[MERRIE MAGIC]
Expressing her NATASHA KAMALAMALAMAOKALAILOKOKAPU'UWAIMEHANAOKEKEIKIPUNAHELE ODA will be noticed at the 38th Annual Merrie Monarch Festival for more than just having 52 letters in her middle name.
heart in hula
A Miss Aloha Hula entrant
says it's all about sharingFestival facts
By Tim Ryan
Star-BulletinThe 23-year-old Hilo resident, professional dancer and rising star of Johnny Lum Ho's Halau Ka Ua Kani Lehua last year finished an 18-month gig in Japan, including a year as a Polynesian dancer at Disneyland Tokyo. She is representing her hula group as one of 13 contestants vying for Miss Aloha Hula.
Oda, whose mother also danced in Ho's halau and now helps him teach, exudes vulnerability as much as self-confidence, depending on the subject.
And though she's been dancing with "Uncle Johnny" since age 5 and says her friendship with the flamboyant Ho "is a blessing," she was not happy about being singled out for the prestigious competition. Only one woman per halau is entered each year."When he told me I was a little upset," she said at Ho's rustic studio in downtown Hilo. "I am not really one to be a solo. It was never a desire of mine."
Ho knows he made the right choice.
"Natasha is ready; she may not understand it right now but she has been working toward this her entire life," Ho says. "I believe in her."
Oda sits cross-legged on a desk chair, a reddish hula skirt extending almost to the floor. She gazes out the screenless window to an empty outdoor farmer's market below. "It never ever crossed my mind that this would be something I would do," Oda says. "I guess it was in my blueprint of life that I needed to do this. Through the process of getting ready I realize I needed this experience to grow."
Oda has convinced herself that her performance is "not about me or a competition but about sharing and giving back."
She says it convincingly.
"My intentions in agreeing to do it may be a little different. It's my moment to share my heart and give back through my dance to everyone who has given to me my whole life. I will use the dance to express my heart."
Oda's kahiko dance "Mele Aloha No Kaulana-i-ka-poki'i E Keaomelemele" tells the story of Keaomelemele, who passes on her knowledge of hula and chant to her beloved younger sister Kaulana-i-ka-poki'i. The two sisters then perform to the great interest and delight of others.
The 'auana dance, "Nani Wale Ka Lau Oliva," tells of the olive leaf's significance, delivered to humankind from the heavens by a white dove in the time of Noah.
"That dance tries to illustrate that after any struggle or storm, the sun always shines if we have faith in God," Oda said. "I strongly believe that good things can come out of anything if we have faith."
Oda acknowledges Ho's record of producing a string of five Miss Aloha Hula first-place winners during a remarkable streak in the 1980s.
"I don't feel any pressure. I am trying to just enjoy the process and not stress about anything. The festival is only three days out of the year. Getting to this point is what's important, it's where we all grow."She says she hopes her dance "recaptures" some of what's been lost about Merrie Monarch because of the intense competition.
"This shouldn't be about just going out there to challenge the other girls because indeed everyone here is talented," Oda says. "There shouldn't be so much bashing or ridiculing one another or styles.
"What makes this world and Hawaii a beautiful place is that we're all unique and different."
Oda remembers accompanying mom Deedee to hula practice under Lum's tutelage and not being very interested. Then her mom began training children to put on a Tahitian dance exhibition for Merrie Monarch.
"Once I saw they were going to wear cute little pink Tahitian skirts I had to be there," she said.
The halau's excitement about Merrie Monarch after five year's absence is more about having new members enjoy the experience than setting sights on prizes, Oda said. That goes back to her desire to help others.
"I've always asked God to let me be a vessel in some way to use whatever talents I have to help others," Oda said. "Maybe this is my mission to share my heart. Win, lose or place, I am the same person."
Following this year's Merrie Monarch, Oda will move to Honolulu to search for a job, and maybe have time for a boyfriend.
"Right now I'm just lingering in space," Oda says laughing. "The festival marks the end of one season of my life and then the next day I'll be starting a new one.
"I wonder what it will bring?"
Key events: Miss Aloha Hula competition Thursday, Group Hula Kahiko (traditional style) Saturday, Group Hula 'Auana (modern style) Sunday; all beginning 6 p.m. Festival facts
Place: Edith Kanaka'ole Tennis Stadium, Hilo
Tickets: Reserved seats for all three nights, $18 and $23; for the kahiko and 'auana competitions, $10 and $14; non-reserved floor tickets for Miss Aloha Hula, $5.
FESTIVAL CRAFT SHOW
Featuring: Paintings, jewelry, clothing, Fimo products, lei, ipu, Hawaiian print fabric accessories and koa products.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Place: The historic Kress Building, 174 Kamehameha Ave.
Admission: Free.
Call: (808) 961-2656 in Hilo.
ON TV
The Merrie Monarch Festival airs live on KITV:"Backstage at the Merrie Monarch": 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Paula Akana will host the half-hour preview, focusing on four halau, including two groups competing for the first time.
Competition coverage: Airs at 6 p.m. nightly during the competition, Thursday to Saturday. The Saturday competition will conclude with the festival's awards ceremony.
ONLINE
The festival will be streamed live on KITV's Web site http://www.thehawaiichannel.com. Lists of dancers and halau will be posted along with hula terms and a history of the festival. You can also watch last year's winners on the Web site and order a videotape of past competitions.
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calendars and events.
