Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 5, 1 May 2013 — Maui emerges, Oʻahu resurges at Merrie Monarch [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Maui emerges, Oʻahu

resurges at Merrie Monarch

By Kekoa Enomoīo HILO, HAWAPI ISLAND — If a Hō-ike theme was remembrance, then the hnal two nights of the 50th Merrie Monarch Festival saw themes of resurgence, even emergence. The Valley Isle hula scene eonhnues to emerge. Maui practitioners have captured the Miss Aloha Hula crown in three of the last five years, and twice placed one-two in the past three years. Moreover, in only their second year at the "01ympics" of hula, kāne of a Wailuku hālau placed second by a single point in hula kahiko and fourth in hula 'auana with "Laupāhoehoe Hula." Nā Kumu Hula 'Iliahi and Haunani Paredes lead Hālau Kekuaokalā ' au ' ala ' iliahi, including 2011 Master Keiki Hula Kahoku Benavides. The 13-year-oldblistered the left side of the stage with his scene-stealing energy and precision. "He's probably our youngest member on the stage this year," 'Iliahi Paredes said of his youthful troupe. "This is special (because) he won the Master Keiki Hula title with 'Boy from Laupāhoehoe,' so it really hit home for him. He's been dancing this song for many years. The choreography is a little different to suit the men's line, but he has always loved this song. "I thought it was a perfect mele with a lot of youthful, energetic

movement. I truly believe that's what Mary Kawena Pukui and Aunty Irmgard Aluli were thinking about when they composed this mele. They wanted to show the life and how athletic our Hawaiian boys are."

Haunani Paredes summarized, "Maui did phenomenal." Parity among the competitors also continues to emerge. In group competition for wāhine, five points separated first through fourth places in hula kahiko, three points was the difference between first through third places in hula 'auana, and one point separated first and second places in overall wāhine standings. In group competition for kāne,

< four points was [ the difference between first V through fourth places in hula kahiko. And, ___ three points

separated first and second places in overall festival rankings. Resurging were Merrie veteran kumu hula Chinky Māhoe and Aloha Dalire. Māhoe's Kawaili'ulā men swept top honors in hula kahiko, hula 'auana, kāne division and overall. He indicated that, although it was his men's 10th championship, they

hadn't swept overall honors for 17 years, since 1996. He added the hālau was celebrating a 30th anniversary of its wāhine Merrie debut in 1983. "I wanted to do well in kahiko," Māhoe

saia. iou never see men dancing \ hula noho (sitī ting hula) with pūniu (eoeoA nut knee drums), ^ ■ \ and the

\ way we danced, it \ kind of took a risk. \ It's not traditional to be like stomping the stage and hitting the chest, different things that wāhine normally wouldn't do. I am

just happy that that parI ticular performance was accepted by the judges, because we took a leap of faith with that, while we continue to make it look Hawaiian." And his dancers benefited from watching since November the Waimāpuna men's hō'ike rehearsals, where I Māhoe's hula broth-

ers would "share hula moments ... camaraderie and excitement." Māhoe's students "had this extra energy

because they get to see Waimāpuna firsthand. I think also because a lot of them (Waimāpuna

men) were going to watch the competition, my guys were wanting to give a good performance for them." Dalire's Keolalaulani Hālau 'Ōlapa O Laka captured first plaee in group hula 'auana for wāhine. Family records showed it had been a half-dozen years since the hālau had placed, fifth in 2007, and 16 years since it had rated a first, in 1998.

Ihe winmng interpretation ot 'Ilima Beauty" - a gift from her composer cousin, Kumu Hula Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett - featured gold velvet gowns mirroring the color of 'ilima flowers. "My mom loved the 'ilima," Dalire said of the late Kumu Hula Mary Keolalaulani McCabe Wong. "She always compared her children and grandchildren to its softness. I wanted to do that for her, something really honoring her." The performance culminated with Dalire's three daughters and granddaughter, 18-year-oldKiliola-ninuiamamaoho'opi'iwahinekapual okeokalaniakea Lai, poised at stage center front. The tableau symbolized not only resurgence, but also regeneration. "My whole effort reflected generations and generations of hula genealogy in my family," Dalire said. "That they have something that they have to continue to do, to show they really love hula, and hula is really the koko (blood) that runs in all of us. And it keeps us alive and keeps us going." Hālau Mōhala 'Ilima, led by Kumu Hula Māpuana de Silva, took first plaee in women's kahiko and wāhine overall. The O'ahu hālau was just shy of the overall title, falling to Kawaili'ulā by three points. ■ Kekoa Enomolo is a retired copy editor and staff writer with The Maui News and former Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

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Hālau Mōhala 'llima, led by Kumu Hula Māpuana de Silva, won first plaee for wāhine overall and wāhine kahiko. The O'ahu troupe was a close second for the overall festival title. - Photo : Hicho!as Tomasello

Kumu Hula Chinky Mahoe, top, led the men of Kawaili'ulā, left, in its sweep of numerous top honors including the overall title, the hālau's first since 1 996.

Wearing_ shimmering gold velvet gowns, Keolalaulani Hālau 'Olapa 0 Laka performed a winning interpretation of " 'llima Beauty" in honor of Kumu Hula Aloha Dalire's late mother, Kumu Hula Mary Keolalaulani McCabe Wong. - Photos: Niek Masagatani

Maui troupe Hālau Kekuaokalā au ala iliahi, under the direction of Nā Kumu Hula 'lliahi and Haunani Paredes, placed second byone pointin hula kahiko.