A deeply spiritual art form, the hula, ironically, was long denigrated by the early missionaries who travelled to Hawaii energized by a mandate to convert the "heathens."
N! Kinimakalehua, a consortium of Kumu Hula (Hula Masters) created to ensure the future and preserve the past of the sacred dance/music form, will present the premiere of "K"lanih!ko'i:Living Waters" at Peak Performances, October 20-23. Dressed in 60 vividly colored costumes (obviously, not worn all at once!), the group of 16 dancers and musicians will perform at the Alexander Kasser Theater. The work was inspired by centuries of Hawaiian stories and poetry in which the cycles of water are revered as the connection between man, his gods and his environment.
About the Artists:
H?k?lani Holt (Principal Kumu Hula) A hula practitioner who has dedicated her life to traditional Hawaiian cultural practice, H?k?lani has led her award winning h?lau (dance company), P?`? O Hi`iaka for more than 30 years. A much sought after judge in Hawai`i, the continental United States and Japan, H?k?lani continues to share her love for hula and Hawaiian culture in any way that she can. H?k?lani is a founding director of N? Kinimakalehua, a consortium of Maui Kumu Hula dedicated to bringing distinction to the island of Maui through the performing arts. She has devoted her professional and personal time to many aspects of Hawaiian culture throughout the islands. Along with Pualani Kanaka`ole Kanahele and Leina`ala Kalama Heine, H?k?lani co-founded the world gathering of hula practitioners, Ka ‘Aha Hula ‘O H?lauaola, a quadrennial event. She chaired the second convening held on Maui in July 2005 and the third conference on O'ahu in July 2009. She is currently the director of cultural programs at Maui Arts & Cultural Center, on-going lecturer in Hawaiian studies at Maui Community College; president of Kauahea Inc., a nonprofit group, committed to Hawaiian culture and learning; founder and director of the Hawaiian Cultural Practices Institute; founder and director of N? Lehuakumakua an organization of cultural practitioners on Maui and O`ahu dedicated to learning about and facilitating Hawaiian protocols, rituals and ceremonies.
Keali`i Reichel (Principal Kumu Hula) Born and raised on Maui, Keali`i Reichel's passion for the language and culture of Hawai‘i led him to become the founding director for P?nana Leo O Maui, the Hawaiian language immersion school. He is also a founding director for N? Kinimakalehua, a consortium of Maui Kumu Hula dedicated to bringing distinction to the island of Maui through the performing arts. He is recognized as a Hawaiian Chant Master in the Hawai`i State Foundation on Culture and The Arts' Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program. Keali`i is a hula practitioner and has been kumu hula of the award winning h?lau hula, Kealaokamaile since 1980. A Grammy nominated entertainer and a winner of numerous N? Hoku Hanohano awards (Hawaii's equivalent of the Grammy), Keali'i recently became the first traditional Hawaiian music artist to have an album certified Gold. His album Kawaipunahele, has sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide. Keali‘i retains his initial goal of presenting new compositions in the Hawaiian language for hula students, and works to dispel long-held stereotypes of Hawai‘i's living culture and her indigenous people.
Pali Ahue? (Principal Kumu Hula) Pali Ahue is recognized and respected statewide as the kumu hula of N? Maile K? Honua, a Lahaina based h?lau hula since 1986. Pali has also been a member of N? Kinimakalehua, a consortium of Maui Kumu Hula dedicated to bringing distinction to the island of Maui through the performing arts, since its inception. A graduate of the Kamehameha Schools he learned chant and dance under the mentorship of renown
Ed Kumu hula Wi
Nona Beamer. Pali completed his apprenticeship to kumu hula Keali`i Reichel for chant under the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture & the Arts' Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program. He has assisted in curriculum development and taught classes for the visitor industry which many Hawaii resorts have adopted as their employee training program. Through participation in N? Kukulu, a Hawaiian cultural and educational organization developed as a resource for the visitor industry he continues to contribute his knowledge throughout the State of Hawai'i. In 2005 he co-chaired the second world conference on hula held on Maui. In 2006 he was recognized by the County of Maui for his lifelong contributions to hula and Hawaiian culture.
Ulalia Woodside (Kumu Hula) Ulalia Woodside is a Hawaiian hula practitioner who has achieved the title, Kumu Hula, having completed the ‘uniki rites of her family's genealogical hula tradition under the direction of her maternal relatives. Her mother Kumu Hula Leiana Long Woodside was her first hula teacher and she spent many years studying with her aunt Kumu Hula Mae Ulalia Loebenstein. Ulalia completed her Kumu Hula training through ‘uniki under the direction of her sister, Kumu Hula Hökülani Holt. She has participated in the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival winning several group awards, and has served as a judge for the E Ho‘i Mai I Ka Piko Hula World Invitational Hula Competition.
