The action song of a kapa haka set, in which a team sings in te reo Maori with coordinated hand, arm and body movements that act out the meaning of the words.
Waiata a-ringa is the action song of a kapa haka set. The team sings in te reo Maori while performing synchronised gestures, usually hand and arm movements, with footwork and body sway that follow the beat and illustrate the words. It is livelier than a moteatea but still a sung item: the music and the movement are marked together.
On eTalenter the item is installed once, on the New Zealand secondary schools kapa haka template. It is the third of the seven compulsory items, a team entry in te reo Maori for mixed teams in a single Kura Tuarua group, ages 13 to 18, scored out of 100 with marks as the score type. The template follows the national kapa haka rules, where each compulsory item is scored out of 100 and the whole set must fit inside 25 minutes.
A finished entry usually tells a short story or carries one idea, and the actions are chosen to match it. Teams lodge the words in advance, so the panel can follow the te reo while watching the movement. Good action songs let the audience understand the theme even if they do not speak the language.
The national rules also recognise a separate award for a newly composed waiata a-ringa (a Titonga Hou award). It is distinct from the placing score, so a team can be rewarded for its composition while still losing marks on delivery.
Where Waiata a-ringa is run
On eTalenter, Waiata a-ringa is used in one template: the New Zealand secondary schools kapa haka template, where it is the third of the seven compulsory items. The form belongs to kapa haka, the Maori performing arts of Aotearoa New Zealand, as run by schools, communities and national kapa haka events. The template is built from the national event rules; the age range for the secondary event is recorded as unverified because that event does not publish its own rules.
- New Zealand (Aotearoa)
Key facts
- Team entry in te reo Maori, mixed teams, one Kura Tuarua group (ages 13 to 18 on the template)
- Scored out of 100; one of seven compulsory items that decide the final placing
- Five judges score each compulsory item; the highest and lowest marks are dropped and the middle three are averaged
- All seven compulsory items must fit within 25 minutes in total; the template sets no separate time limit for waiata a-ringa
- The words are lodged in advance so the panel can follow the te reo
- Idea, not a rule: build the actions from the meaning of each line, so a viewer who does not know the language can still follow the story
On eTalenter, Waiata a-ringa is filed under On Stage and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Waiata a-ringa is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100.
The scoring method the templates attach to this item, and what that scale means. The category this competition is filed under when a template is installed. Others in this category: Dance, Music, Drama, Mimicry, Debate, Elocution, Story Telling, Group Song, Action Song eTalenter matches an item to its criteria on the words in its name, and creates exactly these when the template is installed. No criteria match this name, so none are created automatically — judges score it on the event’s own criteria instead.How it is scored
Where it sits
Judging criteria installed for it
What judges look at in Waiata a-ringa
What a Waiata a-ringa panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Unison of voice and action: every performer sings and moves on the same beat, with no late or half-finished gestures
- Vocal quality and blend: clear, balanced singing that holds while the body is moving
- Accuracy and clarity of te reo: every word pronounced correctly and audible, matching the lodged text
- Fit between words and actions: gestures illustrate the meaning rather than repeating one movement throughout
- Energy and expression: faces, eyes and posture show the mood of the song, not just the hands
- Formation and staging: positions, transitions and spacing look deliberate and use the stage well
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Waiata a-ringa under Scoring Setup, or start from the judge scoring and tabulation guide.
How to prepare for Waiata a-ringa
How entrants and their teachers usually get Waiata a-ringa right on the day:
- Learn the words and their meaning first, then add the actions line by line
- Agree one action per phrase and write it down, so every performer repeats it identically
- Rehearse singing while moving at full energy, so breath control does not fail in the last verse
- Practise in front of a mirror or video and check that the hands, arms and heads finish together
- Mark positions on the floor and rehearse transitions at the real stage size
- Check the lodged lyrics against what is actually sung, line by line, before the day
- After a regional loss, review a recording for ragged gestures and late entries before rewriting the song
Events that run this (1)
Ready-made templates that already include this competition. Installing one sets it up for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Waiata a-ringa judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
Is Waiata a-ringa the same as Moteatea?
No. On this template they are separate compulsory items with their own scores. Moteatea is the traditional-style sung item with restrained movement; waiata a-ringa is the action song with coordinated gestures.
Is Waiata a-ringa judged individually or as a team?
As a team. The whole group is scored together out of 100, and individual performers are not marked separately for it.
How long is a Waiata a-ringa?
The template sets no separate limit. On the national model, all seven compulsory items together must fit inside 25 minutes.
Can a team skip it?
Not on this template: it is one of the seven compulsory items that decide the placing. Only Waiata Tira is optional.
Similar competitions
Items whose names share a word with this one — usually the same discipline in another form.
Want the full judging picture? Read the judge scoring and tabulation guide, or browse every on stage competition item.
Try Waiata a-ringa in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Waiata a-ringa, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
