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Kane Shout Out Hula's Hurrah

By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Members of Halau Na Mamo O Pu'uanahulu kane perform during
last night's Kahiko portion of the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo.
Competition continues tonight with the 'Auana competition. You can
catch the action starting at 6 p.m. on KITV.

Traditional
hula boundaries
stretched

Some performers push the
envelope on tradition, others
return to historic instruments

By Tim Ryan
Star-Bulletin

HILO -- Often it's the subtle things that separate the great from the just very good. At a certain level of proficiency -- perhaps even with hula -- every dancer appears at first glance to be equally gifted.

What separated the ali'i from the subjects at last night's hula kahiko, or traditional hula, competition at the 37th Annual Merrie Monarch Festival at the Edith Kanaka'ole Stadium were spurts of extra energy, stern looks of self-confidence, and aggressive and synchronized hand and foot movements.

But what especially stood out and ignited the crowd were the halau of Texas, Oakland and Sonny Ching's Honolulu troupe, which pushed the boundaries of the traditional aspect of the sacred dance.

"What really is traditional?" asked a longtime festival official who requested anonymity. "Is it what the (seven) judges believe is traditional, or is it what the halau's kumu hula believes is traditional for what they are performing?"

Catch the Merrie Monarch Festival live on the Internet at: http://www.merriemonarchlive.com

Last night's 3-hour competition of 27 halau from Hawaii, California and Texas, took place before a capacity audience of 5,000 people eager to celebrate the living art of hula.

Most noticeable was that the kahiko competition featured several halau using more traditional Hawaiian musical instruments, like the 'uli'uli, kala'au and pu'ili, than in years past. One longtime festival-goer speculated that their use stemmed from some winners last year who impressed the judges.

There were also several halau performing the more subdued noho dance, which is done sitting down.

By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Halau Kealakapawa (kumu hula Michael Canopin) perform
kahiko at the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival last night.

An early crowd favorite was the Na Mele Hula 'Ohana of Oakland, which did a vigorous hula to a mele saluting Queen Emma when she announced her candidacy for the Hawaiian kingdom and about a series of violent and costly demonstrations staged over her defeat.

They used 'uli'ulis to accentuate their chanting and sharp, almost military-style, movements.

The audience began cheering wildly early on in the women's performance, ending with the largest standing ovation of the evening.

By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
The kane from Halau Hula O Kahikilaulani (kumu
hula Ray Fonseca) from Hilo perform.

The competition wasn't without its unique costumes: The 19 female members of the Halau Keali'i O Nalani of Los Angeles wore large puffy, red, crepe-like dresses with bow designs on their hips and slips of deep purple. Their mele was to the beauty of Ha'ena and the sacred cliffs of Ke'e, performed mostly in one spot, and in perfect continuity.

The Texas Halau Ho'ola Ka Mano O Hawai'i received more than the normal applause, probably for its publicized struggle to get to the festival, if not for the men's malo, or loincloths, as close to bare okole as probably legal.

The older Texas halau was outdone by Ke Kai o Kahiki of West Oahu, whose five members spent much of their 17-minute performance in a squatting dance, with arms in synch with their bodies.

The competition concludes tonight with the 'auana, or modern hula.