In 2007 Ulalia joined the creative development team for the production Kahekili contributing to choreography, chant presentations, and costume concepts. She was also a member of the touring cast which presented Kahekili throughout Hawai‘i, in New York, California, Arizona, Germany and Japan from 2007 to 2010.
In addition to hula, Ulalia expands her knowledge of in the art of oli, Hawaiian chanting, through apprenticeship with Kumu Hula Pualani Kanaka‘ole Kanahele. In 2004, 2005 and 2010 culminating recitals, Pagan Pride: An Ancestral Chant Concert, publically presented the skills and expertise in vocal techniques and traditional oratory materials acquired during study. She also incorporates and continues her training in the disciplines of Hawaiian cultural practices as a student of lua, Hawaiian warrior arts with recognized ‘?lohe, or skilled masters, of the organization P? Ku‘i A Lua. Ulalia also lends her passion to support Hawaiian culture and Hawai‘i's resources by serving on the board of directors for Kauahea Inc. and the L?l?kea Foundation, two organizations dedicated to the advancement of Hawaiian cultural practices and the preservation of the Hawaiian relationship to land.
Kauhilonohonua Padilla (Kumu Hula) Kauhilonohonua Padilla was born and raised on Maui within a hula family that fostered a love for hula and Hawaiian culture and where he began hula at age 5 with his Aunt Kahili Cummings. A graduate of the University of Hawai‘i at M?noa, Lono continued his hula education under Kumu Hula Holoua Stender in Ka P? Hula O Kamehameha and successfully participated in several Merrie Monarch Hula Festival competitions. His hula has taken him throughout Hawai‘i, the continental US, the South Pacific, Japan and Europe.
Lono joined the creative development team for Kahekili as a choreographer in 2007 and was also a member of the performing cast that toured in 2007 to 2010. In 2008, Lono was the project choreographer, technical designer, and performing artist in Home: Inside & Out, a project that received funding from NMAI's Expressive Arts program which toured within the state of Hawai‘i through 2009.
Lono's ongoing hula education has lead him to complete ‘uniki ceremonies in 2008 under his mother Kumu Hula H?k?lani Holt, and is now Kumu Hula, along with Ke‘ano Ka‘upu, for H?lau Hi‘iakain?makalehua based on O‘ahu.
Robert Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV (Kumu Hula) Robert Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV was born and raised in Keaukaha on Hawai‘i Island. As a hula student of Kumu Hula Ray Fonseca and Kumu Hula Johnny Lum Ho, Ke‘ano has danced often at the prestigious Merrie Monarch Hula Festival where these h?lau have won many group and individual awards. He was a choreographer and dancer on Norwegian Cruise Lines, a dancer for the Star of Honolulu and has performed hula throughout Hawai‘i, the continental US, Japan and Europe.
In 2007, Ke‘ano was part the creative development team for Kahekili where he was the costume designer and choreographer and was also a member of the performing cast that toured in 2007 to 2010. He was the project costume/adornment designer, choreographer and performing artist in Home: Inside & Out, which received funding from NMAI in 2008.
Ke‘ano's enduring love for hula led him to complete ‘uniki ceremonies in 2008 under Kumu Hula H?k?lani Holt. He is now a Kumu Hula, along with Lono Padilla, for H?lau Hi‘iakain?makalehua. A graduate of Kapi‘olani Community College, he is a much sought after stylist and is a licensed cosmetologist in the State of Hawai‘i.
To learn more about N? Kinimakalehua, please visit
http://www.kauahea.org/na_kini.html.
TICKET, TRANSPORTATION AND DINING INFORMATION
Performance times:
October 20, 21 at 7:30pm - October 22 at 8pm - October 23 at 3pm
All tickets are $15 and are available at the Alexander Kasser Theater Box Office, by calling 973-655-5112 or online at
http://www.peakperfs.org.
Charter bus service is provided from New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal - arcade on 41st Street between 8th and 9th Avenues - to the Alexander Kasser Theater ($10 per person, roundtrip) for all Saturday and Sunday performances. Bus reservations may be made by calling 973-655-5112 or by visiting
http://www.peakperfs.org.
For restaurants close to the Alexander Kasser Theater, visit
http://www.destinationmontclair.com.
Montclair State University is located at 1 Normal Avenue, Montclair, New Jersey 07043.
