Hula Preservation Society - Hawaii

Keau George

Hula Kiʻi Day at Capitol Modern

Join us starting at 11am for this historic gathering of kiʻi masters and practitioners! Repertoire from four distinct lineages based on four islands will be shared, including dances of old alongside new creations.

Hula Kiʻi is a rare form of dance that reflects the rich cultural heritage and artistic expression of kanaka maoli. The dancer utilizes an image or figurine, or becomes the image themselves. Hula Kiʻi is not widely known or practiced but has been preserved and perpetuated by select hula lines across the islands.

Four featured experts for Hula Kiʻi Day! include Auliʻi Mitchell, Kaponoʻai Molitau, Mauli Ola Cook, and Taupōuri Tangarō. Some of their students in the kiʻi are also Kumu and include Lilinoe Lindsey, Pueo Pata, Pono Alejo, and Maile Loo-Ching.

Schedule for the day (times are approximate)
11:00am – 11:05am  Welcome to FestPac at Capitol Modern; Opening Protocol
11:05am – 11:10am  Introduction of featured Kumu sharing Hula Kiʻi
11:10am – 12:25pm Hula Kiʻi presentations by nā Kumu and their haumana, appearing in the following order:

  • Kumu Kaponoʻai and Nā Hanona Kūlike ʻO Piʻilani
  • Kumu Auliʻi Mitchell and Hālau ʻO Kahiwahiwa, with nā Kumu Pueo Pata, Pono Alejo, and Lilinoe Lindsey & haumana
  • Kumu Taupōuri Tangarō
  • Kumu Mauli Ola Cook and haumana, with Kumu Maile Loo-Ching and haumana

12:25pm – 1:00pm  Samoa delegation performance (subject to change)
1:00pm – 1:15pm    Hula Kiʻi repertoire pieces 1-nā Kumu Mauli Ola Cook, Maile Loo-Ching and their students; 2-Kumu Kaponoʻai Molitau and Nā Hanona Kūlike ʻO Piʻilani
1:15pm – 2:00pm    Marshall Islands delegation performance (subject to change)
2:00pm – 2:15pm    Two Hula Kiʻi ʻAuana by nā Kumu Mauli Ola Cook, Maile Loo-Ching, and their students 
2:15pm – 3:00pm   Tokelau delegation performance (subject to change)
3:00pm                     PAU!

Please take time to also experience the Hula Kiʻi Exhibit curated by HPS inside the museum on the Ground Floor, June–December 2024

Parking Options
Aliʻi Place, 1099 Alakea St. (municipal rates; cash only); St. Andrews Cathedral parking, 224 Queen Emma Square (fee); ʻIolani Palace grounds (meters); King St. and Richards St. (meters); Chinatown Gateway; Hawaiʻi State Capitol

Other Helpful Info
-Food & drink will be available for purchase
-There will be chair seating on the lawn under tree shade & tents

This HPS event is presented in partnership with the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and Capitol Modern, as part of the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture, Hawaiʻi 2024

HPS Receives NEH Grant

In March 2023, HPS was awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The funded project is to create an Indigenous-centered Controlled Vocabulary to enhance the description of video oral histories with Native Hawaiian elders. The project will also produce guidelines for developing Indigenous-centered subject headings and preferred terms.
See the announcement HERE.

New Tools for Online Resources

In January 2023, HPS released new tools to aid in the use of our online resources. A variety of video tutorials provide insight into using and navigating our virtual collections on Digital ʻUmeke, conducting research, and/or how to work with the archive for materials. These tutorials can be accessed through:
Digital ʻUmeke
YouTube
Vimeo

HPS also released a public reference document listing our online resources and where to access them. Check it out: HPS Guide to Online Resources

Waiola: ʻAukele and the Waters of Life, A Celebration of Hula Kiʻi

Hula Kiʻi is a critically endangered tradition of Hawaiʻi which features the use of carved or crafted images in the story telling and movements of hula. The Mahea Uchiyama Center for International Dance (MUCID), in association with Kumu Hula Kiʻi Mauli Ola Cook, with support from Hula Preservation Society and its Director, Kumu Maile Loo, introduces this unique art form in the San Francisco Bay Area through a project sponsored by the 2021 Choreography Award, granted by the Gerbode Foundation. The project encompasses the research of classical themes, the construction of hula puppets, and the development of a dedicated hula ki’i practice within MUCID’s resident hālau.

The project culminates in the live performance: Wai Ola: ʻAukele and the Waters of Life, A Celebration of Hula Kiʻi.

ʻAukele is a Hawaiian folk hero who faces many challenges including a perilous sea voyage and his jealous brothers. The story also centers on themes of water, its value, and who controls access, present issues in California and Hawaiʻi.

March 18th, 2023
Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Blanding Ave, Alameda, CA, 94501
Two shows: 2pm and 7pm

To learn more or purchase tickets visit, Waiola: ʻAukele and the Waters of Life