Hula Preservation Society

For the 600+ people who came to the sold out Hula Kiʻi-based production “Wai Ola” at Tenney Theatre in Honolulu last weekend, mahalo for spending the time with us.

Whether you were connected to Kumu Māhealani Uchiyama, Mauli Ola Cook or Maile Loo, affiliated with one of the cast members, were curious about Hula Kiʻi, perhaps your friend was going so you decided to tag along - whatever the case - you may have seen this small pahu at center stage back.

This is Auntie Nona Beamerʻs classroom pahu used during her 37-year teaching span at the Kamehameha Schools. It is small, was made by her father Francis Kealiinohopono Beamer (composer of the mele Kuʻu Hoa written for her mother Louise), and these days it normally graces the HPS Archive in Kāneʻohe, tucked away safe and sound.

For the “Wai Ola” shows, we brought Auntie’s pahu out from HPS, and it was a quiet presence for everyone involved… a steady reminder of why we exist as a non-profit - her inspiration and desire to talk-story with other elders like her and document those conversations; Why our norms are our norms - her loving and strong example; Why we work so hard to do our part to “put a little in the calabash” (as she used to say) when it comes to honoring, preserving, perpetuating, teaching, living, and sharing.

July 2024 marks 24 years since we officially began this journey as an organization… Auntieʻs presence remains strong, and we have deep gratitude for the many gifts she left us with. A love of Hula Kiʻi being one of them.

SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE:
Wai Ola!
One down last night and one more today!

Great news! Wait list people did get in (even a family of 4!), because life happens and folks donʻt end up making it.

So if you donʻt have tickets, come on down and get on the wait list which starts at 1:00pm. Doors open at 1:30pm. Open seating.

See you there!

Wait list available for "Wai Ola - ʻAukele and the Waters of Life" tickets!
- Arrive EARLY! (shows are 7PM tonite & 2PM Sunday)
- MUST BE PRESENT to be on the wait list
- Cash or credit card accepted

At 5 minutes to curtain, the house count will be evaluated, and you may get in!

In reality, people take ill, have emergencies, forget, etc! So if you donʻt have tickets yet and want to see the show, give the wait list a whirl!

We hope to have every seat filled and share this wonderful hula kiʻi experience with you!

HPS’s Hula Ki’i Community Education Series is underway!

Part 1- Talk and performance by Kumu Auli’i Mitchell at Capitol Modern! It was a wonderfully enriching sharing about hula ki’i that took place at noon today.

Part 2- Saturday (tomorrow) morning July 20th, 10:30-11:30am, at Capitol Modern. Come meet and get to know Kumu Mahealani Uchiyama and her Berkeley-based hālau whose hula and oli will touch your heart! They are bringing Wai Ola to life tomorrow night and Sunday afternoon at Tenney Theatre!

Come on down!

https://hulapreservation.org/hula-ki%CA%BBi-community-education-series/

THIS SATURDAY!

The Hawaiʻi debut of “Wai Ola, ʻAukele and the Waters of Life - A Celebration of Hula Kiʻi” is right around the corner! The dedicated cast from Hālau Ka Ua Tuahine is here! Kumu Mahealani Uchiyama is here! Storyteller and project lead Mauli Ola Cook is here! John-Mario Sevilla is here!

Come experience the richness of hula kiʻi and the myriad of other delights for your senses in full color!

Only a small number of tickets left for Saturday, July 20th, 7PM at Tenney Theatre downtown. (Sunday matinee is SOLD OUT!)

Donʻt miss this chance to immerse in the beauty and depth of Hawaiian culture.

Tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wai-ola-aukele-and-the-waters-of-life-tickets-900743727737

Hula Kiʻi Community Education Series PART 2: “Meet & Greet the Cast of Wai Ola!”

Happening this Saturday, July 20th, 10:30am-11:30am at Capitol Modern with Kumu Hula Mahealani Uchiyama and Hālau Ka Ua Tuahine, based in Berkeley, California.

