|
Research and Development County of Hawai'i, Pacific Radio Group,
Hawai'i Tourism Authority, Uncle Billy's, Kona Bay Shopping Village,
Cuzn's, Hula Preservation Society, CJ's Promotions, Hula Halau
O Kou Lima Nani, Inc. |
'Iolani Luahine Hula Festival
 The 'Iolani Luahine Hula Festival was established in 2003 with a
vision to perpetuate the hula. It also serves at a way to perpetuate
the memory of 'Iolani Luahine and her contributions to the preservation
of hula and the Hawaiian culture. The festival also provides opportunities
for worldwide halau to participate in the hula art and enables them
to build a relationship that ensures their long-term commitment to
the hula.
Thanks to our sponsor, the County of Hawaii Department of Research and Development and the Hula Preservation Society, plans for the 4th Semi-Annual He Lei Hiwa No `Iolani
Luahine Hula Scholarship Awards Festival are underway
for the same location - front lawn of Kona Inn Shopping Village - for January 30 & 31, 2009.The Hula Halau O Kou Lima Nani E is committed to organizing a much broader participant base and audience next year. Stay tuned to our web site for additional information.
By offering a hula scholarship award, the festival ensures
that each year at least one dedicated student will be encouraged to
continue the study of hula in the heart warming spirit of ’Iolani Luahine.
Entrance is open to halau locally and world-wide and planning is underway
for a concerted effort to encourage international halau to enter, attend
as spectators and participate in hula workshops.
See the official He Lei Hiwa No 'Iolani Luahine
Festival website for more Information!
About 'Iolani Luahine
 'Iolani Luahine was born in 1915 in Nāpo'opo'o. 'Iolani Luahine
was admired as a famed hula dancer that preserved the ancient dance
traditions. She was trained by her aunt Keahi Luahine, and she taught
and coached her niece Hoakalei Kamau'u. Aunty 'Iolani’s superb talents,
attractiveness to audiences, and personal commitment kept the ancient
dance art from being lost. Her career is testament to the adage that
dances are passed down like myths, from one artist to another. 'Iolani
Luahine is one of Hawai'i’s premier performers and cultural treasures.
Read
more about 'Iolani Lauhine »
2007 Festival
The third annual He Lei Hiwa No Iolani Luahine Hula Scholarship Awards
Festival was held on February 3, 2007 on the front lawn of the Kona
Inn Shopping Village. Originally scheduled for November 2006, the
Festival was rescheduled to early 2007, not only to honor its namesake
whose birthday falls on Jan. 31 (it is a Hawaiian tradition that you
do not honor a person’s life before their birthday), but also to allow
for additional planning and preparation time.
This additional preparation time helped to make the festival very
successful. Approximately 3000 people attended, creating a large and
enthusiastic party, which could be seen from Alii Dr. near the King
Kamehameha Hotel. Signs indicated the He Lei Hiwa No ‘Iolani Hula
Scholarship Awards Festival in progress among brightly colored flowers
and decorations. Music was played by entertainers (Pueo Pata and Darlene
Ahuna) and hula students performed among much cheering and clapping.
The food booth was totally inundated. The craft vendor booths could
not be seen for the crush of bodies surrounding them. Tourists and
locals sat down together under canopies protected from the hot noonday
sun and watched happily, as each soloist performed his or her number.
The crowd began to thin way after 5 p.m. when all the performers had
finished their performance. Many stayed and waited for the second half
of the program, which was a talk story with the judges, peers and relatives
of the great hula dancer ‘Iolani Luahine - Aunty Hilda Keana’aina,
Uncle George Naope, Queenie Dowsett, Poni Kamau’u and Hoakaleihina
Kamau’u - and a sunset documentary film of her life and hula dance
of ‘Iolani, the hula master herself. We feel sure that she would have
been quite bemused by all of this activity in her honor.
Awards
Awards for the 2007 event were given as follows:
1st Place: $200 for Auana, $200 for Kahiko – Keiki, Opio, Makua, Kupuna
($200 x 8). Each soloist could be awarded multiple divisions. For
example,
$200.00 was awarded to Ramsey Kamelamela for Keiki Hula Kahiko Division
$200.00 was awarded to Ramsey Kamelamela for Keiki Hula ‘Auana Division
Ramsey Kamelamela for Keiki Hula Kahiko and ‘Auana Divisions
L – R, Rae Fonseca, Uncle George Na’ope, Ramsey Kamelamela
L- R, Aulii Fujimoto, Shirley K. Lindo, Queenie Dowsett
Participating halau are as follows
- Kumu Hula Rae Fonseca – Halau Hula O Kahikilaulani
- Kumu Hula Aloha Victor – Halau Kala’akeakauikawekiu
- Kumu Hula Masako Aketa – Hau’oli’a Masako Aketa Hula Studio
- Kumu Hula JayJay Akiona – Halau Hula Kukui Malamalama O Kona
- Kumu Hula Meleana Manuel – Ke Olu Makani O Mauna Loa
- Kumu Hula Tis’a Kalili – Hula Halau o Ka Moana Pakipika
|
See the 2007 Flyer