7/2/2009 Preserving the Past, Sharing the Future

Aloha mai kakou e ka po`e hula! If your volume is up, we hope you are enjoying three beautiful hula aunties as they greet you - Auntie Emma Kauhi, Auntie Pulu'elo Park, and finally our beloved Auntie Nona Beamer. 2008 was a busy year for HPS. It started off extremely challenging with the passing of our inspirational founder Auntie Nona Beamer. We picked ourselves up and made record progress in the remainder of the year, carrying out our crucial oral history work on no less than six islands from July – December. We were happy to begin work on both Kaua`i and Lana`i this year. Our kupuna circle now includes nearly 50 beloved hula elders of Hawai`i nei. September 1st marked the 90th birthday of kupuna hula troupe leader Uncle Kent Ghirard. To mark the tremendous milestone, we were able to present the first showing of Uncle’s amazing Collection at Honolulu Hale. Originally scheduled for 4 weeks, it was held over an additional 4 weeks due to popular demand. Mahalo to Michael Pili Pang and the Mayor’s Office of Culture & the Arts for their support. November marked our return to the International Waikiki Hula Conference where we paid tribute to the late Auntie Nona Beamer, were able to present Uncle George Naope “Up Close & Personal” in his own session, and ended our 3-day run with a memorable and historic gathering of famous solo dancers including Leilani & Puanani Alama, Queenie Ventura Dowsett, and Beverly Noa. These amazing aunties brought the hula audience to its feet and their eyes were filled with tears of joy. Mahalo nui to all our kupuna hula for being a part of HPS, and many thanks to our funders for their support in 2008: Hawai`i Tourism Authority, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, National Parks Service, Friends of Hawai`i Charities, and the Hawai`i State Foundation on Culture & the Arts.

Stay tuned for HPS' new updated website debuting soon!
(Mahalo to the Entrepreneur’s Foundation of Hawai`i for their website grant.)

Aloha mai e ka po`e hula! Welcome to Hula Preservation Society!

HPS is the piko that connects us together as hula people from around the world. Thank you for visiting, and we ask you to please join this wonderful organization. To find out how, click here.

HPS is a non-profit dedicated to documenting and sharing the amazing life stories of our eldest living Hula Masters and their efforts to perpetuate hula, so their legacies live on to inspire and educate generations to come in the authentic culture of Hawai`i.

Much of hula kahiko, ancient hula, and its accompanying practices were lost during the 1800's, a time of unprecedented change. Elders now in their 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s are the last direct link to their grandparents who lived during the time of the Hawaiian Kingdom and were first-hand witnesses to the traditional hula of our ancestors.

HPS conducts one-on-one oral histories and presents public panel discussions with beloved hula elders. As of 2008, we have worked with more than 40 elders and held a dozen public programs on three islands, resulting in over 1,000 hours of irreplaceable documentation. Sessions are recorded on digital video, capturing nuanced voices and gestures as these experts share cultural gems, distinctive insights, and words of wisdom through hula. We also digitize and catalogue historic materials given to HPS by the elders themselves.

Combined, these resources represent a significant digital cultural library to be shared through traditional media avenues, and innovative means such as this website, which receives 200,000 hits from around the world each month. As the only 501(c)3 dedicated to this work, such online activity is validation that today’s hula community is truly global and that HPS’ work builds and maintains connections to Hawai`i, the hula piko, or source of hula.

Note: We currently have a prototype of how these kupuna hula resources could be shared online in the future. This prototype has two sections: “Hula Library” and “Meet Our Kupuna”. This prototype was completed in 2002 and both sample sections have not been updated since then. As our time with these elders is limited, we must focus our limited grant monies on them while they are here. In the years ahead, HPS will expand and build out our online and “traditional” resources from the oral histories we are currently collecting.

This crucial preserving of the past will help us share in a bright future together as hula lovers.