Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 26, Number 12, 1 December 2009 — Hula nō ka 'oi in Indiana [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

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Hula nō ka 'oi in Indiana

By Len Jury Kau Inoa Registrar - Ohio Due to a serious illness of the previous organizer, there had been a two-year absence of the Dancer's Dream Weekend in Indianapolis. This year Dancer's Dream Weekend retumed to the city of Indianapolis, under the guidance of Miehelle M. Saunders Wedding of Polynesian Breeze, LLC.

This year's event featured two kumu hula, Keith Awai and Cy Bridges. Awai, supervisor and choreographer with the Polynesian Cultural Center, is the founder and

kumu of Kawaipu'ilani Hālau. Bridges is the Cultural Director at the Polynesia Cultural Center and is kumu of the Hui Ho'oulu Aloha Hālau. There were over 150 participants for the weekend; they studied mele, chanting and hula kahiko. The hō'ike on Saturday evening was followed by a kanikapila that

went into the early hours of Sunday morning, all in attendance enjoyed the Aloha. The Indianapolis event has always been a hula "no ka 'oi" workshop and had been well attended in the previous years. Judging by the excitement and interest at this year's event and with the participants talking about the future sessions, I feel that the Kau Inoa registration and awareness will grow as people realize "Indy" is back and as attendance increases. ■

21 st annual Dancer's Dream Weekend Sept. 25 -27, 2009 Wyndham lndianapolis West lndianapolis, lndiana

ho'oulu lāhui aloha* ™!1 1 bdl™"1 ndlnn

www.oha.org/kwo

Len Jury handled Kau Inoa registration at the Dancer's Dream Event on Sept. 25-27, 2009, at the Wyndham lndianapolis West in lndiana. - Courtesy photo