The haka: cohesion, motivation, tradition

If even the Dutch get involved... Among the team-building activities offered by the hotels of the Dutch Bilderberg group, the haka features prominently. From New Zealand to Zeeland, from the homeland of the Maoris to the other land of cheese - but certainly not rugby! - , the vibrations of this traditional dance has spread far and wide across the continents, and has even found its way into company meetings. It's a butterfly effect that owes everything to the All Blacks, whose myth is based as much on their near invincibility as on this warlike chant that prefaces their matches. Ka mate, ka mate! ka ora! ka ora! The tribal dance is gripping, even for those with no knowledge of the oval ball who have undoubtedly seen it at least once in their lives.

Chest-beating, throwing forearms in defiance, sticking out tongues: during the World Cup, many employees may have the opportunity to pretend they're Aaron Smith or Dan Carter during their seminar, the time of a Rugby World Cup trend animation. " Over the last four months, demand for this activity has been enormous, and we've been receiving applications almost every day. "explains Christiane Reynier, director of the Claude Reynier Production agency.

The activity most sought after by companies: short sessions in the early morning, before lunch or in the late afternoon, as offered by this events agency in particular. " Our 'haka men' arrive in the room before the screening of a short video that puts this integral part of Maori culture into context.says Christiane Reynier. Then the slides scroll with the text, the movements to be made. Our haka men throw themselves into it, putting their soul, their strength and their conviction into it. And the audience follows. Even the most timid are caught up in the collective movement. ".

Arman Vossougui feels this infectious energy intimately, having performed the haka for several years at weddings and corporate events. " There are a truth in the energy we give and that we receive in return. That's what I like about the haka. "After working for a number of other companies, he set up his own business within the La Malle aux artistes association, launching his Haka Team website.

By opting for this activity rather than a cooking or wine-making workshop, companies will find a powerful way to breaking the ice between those taking part in the event or re-energise their teams. A team-building event that can also be used to celebrate the creation of a new division or to create connections within companies that have just merged. " There are many possible motivations "says Arman Vossougui.

The haka, the hallmark of close-knit teams

Events lasting between 2 hours and 2.5 hours can also take this team-building dynamic a step further. Beginning with a presentation designed to introduce participants to this aspect of Maori culture, they continue in teams, with each team invited to create your own hakaincluding words and gestures. " Like a well-known song reinterpreted, they make the haka their own by rewriting it to reflect their company's values, the objectives of the seminar and their vision of the future for their company. "says Christiane Reynier. And finally, for the beauty of the sport, there will be a series of battles to round things off.

It's a time for personalities to shine through. Some are usually reserved, but others will take the lead and show that they're not the only ones. their management skills or creativityOthers will let themselves be carried along, with the usual "dominant" players not always being the most listened to. " But at the end of the day, everyone has a purpose. That's also the idea behind "says Arman Vossougui.

Of course it is, seeing your boss stick out his tongue or the person sitting next to him at the desk shouting himself hoarse, it could all be good for a laugh. This good humour should not obscure the fact that the haka is a meaningful tradition, an ancestral ceremony to be treated with the utmost respect. And it is perhaps from this that it draws its strength. From this immemorial link, updated on every occasion, between the people gathered together, the land that welcomes them and, above, the starry sky. " For a long time, the haka belonged to the Maoris, the New Zealanders. But it's a universal language that speaks to every human being on earth. I don't think I'm stealing anything It's a tradition," says Arman Vossougui, who insists on placing his practice in the context of this tradition, always telling the story of Te Rauparaha, the Maori chief who composed the Ka Mate haka.

After all, the words tradition and betrayal share a common etymology, both deriving from the Latin tradere. But betraying everything at respecting the spirit of traditionin their own way, with their own sensibility. Many Japanese chefs are great representatives of French gastronomy, like Kei Kobayashi, who has three Michelin stars in Paris, while an Israeli-Oriental orchestra like the West-Eastern Divan performs Beethoven or Wagner marvellously, although none of its musicians were born in Bonn or Bayreuth. Nor in Auckland or Wellington, for that matter...

Of Maori origin, Sean Spring, who regularly organises haka events at corporate meetings, has no intention of being a judge. " If they do it seriously, with their heart, with the right gestures, I say bravosays the man who is also the father of French international Max Spring. But if they take random lyrics from the internet, make the wrong gestures, do a cheesy dance, then..." . With all the entertainers being Maori, his agency, Haka Evenements, gives companies a real guarantee of authenticity. All the more so since Sean Spring went to the Ngati Toa tribe - to whom the Ka Mate belongs - to seek their approval for the right to perform it. " We know what we're doing and why we're doing it, to share our culture. Sometimes people come up to me at the end and say they've seen haka interpretations before, but this was nothing like it." . United Colors of Haka or Canada Dry haka, you have to choose.