Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 9, 1 September 1988 — Prince Lot Hula Festival A Thrilling Dance Feast [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Prince Lot Hula Festival A Thrilling Dance Feast

Not A Competition, But A Sharing of Knowledge

Hula in its finest kahiko and auana forms thrilled an estimated 8,000 spectatorswhotook in the llth Annual Prince Lot Hula Festival under a sunbaked sky Saturday, July 16, at Moanalua Gardens, a sprawling cultural site owned and maintained by the estate of Samuel Mills Damon. The performances of 13 halau from O'ahu and the neighbor islands on a well-manicured hula mound were unique in that it was a sharing of knowledge by kumu hula and not a competition.

1 he restival was sponsored by the Moanalua Gardens Foundation and was partially funded by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. The crowd was enthusiastic and most appreciative of the performances that periodically they stood up and loudly applauded the performing groups. Two of the groups whieh especially drew standing ovations were Coline Aiu Ferranti's Halau Hula O Maiki and their special guests, a Maori dance group from New Zealand; and Emma Farden Sharpe's Kapi'olani Hula Studio from Lahaina featuring its kupuna.

Aunty Emma herself, who will be 74 this month, drew the crowd to its feet when she danced "Puamana," signature song of the Farden Sisters whieh tells of the family plaee of the same name in Lahaina. It was a perfect day for the Festival as beach mats, blankets and sand chairs found their way to the best locations under the shade of sprawling monkeypod trees with just enough sun peeking through and accompanied by a comforting breeze. All this ukana plus pienie coolers of every brand, size and colors.

There was royalty, too, at the 1988 program as Maori Queen Te'ata of New Zealand and her consort, Whatu, enjoyed the performances immensely. They were hosted by John Dominis Holt and his wife, Frances Patches Damon Holt. Office of Hawaiian Affairs Administrator Kamaki A. Kanahele III offered a chant to the royal eouple. Kumu Hula John Kaha'i Topolinski and his Ka Pa Hula Hawai'i dancers got the program off to an auspicious start. He was followed by Pua Ali'i 'Ilima (Victoria Holt Takamine, O'ahu); Kapi'olani Hula Studio (Emma Farden Sharpe, Lahaina, Maui); Halau 'O Kalaha'eha'e (Sarah Kau Kalauawa, O'ahu); Hula Halau 'O Moloka'i (Rachel Kamakana, Moloka'i); Na Hula O La'i Kealoha (Elaine Kaopuiki, Lana'i); and Halau Hula O Maiki (Coline Aiu Ferranti )0'ahu).

Following a brief intermission, six more halau eame on for the second half of the program with equally outstanding presentations as exhibited by the first seven. The dancing, costuming and music onee more thrilled a crowd that seemingly got a little bigger rather than smaller as the afternoon wore on. Mililani Allen's Halau Hula 'O Mililani of Waianae opened the second half program, followed by Kahiko Halapa'i Hula Alapa'i (Keli'ihonipua Roselle Bailey, Kaua'i); Na Hanona O Ka Halau Hula Pa 'Ola Kapu ( John Keolamaka'ainana Lake, O'ahu); Halau Mohala 'Ilima (Mapuana de Silva, O'ahu); Hu'i Park's Hula Studio (Hu'i Park,

O'ahu); Ladies of Kahanakealoha and Gentlemen of Maluikeao (Frank Palani Kahala, O'ahu). It didn't matter mueh to the large crowd that the program got under way in true Hawaiian style — 35 minutes late whieh is par for the course in punctuality. The crowd, however, was more than punctual. They had arrived early — some very, very early — so they could get some of the limited parking available in the nearby neighborhood and also

to stake their claims to the best possible location for viewing the performances. For late comers or those who eame on time but could not find legal parking, it was somewhat of a downer when they returned to their cars because quite a number of traffic citations greeted them on their windshields. In its advance publicity, MGF encouraged spectators to take TheBus No. 12and 13 whieh stop at Ft. Shafter's Patton Gate, a short distance to the gardens.

In addition to the hula festival, there were other diversions to keep everyone busy. The Wai'anae Coast Culture and Arts had demonstrations and displays of Hawaiian arts and crafts; the Queen Emma Hawaiian Civic Club had Hawaiian games; Artist/Environmentalist Patrick Ching autographed his posters and paintings; Ali'i Pauahi HCC sold kupuna cassette tapes; Halau Hula 'O Mililani sold Kapa'a, Kaua'i kulolo for their Lowell, Mass., folk arts festival appearance; MGF had Tshirts and free iee water; and Haili's Hawaiian Foods sold Hawaiian plate lunches. Other souvenirs and goodies were also available. An OHA voter registration table was manned by Solomon Loo, Winona Spillner and Apolei Kahai Bargamento.

OHA Trustee Kevin M. K. (Chubby) Mahoe, who is also a member of the MGF board of directors, did another warm job as master of ceremonies. He shared the microphone this year with Vickie McQuire Hollinger, a professional entertainer of considerable note. Holomua, the Native Hawaii Library Project resource van, was on hand with Hawaiian books, museum type replicas of Hawaiian fishing implements and other displays. Visitors were able to borrow books. This is a project of Alu Like ine.

This is kumu hula Mapuana de Silva's Halau Mohala llima in a kahiko number.

Maori Queen Te'ata of New Zealand, center, applauds dancers along with her consort, Whatu, and host, John Dominis Holt.

This is what part of the crowd of an estimated 8,000 looked like as they intently watch performances.

Artist/Environmentalist Patrick Ching, who writes the "Naturally Hawaiian" eolumn for Ka Wai Ola O OHA, autographs one of his Hidden Valley posters.