Superyacht owners crusing the Polynesian islands can now call on teams of local traditional dancers to perform on board their yacht or at private beach parties. “Today’s superyachts have sufficient space on deck to accommodate four or five musicians and allow a dance group of six-to-ten girls and boys to express and share their joy of dance into the night under a starry sky to an appreciative on-board audience,” says Etienne Boutin, who heads up Asia Pacific Superyachts Tahiti, which provides superyacht services throughout the region.



“All the dancers are non-professionals, dancing for the love of their culture, but they’re well-trained in displaying several dance types. And guests will usually be invited to join in the fun. They will instruct the ladies on the Tahitian hip movements and style, and for the men, the ‘Pa’oti’, a vigorous scissoring movement of the legs while bending down and keeping the back straight. The shared dancing is guaranteed to be fun for all!” he says.



Asia Pacific Superyachts can also offer beach parties, where guests go ashore from the anchored yacht to experience a private dance show accompanied by the traditional Polynesian meal called ‘Tamara’a’ – an assortment of piglet, fish, lobster and local vegetables cooked in an earth oven of hot stones and served with coconut milk.

All photos: Etienne Boutin