Come meet the kiʻi cast of “Wai Ola, ʻAukele and the Waters of Life - A Celebration of Hula Kiʻi!” before they are onstage in action at Tenney Theatre this Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

Leading the way is Mahealani Uchiyama - likely the only Kumu Hula of African descent in America! Hear more about her journey from Chaminade University and the University of Hawaiʻi-Mānoa, to entering the world of Kumu Hula Joseph Kahaʻulelio in California, a union which forever changed her life.

Hālau Ka Ua Tuahine will share hula and chant from their repertoire and their talented Kumu, a haku mele and recording artist herself, will lead the music. Program hosted by HPS Executive Director, Maile Loo-Ching.

Donʻt miss this chance to see the amazing cast of “Wai Ola” before the shows on Saturday night 7PM and Sunday afternoon 2PM.

If you donʻt have tickets yet, Sundayʻs matinee is SOLD OUT but there are a handful of tickets available for the Saturday July 20th 7PM show. Donʻt delay!

PIC: Cast rehearsing with Kumu Kiʻi and Storyteller Mauli Ola Cook (3rd from L) and HPSʻs Maile Loo (front mid) in California, June 2024

Tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wai-ola-aukele-and-the-waters-of-life-tickets-900743727737

Hula Kiʻi Community Education Series PART 1: “Up Close & Personal with Hula Kiʻi”

Happening this Friday, June 19th, 12pm-1pm at Capitol Modern with Kumu Hula Aulii Mitchell who will share of the history of hula kiʻi and his personal journey into the carved traditions.

It was 2018 when nā Kumu Hula Kiʻi Mauli Ola Cook Auliʻi Mitchell, and Maile Loo taught hula kiʻi intensives at the last Ka ʻAha Hula ʻo Hālauaola in Hilo.

It was then that Kumu Hula Māhealani Uchiyama entered the world of hula kiʻi, which six years later has culminated in the Hawaiʻi debut of “Wai Ola, ʻAukele and the Waters of Life - A Celebration of Hula Kiʻi” (which by the way is SOLD OUT on Sunday, July 21st, so jump on those Saturday, July 20th tickets before theyʻre gone!!!)

This photo is of Kumu Auliʻi in 2018 sharing a hula kiʻi in an HPS program. He dances with the incredible carved figure he helped create that is currently featured in HPSʻs Hula Kiʻi Exhibit at Capitol Modern thru the end of 2024.

Come on down to Capitol Modern and experience hula kiʻi “Up Close & Personal!”

This program is the first in HPSʻs Hula Kiʻi Community Education Series happening July 19-21, 2024. Check out this webpage for more info on all the programs in the Series.
https://hulapreservation.org/hula-kiʻi-community-education-series/

The Prince Lot Hula Festival is coming up Saturday, July 20th, the same day as the first show of "Wai Ola, ʻAukele and the Waters of Life, A Celebration of Hula Kiʻi"!

These two events are 1.5 blocks apart - soooooo.... enjoy a lovely day at Prince Lot from 9am-4pm - get some ʻono ʻono food from the Festival vendors before it ends to have a nice picnic dinner at dusk, then walk mauka/ewa to Tenney for Wai Ola! Doors open at 6:30pm.

Could be a great day, no? :-)

Not many tickets left for either the Sat eve show or Sun matinee!

Donʻt miss the chance to experience "Wai Ola" and make a true hula day of it!

Calling all hula peeps!

“Wai Ola, ʻAukele and the Waters of Life” is coming up quick on Saturday July 20th and Sunday July 21st.

Besides being a wonderful program filled with moʻolelo, hula, oli, kiʻi, creative movement, and theatrical elements, it is also a great introduction to and immersion into the world of Hula Kiʻi!

The recent Hula Kiʻi Day during FestPac was a weekday at 11:00am - not the most convenient for working folks or students. “Wai Ola” is on the weekend with evening and afternoon show times.

Auntie Nona Beamer is the inspiration for this special program, and she truly embodied the motto of “Never Stop Learning!” So donʻt miss this chance to come and learn, and experience three different kinds of kiʻi in one jam-packed 75-minute program!

See you there?

