Ula (dance)

The ula (dance) is an ancient Tongan group dance, already reported by early European navigators like captain Cook. It is also known as fahaʻi-ula (split dance), which may be degenerated to fahaʻiula. It is still pito danced nowadays, although less popular than its descendant the tauʻolunga.

The oldest parts seem to be from Sāmoan origin:

These parts are from the beginning of the 20th century:

And then there are still more variants.

The name split dance comes from the habit that the performers split up in two (or more) groups, one entering the stage from the left, the other from the right, until the two meet in the centre and merge into one or more rows. The performers are always girls, it is rare that boys will join.

The dance movements are in essence very simple and limited. Most of the work, making supple, beautiful posures, is done by the hands and the head. The body remains quite stiff, and except for an occasional step or a kneeling, the legs are not much used either.

The dress of the girls is like that of the tauʻolunga, although the red dress is here most popular.

...
Wikipedia