Sunday, October 20, 2019, 3pm Zellerbach Hall Hālau o Kekuhi Nalani Kanaka‘ole, Loea Hula, master adept in hula and hula traditions Huihui Kanahele-Mossman, Kumu Hula, hula instructor Kaua Kanaka‘ole-Ioane, Ho ‘opa ‘a, dance conductor
‘Olapa (Dancers) Kuha‘o Zane Kainoa ornton Kahele Joaquin Hua Loo Ke‘ale ornton Lanihuli Kanahele Lahela Camara ‘Ama Lilly Makakapu Ioane Mahealani Lono Nahulu Carvalho
Cal Performances’ 2019 –20 season is sponsored by Wells Fargo.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
“Hula is a reflection of life. Hula is a way of ters, Kekuhi Kealiikanaka‘oleohaililani and telling history.” Hui hui Kana hele- Mossman. e hālau is now —Pualani Kanaka‘ole Kanahele under the direction of Nālani and Huihui. Cur rently, the hālau ’s performances have been Hālau o Kekuhi is the hālau hula (classical dance reflective of the natural phenomenon of the vol - company) and the center of cultural knowledge cano, since this has been an active occurrence for the Edith Kanaka‘ole Foundation. e cul - on the island for over a decade. Hālau o Kekuhi tural beliefs and practices in which the founda - has earned local, state, national, and interna - tion is anchored radiate from the traditional tional recognition for its art. practices of the hālau that can account for eight generations of kumu hula . Hālau o Kekuhi is Program Note celebrated for its mastery of the ‘aiha‘a style of Hula is a choreographed interpretation of a po - hula (dance) and oli (chant). e ‘aiha‘ a is a low- etic text. At the heart of a hula performance is postured, vigorous, bombastic style of hula that the poetic text called mele [chant or song]; with - springs from the eruptive volcano personae Pele out a poetic text, there is no basis for the chore - and Hi‘iaka, characteristic of Hawaii Island’s cre - ographed movement interpretation. e mele ative forces. dely weaves together metaphors of places and e leadership of the dance company is allusions to gods and people, using images of transmitted from matrilineal succession and nature. A mele , then, is a poetic text rich with with the passing of Edith Kanaka‘ole, her kaona —multiple layers of meanings that make daughters Pua lani Kanaka‘ole Kanahele and even ancient texts as relevant today as when Nālani Kana ka‘ole, both National Heritage Fel - they were written. lows, assumed the role of kumu hula . In 2007, —reference: Dr. Amy Ku'uleialoha Stillman, Pualani relinquished her position to her daugh - University of Michigan
PROGRAM NOTES
PROGRAM KO HIIAKA HUAKAI I KOHALA – HIIAKA’S JOURNEy TO KOHALA DANcES HONORING PELE, Continuing to honor Pele, these dances give THE SOURcE OF OUR vOLcANO movement to a portion of the epic journey of O Pele ke kumu o Kahiki, Hiiakaikapoliopele, the youngest sibling and nana i hoolale ka Pohaku most favorite of Pele. is series of dances takes Translates as “Pele of distant land is the one who us to the very northern point of Hawaii island, stirs up and ignites the rocks.” is hula estab - a district known as Kohala. In this district, lishes the volcano goddess Pele and her familial Hiiaka confronts many challenges, most of relations as the energies that shape the geology which are the mo‘o or dragons protecting their of our islands. water sources. At the end of this portion of the story, Hiiaka grows in power; her victory will Holo mai Pele mai ka hikina then take her to Maui and other formidable “Pele travels from the east,” this number de - opponents. scribes Pele’s arrival to the islands. Laulia ke alii nana i hele mai ka lani Kuolo loa Keaau i ka nahelehele “Laulia the ruler who comes from the heavens.” “Keaau’s long resonance in the forest” speaks of is dance speaks of the dryland forest forms of the aereffects of Hiiaka’s (Pele’s sister) battle Hiiaka, abundant in the dry spaces of Kohala. with the dragon of the Hilo forest. He kai ehu ko Kohalaloa Hulihia ke au nee i lalo i akea “e reddened sea of Kohalaloa,” describing the “e current of great destruction that moves the immediate coastline of the east side of Kohala. expansive foundation” describes the home of the is dance speaks of the many unique features volcano and the geologic activities that form our of Kohala, the oldest of five volcanoes that make basaltic foundation. up the island of Hawaii, including the unforgiv - ing coastline and high cliffs of eastern Kohala, Ohia ka moku and the sound created by these two phenomena. is hula has to do with our pioneer canopy tree, which establishes the forest aer a lava flow. Ke aa mai nei na maka o ke akua e title is also a poetic play on the word ohia — A hula kiai, or a dance of defensive movements, ohi with an added “a”—which means “to make the poetry here speaks of Hiiaka’s warning to the happen or occur.” e Ohia tree is the rain- and largest dragon enemy. As the ending phrase mist-gatherer of our forests. states… “I am Hiiaka i ka pele . As my strength grows, I will battle. I am the warrior.” Oaka ka lani naue ka honua “e heavens open up and the earth shakes.” A Lei mahiki i ka ua description of a volcanic eruption that occurred “e Mahiki lei in the rain” uses the unique in the 1980s. weather of the uplands of Kohala as a metaphor for the ending of the reign of the area’s older gen - Ku i wailua ka pou hale eration of dragon residents. “At Wailua stands the main house-post.” Danced by the women of the troupe, this hula speaks Ke welina mai nei ke kini o lalo of the winds and characteristics of Kau as a is welcome dance speaks of the rains and metaphor for a spirit who is flitting from place to clouds of upland forests. place before Hiiaka forces it back into the body in which it belongs. Ua ona o Kane i ka awa “e state of inebriation of Kane” speaks meta - phorically of Waipio, the eastern border of the Ma hiki forest of Kohala. is valley is famous