(Hālau group rate $15; Seniors & Youth $10; Gen Adm $20)

HPS is involved in this wonderful stage production "Wai Ola, ʻAukele and the Waters of Life, A Celebration of Hula Kiʻi" coming up very soon July 20-21 at Tenney Theatre. Donʻt delay and grab your tix today!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wai-ola-aukele-and-the-waters-of-life-tickets-900743727737

"Wai Ola" is a delightful program presenting the story of ʻAukele onstage with mele, oli, hula, kiʻi, and creative movement, combined with theatrical elements like lighting, projection, and engaging stagecraft.

Mauli Ola Cook is the featured storyteller - protege of Auntie Nona Beamer in both moʻolelo and hula kiʻi - and she & Maile Loo Executive Director of HPS, have been working with the incredible Hālau Ka Ua Tuahine & Kumu Māhealani Uchiyama based in Berkeley for the last two years. John-Mario Sevilla from Maui skillfully brings ‘Aukele to life!

The Sat July 20 show is 7pm and the Sun July 21 matinee is 2pm. “Wai Ola” is a little over an hour (no intermission).

Come celebrate the Hawaiʻi premiere of this wonderful and unique production!

WAI OLA - ʻAUKELE AND THE WATERS OF LIFE A CELEBRATION OF HULA KIʻI

If you have visited HPS’s Hula Kiʻi Exhibit at Capitol Modern or were with us on Hula Kiʻi Day June 10th during for this historic gathering leading kiʻi masters and their haumana shown here, please fill out this short survey.
https://forms.gle/zsU3hXRM9ogj6LHc8

It is a great help to our small non-profit as we continue to work to serve the community, and in HPS’s ongoing and future grantmaking endeavors. Mahalo!


PC:

Check out HPS's website and these stories for all the scoops on the upcoming hula kiʻi stage extravaganza, Wai Ola, ʻAukele and the Waters of Life!
Get your tickets today for the July 20-21 performances!

Tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wai-ola-aukele-and-the-waters-of-life-tickets-900743727737

HPS website:
https://hulapreservation.org/waiola-ʻaukele-the-waters-of-life/

Story with Kamaka Pili on KHON2 News - The revival and practice of hula kiʻi to be showcased
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMmab0csWcs

Story about Wai Ola on Hawaii News Now Billy V on Sunrise:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4m_tvSM5bU

Hmmmm, something is in the works here… 🤔 What could it be?

Weʻre pleased to close out the five days of FestPac celebrations at with Kumu Rich Pedrina and Hālau Hula ʻO Nāpunaheleonāpua on the lawn at 11:00am Friday morning to share Hawaiʻiʻs hula heritage.

https://hulapreservation.org/welcome-rich-pedrina-halau-hula-ʻo-napunaheleonapua/

Day 4 of 5 at Capitol Modern, we welcome in Kumu Tatiana Tseu Fox and Nā Lei O Ka ʻIwa Haʻa I Ka Lani from Ewa, Oʻahu!
They will be joined by Na Hoku Hanohano award-winning talent Hoku Zuttermeister!

Performances get underway at 11:00am with Kumu Tati and the hālau, followed by Federated States of Micronesia, American Samoa, and Wallis & Futuna!

https://hulapreservation.org/kumu-hula-tatiana-tseu-fox-and-na-lei-o-ka-ʻiwa-haʻa-i-ka-lani/

Hawaiʻi premiere of this most unique stage production built around hula kiʻi!
Tenney Theatre in Honolulu July 20-21, 2024
Tickets on sale now! Come experience with us!
https://hulapreservation.org/waiola-ʻaukele-the-waters-of-life/

The celebration of Hawaiʻi's hula heritage continues at Capitol Modern Wednesday, June 12th, 11:00am with the children and women of Hālau Hula ʻo Nawahine and their Kumu Nawahine Haili Kuraoka.
Come join us on the beautiful front lawn at the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum (corner of Richards & Hotel) and take in the incredible new native arts exhibits throughout this historic building.
Free and open to the public.
https://hulapreservation.org/hula-wednesday-at-capitol-modern/

Celebration of Hawaiʻi's heritage continues at Capitol Modern for on Tuesday, June 11th at 11:00am for Kamehameha Day, with none other than the Oli & Hula students from Kamehameha Middle School! Mahalo Kumu Aina Asing for bringing your haumana and sharing your musical talents thru ʻUheʻuhene with Taisamasama on keyboard!

