 Download Festival, UK
• 2014 Pure Tourism Awards, Marrakech, Morocco
• 2014 NZTE office opening, Istanbul, Turkey
• 2014 Mont Blanc North American Leadership Conference, Florida, US
• 2013 Societe Generale at Stade de France, Paris
• 2013 Qiwi haka workshop Moscow, Russia
• 2013 BAT sales conference, Erbil, Iraq
• 2013 Pure awards, Marrakech, Morocco
• 2012 & 2007 Watch this Space Festival, South Bank, London
• 2012 & 2007 Cultural festival in Teramo, Italy
• 2010 Tribeca Film Festival, Doha, Qatar
• 2008 10 year celebration for Fisher & Paykel, Dusseldorf
• 2007 New Horizons Film Festival, Wroclaw, Poland
• 2007 International Workshop Festival, London
• 2007 White Light Festival, Rome
• 2006 Street Festival Warsaw, Poland
• 2006 Molten Festival, London
• 2005 Womad Festival, Reading, UK