The Tongan Tau’olunga, influenced by the Samoan taualuga and the ancient ‘ula’ dance, became a key part of Tongan culture, particularly among the aristocracy. The ‘ula’ was a group dance for chiefly daughters, but with the introduction of the Samoan taualuga in the 19th century, it became institutionalized within the Tu’i Kanokupolu lineages. In the 1950s, Queen Salote enhanced the tau’olunga, incorporating wrist flourishes and lakalaka leg transitions, shaping the modern version we see today. F

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