Tomorrow, June 10th, is our offering of Hula Kiʻi to FestPac, the community, to hula, and our kūpuna. Details of what we are doing, when, and by whom is on this webpage.

Hula Kiʻi Day at Capitol Modern Hula Kiʻi Day at Capitol Modern LnRiLWZpZWxke21hcmdpbi1ib3R0b206MC43NmVtfS50Yi1maWVsZC0tbGVmdHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOmxlZnR9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1jZW50ZXJ7dGV4dC1hbGlnbjpjZW50ZXJ9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1yaWdodHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOnJpZ2h0fS50Yi1maWVsZF9fc2t5cGVfcHJldmlld3twYWRkaW5nOjEwcHggMjBweDtib3JkZXItcmFkaXVzOjNweDtjb2xvcjo...

One week out - final prep zoom with Kumu and HPS - Monday June 10th, starting at 11am, 1pm and 2pm - experience Hula Kiʻi on the lawn of Capitol Modern (HiSAM) as part of !

Join nā Kumu Kiʻi Kaponoai Molitau, Aulii Mitchell, Mauli Ola Cook, and Taupōuri Tangarō, and their haumana, to feel the power, energy and richness of Hula Kiʻi in its many forms.

https://hulapreservation.org/hula-kiʻi-day-capitol-modern/

Please join us three weeks from today, Monday, June 10th, to be immersed in Hula Kiʻi at Capitol Modern (The Hawaiʻi State Art Museum) as part of .
Four leaders in this form and their haumana will share and reflect the diversity found within Hula Kiʻi. These experts are Kaponoai Molitau, Mauli Ola Cook, Mitchell, and Tangarō, and they appear on the flier along with Auntie Nona Beamer who danced and celebrated this special form of hula.

If youʻre looking to incorporate hula into your life, Hula Preservation Society is blessed to have some wonderful options for you to consider through hālau that call our Kāneʻohe Hale Pulelehua Studio home. Classes are back in session for 2024!

Please contact nā Kumu directly for more information:
Kumu Nawahine Kuraoka - keiki, teen, and wahine options (Tuesday & Thursday evenings)
Kumu Rich Pedrina (Nāpunaheleonāpua Kumu Rich) keiki, wahine, and kupuna (Wednesday evenings)
Kumu Kēhaulani Enos - 13+ yrs old (Saturday afternoons)
Contact info can be found on the HPS webpage: https://hulapreservation.org/pulelehua-studio/schedule/

As part of the Kanaeokana network of organizations, HPS was invited to the recent ʻAha Kūkā 2024. It was a wonderful reunion with colleagues from various organizations and teachers from different schools HPS has worked with, as well as a day of meeting new friends and future colleagues.
What do we all have in common? Our Kanaeokana hosts reminded us that “Kuleana is the boss,” that “Kanaeokana moves at the speed of trust,” and we have “Collective intelligence,” all the while keeping in mind the question, “What kind of kupuna will we be?”
Mahalo to Kehau Abad, Manuwai Peters, Gonzo, and the whole crew for a most uplifting yet grounding time together.

Last chance to order HPS swag. We've heard great things from those who've ordered about the quality of the products and prompt delivery, so check it out before it's gone!
(Pic shows the variety, from least expensive to most)

https://hps-pop-up-shop.printify.me/products

Mahalo for supporting HPS!

Not many people pics to share, but today we worked to beautify Hale Pulelehua, HPS's studio in Kāneʻohe to start off the year.

We are fortunate to be in the position of offering space! It is not always easy for hālau and other dance groups to find affordable places to meet.

Grateful to our long-term hālau, nā Kumu Rich Pedrina (Nāpunaheleonāpua Kumu Rich), Kēhaulani Enos ( On), and Kuraoka who call Hale Pulelehua home.

Check out https://hulapreservation.org/pulelehua-studio/schedule/ for more info on these Kumu and their class schedules.
(Mahalo Kumu Rich for bringing your ʻōpio to help today!)

We still have room on the schedule if youʻre looking for a place to meet!

Born on this day, 100 years ago… a little girl who loved her hula, culture, and people… she left a rich legacy of aloha, education, and perseverence. Forever grateful…
Happy 100th birthday Auntie Nona Beamer!