Just Dancing is the story of a Polynesian wife of mixed heritage who runs away from home and her abusive husband. While wandering on the beach, she encounters Hina, the Polynesian moon goddess, who teaches her the dances of her ancestors: Samoan, Hawaiian, and Tahitian. This fictional story explores the centrality of dance in ancient Polynesia, and suggests that it is more than 'just dancing'. The central character Te Maka, which means the 'spirit of the dance', the homeless transvestite on the beach, and the husband/policeman, all have to 'dance' in order to discover their true identities within a colonized Hawaiian/American context. The effect of Christian influences on Polynesian dance, the tropical setting of sand, sea, and sky, as well as the use of the famous and very popular Hawaiian song 'Me Kealoha Ku'u Home O Kahalu'u' are intriguing features of this film that suggest 'kaona' (hidden meanings).
