HULA
Dancers scatter the globe
King Kamehameha, by uniting the islands, made sure that Hawaiian culture would become part of the international community. So it's only fitting that the 19 halau competing in the 33rd Annual King Kamehameha Hula Competition come from all over -- California, Japan, Hawaii, Maui and Oahu.
It begins at 6 p.m. Friday and continues at 1 p.m. Saturday, housed in the Blaisdell Arena. This event, Oahu's oldest hula competition, features traditional and contemporary hula, broken down into male groups, female groups and combined groups. The traditional division often features individual chanters, and older women seem to rule the contemporary division.
The competition this year features:
» Ka Hale Hula O Pilialoha O Kalani O Hilo, kumu hula Pilialoha Christiansen, Oxnard, Calif.
» Halau O Ka Hanu Lehua, kumu Kamaka Kukona, Oahu
» Halau Na Pua Mai Ka Lani, kumu Kale Pawai, Oahu
» Ka Pa Nani O Lilinoe, kumu Lilinoe Lindsey, Oahu
» Ke Kai O Kahiki, kumu O'Brian Eselu, Oahu
» Kawaianuhealehua, kumu Colsen Kanei, Maui
» Halau Ke 'A'ali'i Ku makani, kumu Manu Boyd, Oahu
» Halau Hula Ka No'eay, kumu Michael Pili Pang, Waimea (Big Island and Oahu)
» Halau Ke'alaokamaile, kumu Keali'i Reichel, Maui.
» Halau Ka Liko O Kalaniakea, kumu Kapua Dalire-Moe, Oahu
» Halau Hula O Ka Wehi I Ka Pali, kumu hula Ku'uiponani Avilla, Oahu
» Halau Mohala 'Ilima, kumu Mapuana de Silva, Oahu
» Halau Hula O Kawaiho'omalu
» Hui O Kamalei, kumu Kame Sataraka, Oahu
» Halau Hula O Napuanaheleonaapua, kumu hula Rich Pedrina, Oahu
» Halau Hula O Mehanaokala, kumu Ku'uleinani Hashimoto, Japan
» Na Mamo O Kaleinani, instructor Kalainani Okamamoto, Japan
» Hui Hula O Leialoha, kumu Etsuko Leialoha Watada, Japan
» Keali'ika'apunihonua Ke'ena A'o Hula, kumu Leimomi Ho, Oahu
Sponsored by the nonprofit State Council on Hawaiian Heritage, tickets are available through www.hulacomp.com, or may also be purchased at the Blaisdell box office. Call 536-6540