Celebrating Tongan Pride Through Tau’olunga
On the 31st of October 2025, the Tongan Victorian Association (TVA) held their annual End-of-Year Tau’olunga Showcase — a vibrant evening filled with big smiles and graceful movements. Young girls from the Sunshine, Truganina, and Nunawading Tau’olunga Academies took the stage and performed with grace, confidence, and joy. The event was a beautiful display of Tongan culture and fellowship, with some good soul food. The atmosphere was filled with support as families and local communities united, with audience attendance exceeding all expectations.
CMY Le Mana Pasifika had the privilege of interviewing one of TVA’s tau’olunga students, listening to her journey as a Tongan-Australian young person learning tau’olunga for the first time. She shared a moment that stayed with her, recalling being taught a Samoan dance for a school event despite being of Tongan descent—an experience that sparked her interest in joining TVA and gave her the opportunity to explore her Tongan culture in a safe and culturally accurate environment.
With the encouragement and guidance of TVA’s leaders, she was able to step out of her comfort zone and overcome her fear of stage fright, strengthen her connection to her Tongan identity and fulfil her lifelong desire to learn to tau’olunga.
Tau’olunga, the traditional Tongan dance performed by young women, is a form of storytelling through the performing arts. Through TVA’s tau’olunga schools, young Tongan women learn more than just technique, like “how to bow your head and how to move your hands”, but also to “understand the lyrics and the movements”. TVA has done more than structure routines; it has passed down the gift of storytelling to our young people. For Pasifika communities in Australia, these traditional performances serve as a means to preserve customs, honour ancestors, and keep our culture alive for future generations.
Our team has had the privilege of watching these young women show up every week, practising with dedication, pride, and a growing sense of identity. Through this program, they’ve reconnected with their roots, built connections with other people, and learned the importance of discipline, teamwork, and cultural confidence.
“My mum was saying if they had a boys’ [Tongan dance class], she’d enrol my siblings”. – a young person reflecting on the program’s impact on the community
We are proud to partner with the Tongan Victorian Association in support of their mission to nurture young cultural leaders. TVA has made a meaningful impact within the Tongan community in Victoria, reflected through testimonies from families and the wider Pasifika community.
“Step out of your comfort zone and try new things. For me, tau’olunga was a new [experience]. You feel good connecting with your culture. I felt good being on stage and being able to show people, ‘If I can do it, you can do it’”. – TVA tau’olunga student
The 2025 Tau’olunga Showcase was a beautiful reminder of how powerful culture can bring people together. We are deeply honoured to be part of this journey, witnessing the next generation of Tongan women carry their traditions forward with pride.
Mālō ‘aupito to the Tongan Victorian Association and all their amazing students.