PLAYBILL PROGRAM NOTES for its verdant growth, made possible by an Hema me Kahai abun dance of water in the form of rain and Many of those who carry out extensive study rivers. into their genealogy can trace their roots back to these two names. ey set the route from the A Koaekea i Pueohulunui south. In mythology, it was said that Hema “e white-tailed tropic bird in Pueohulunui,” a came first and Kahai came looking for him by – place where the gods dwell at the top of the cliff, following a bird, the ’A (or masked booby), a speaks of the many valleys in North Hilo and very well-traveled ocean bird. Kohala that were the birthplaces of very high- ranking chiefs of Hawaii island. You will oen Hoe puna see this white-tailed bird flying among high Although this title literally translates to “Puna cliffs. paddles the canoe,” it is a metaphor for the great chief Kamehameha I’s triumph over the districts O oe ia e ka wahine o Puuepa e of Hawaii. “You are the women of Puuepa.” is mele speaks of the dragon Mo‘okini. At the same time, Eo e ka lawaia holona i ke kai o Manakaa it celebrates the temple of Mo‘okini, one of the “I say, the traveling fishermen of the sea of Ma - oldest structures in Hawaii. na kaa.” is dance describes a family who, although known for their skill in farming and A Puuhue i na makani paio building, were not well known for their skill in “e hill that blows away in the battling winds.” fishing… that is, until they proved themselves is poetry speaks of a dragon named Moolau to everyone with 442 fish in one catch. (“the many dragons”), who kicks up the battling winds of Kohala. Ask anyone on the island of INTERMISSION Hawaii and they will confirm this well-known fact of Kohala. DRUM DANcES Ke la ka wa ana Dances accompanied by drums were first taught “e time known for its Mahiki rain.” Mahiki to us by teachers whose hula originated on the is a great expanse of forest on our island. In island of Oahu. As with the islands themselves, mythology, it is also a very large dragon who much of this poetry and vocabulary is older than battles with Hiiaka. the traditions of Hawaii island. e dances we perform tonight are widely known and danced throughout the islands and beyond. cANOES AND vOyAGING Our existence on our archipelago is largely due Mapukahanu o ka lau a‘e to our navigators and their skill voyaging the Best known as a dance for entering into a place ocean. Na oiwi Hawaii , or the Hawaiian people, of worship, whether it be a temple, a dancing are descendants of those who chose to sail here ground, or a forest. ese verses are recited at from foreign lands (what we commonly call Ka - the entrances. hiki). ese next numbers describe this skill, Kaulilua i ke anu Waialeale and the abilities of the simple fishermen of a Another popular drum dance performed by single district who use their canoes to feed their many hula halau , this piece speaks of the dark families. dew found in the chill of the Waialeale moun - Ka pae moku tain range that dominates the landscape of the “e canoe lands” is a dance that describes the island of Kauai. arrival of a root ancestor to many Hawaiian people.
PROGRAM NOTES
Hanohano e ka uka o Pihanakalani FOUNDATIONAL DANcES “e glorious uplands of Pihanakalani” is a dance performed in a step called hula aiholo, Aia i Niihau i kuu pawehe a short running step on the balls of the feet. is dance is performed with sticks, or ka laau , Written for Queen Emma, the poetry speaks of in this case long ones that connect to the ground the verdant greenery of Pihanakalani as the and a shorter ones that maintain the rhythm backdrop for love. throughout. e poetry describes our oldest occupied (and privately owned) island of Niihau, Ku oe kou wahi ohelo nei where the Hawaiian language is still spoken “Dwell in your place of ohelo ”. e ohelo is a every day. berry that grows in the uplands; it is also the floor movement that dominates this dance. It Ka wai mukiki ala lehua o ka manu is done as the dancer slides back and forth with “Birds that sip the fragrant water of the lehua.” outstretched legs. As you may recognize, the po - Part love song, part dream-like state, this piece is etry speaks of lovemaking. performed with the rattle gourd and sung in a fashion that suggests passion and compassion.
RITUAL DANcES Alagahaga As practitioners of a very ancient art, we are On Molokai, there is a practice in which people required to participate regularly in rituals and hide their audibles by garbling their speech. ceremonies. As well as a classical dance form, Aer 30 years of dancing this hula we still can - hula holds its place in the daily lives of our peo - not confidently communicate its meaning. It is ple as part of these activities. e following hula performed in the hula kui style, an ancient style are dances (both historical and contemporary) combined with new interpretations. composed for high ceremony. • • • Hulihia ke au ka papa honua ka moku Edith Kanaka‘ole Foundation “e upheaval of the status of the earth’s foun - 1500 Kalaniana‘ole Avenue dation.” One in a series of volcanic upheaval Hilo, HI 96720 verses, this dance calls to the volcano goddess Tel: (808) 961-5242 to awaken and overturn the dysfunctional sta - tus quo. Hālau O Kekuhi Hula Imakakaloa https://www.edithkanakaolefoundation.org/ is piece was composed specifically for the halau-o-kekuhi/ rededication of a renewed hula temple ( heiau hula ) in Kau. In 2014, we began restoration of Touring Representation this heiau in the southern portion of Hawaii is - Pasifika Artists Network land for use by today’s hula schools. In 2018, this Karen A. Fischer, president heiau , identified as Imakakaloa, was rededicated Wailuku, HI to Laka and Kanaloa, and opened for use. Tel: (808) 283-7007 [email protected] Hula aha lanalana http://www.pasifika-artists.com Performed at Merrie Monarch in 2019, the complete dance is 13 minutes long, a feat rarely achieved by any hula group. e verses describe impactful chiefs and their descendants and the connection each one has to a star, and to other places beyond our islands.
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