New Zealand - Maori Culture - Maori Poi Dancers, Rotorua - Real Photo Postcard Format #332251 Poi - In the Māori language, poi can mean the physical objects used by the dancers, the choreography itself, or the accompanying music. In Māori culture, poi performance is usually practiced by women. Some legends indicate that it was first used by men to develop wrist flexibility for the use of hand weapons such as the club-like patu, mere, and kotiate, but recent academic study has found no evidence to confirm this story. - Māori poi come in two forms: short, with strings equal to the length of the fingertips to the wrist; and long, with strings equal to the distance from fingertips to shoulder. A performance includes storytelling and singing in conjunction with choreographed poi routines and is often presented alongside other disciplines, such as waiata a ringa, haka and titi torea (included in kapa haka performances). Poi feature in the 1980s hit song "Poi E". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poi_(performance_art)