JANE FREEMAN MOULIN has returned to teaching after a 6-month return fieldwork period in French Polynesia. Research activity included: the presentation of four public lectures on Marquesan music and two lectures on Tahitian music and dance; a visit to the Marquesas Islands and the renewal of contacts with long-term co-workers and friends from the 1989 TSOM Survey in the Marquesas Islands; ongoing research on Marquesan church music and Tahitian perspectives on multi-dimensional performance; consulting on the music for the film Patutiki; and participation as a dancer with Heiragi in the 2019 Heiva des Écoles performances. Moulin reports: “Tahiti is always such a stimulating and musically vibrant environment for me. It is inspiring to be surrounded by so many people who are passionate about performative culture, and the music and dance continue to astound me. This year’s Heiva performances were incredible—with large groups of up to 180-200 dancers, interesting choreography, large and vibrant musical groups, and amazingly beautiful costumes. The participation of so many young people bodes well for the future of the arts, and the level of technical skill and artistic creativity they display in all of this is absolutely mind-boggling.” She will return to Tahiti in February 2020 as an invited guest for a special colloquium at the Université de la Polynésie française that will bring together a small working group of invited singers, directors, cultural specialists, and scholars for a project on hīmene tārava.
