Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 6, 1 June 1989 — 200 Dancers All Winners In High School Hula Meet [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

200 Dancers All Winners In High School Hula Meet

Showing their pride in perpetuating Hawaiian culture, over 200 talented dancers from 13 Hawai'i intermediate and high schools put on polished performances in the 1989 Secondary Schools Hula Kahiko Competition. Held May 13 at the St. Louis High School McCabe gymnasium, the event was sponsored by the Kalihi-Palama Culture & Arts Society, Ine. The Society hosts this annual competition to give high school students the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and knowledge of Hawaiian dance and other aspects of Hawaiian culture, while fostering.individual school pride and interscholastic school spirit. Master of ceremonies Wendell Silva, executive director of the Society, and co-host John Keola Lake of St. Louis High School congratulated all the young dancers and kumu hula (instructors) for their role in perpetuating Hawaiian culture. Judges for the competition included some of the most reknown exponents of Hawaiian culture: Pat Namaka Bacon, Malia Craver, Aloha Dalire, George Holokai, Mileka Kanahele, Edith McKinzie, Lolena Nicholas and Puluelo Park. The governor's trophy was donated by Governor John Waihee, and the language trophy (for best use of the Hawaiian language) by William and Malia Craver. One new change in the competition judging is that the intermediate division is now judged on its own merits, and no longer judged with high school groups. Four schools entered in this new division: 'Iolani school, Kamehameha Schools, Gov. Samuel Wilder King intermediate school, and Kaimuki intermediate school. The Kalihi-Palama Culture & Arts Society, ine., an independent community-based non-profit organization, works to meet the cultural needs of the Kalihi-Palama community and other peoples of Hawai'i by offering a wide variety of educational, cultural, and arts-oriented programs. It is supported in part,by the State Foundation on Culture & the Arts.

The competition winners (and their kumu hula instructors) were: Intermediate division— Girls: First plaee: Kamehameha Schools (Leimomi Kuo and Brad Cooper). Second plaee: 'Iolani Intermediate (Kaipo Kalua and Ed Collier). Third plaee: King Intermediate (A1 Makahinu Barcarse, Brad Fernandez, and Chris Mercado). Fourth plaee: Kaimuki Intermediate (Mililani Lau). Intermediate division — Boys: First plaee: King Intermediate (same as above). Second plaee: Kaimuki Intermediate (same as above). Intermediate division Hui Ia — Combined Boys and Girls First plaee: King Intermediate (same as above). Second plaee: Kaimuki Intermediate (same as above). High school division Hui Ia: First plaee: Punahou high school's group "Na Keiki O Ka 'Aina O Punahou," instructed by Kaha'i Topolinski, Dickie Mosier, Tony Lenehanko, Ed Cardenas, Keoni DuPont, Doreen Doo, Lehua Hulihe'e, Momi Mersberg and Nancy King. Second plaee: 'Iolani school (Kaipo Kalua and Ed Collier). Third plaee: St. Louis high school "Hui O Na Opio," directed by John Keolamaka'ainana Lake. High school division— Kane: First plaee: Mid-Pacific Institute "Pueoali'i O Kahalaopuna" (Miehael Casupang and Kyle Atabay). Second plaee: Punahou School (same as above). Third plaee: 'Iolani School (same as above). High school division— Wahine: First plaee: St. Francis high school (Miehael Ka'ilinohu Canopin). Second plaee: St. Andrew's Priory (Kanoe Perkins, Malie Cooper Kali'u, Leina'ala Heine). Third plaee: Kamehameha Schools (Mapuana DeSilva, Mele Watkins, Haunani Pila). The Malia Craver Language Trophy was award-

ed to Mapuana DeSilva, kumu hula of the "Na Wahine Hele La O Kaiona" of Kamehameha Schools. The Governor's Trophy (for highest total score) was presented to Na Kane A Wahine 'O Kealakapawa, students of Damien Memorial and St. Francis high schools, directed by Miehael Ka'ilinohu Canopin. The group performed 'Ike'ike One Kane A'o Nohili. They will be invited to participate in the Prince Lot annual hula festival on July 15. Elated when they won the trophy for this, their first time in the competition, the dancers broke into spontaneous chant. Also performing admirably in the competition were: • Campbell high school (instructed by Peter W.K. Lonoa'ea). Looking very pretty in pink and white with flowers in their hair, the women performed to the Hana Chant by J.P. Watkins, whieh honors the lokelani, flower of Maui, Ka'ahumanu and Kauiki Hill. Three male dancers performed powerfully in Maika'i Ke Anu 'O Waimea, and the group did Aia Moloka'i Ku'u 'Iwa, a love story. • The women of Mid-Pacific Institute wore outfits of yellow and ti leaf skirts and fern lei wrapped with ilima for a fine performance of Kai A'o Mamala. the combined group also performed Kakuhihewa, honoring the O'ahu chief. • Kailua high school's group, "Na Wahine 'Opio," directed by Haunani Judd Kauahi, performed Ke Welina Mai Nei with graceful style. • From Pearl City high school, the ensemble "Ka 'Ula 'Ena Punono I Ka Lani," directed by Scott Kaumuali'i Leong, featured 10 women doing Namakalele. Dressed in dark blue and white kapa designs, they drew enthusiastic applause for their vigorous and crisp dance styling. • Noteworthy were the 12 kane of St. Louis High School's Hawaiian culture club doing Aia Waimea O Ka Lani. Their performance began with a dialogue in Hawaiian with John Lake, their kumu hula and club adviser. This year the club is 24 years o!d.

Taking first plaee in the wahine division, were these dancers in rose ealieo from St. Francis high school, who performed Lei no Kaua'i.

Winning first plaee in the kane division, three students from Mid-Pacific's "Pueoali'i O Kahalaopuna" performed in Nani Ka'ala.

Taking first plaee in the hui'ia division, Punahou's "Na Keiki O Ka 'Aina O Punahou," performed Makani Kona telling of the love affairs of Kaiakaua.

Winners of the Governor's trophy, kumu hula Miehael Oanopin, right.

The Malia Craver languages trophy went to Kamehameha Schools, kumu hula Mapuana DeSilva, second from left.