M ori performing arts is a dynamic part of the M ori culture which has effectively ensured the inter-generational transmission of M ori knowledge for thousands of years. Performing arts was crucial amongst a group of people with no written form of their language. Traditionally, M ori performing arts was not a performance but a ritual. It was an integral part of everyday life and was used in all aspects of traditional M ori society. Upon European arrival to New Zealand M ori social life and customs were observed and documented in a written form. M ori social life and material culture changed...