Welcome to the HPS Store!
Hoʻohaliʻa, Stories From Our Kūpuna DVD
$18
Hoʻohaliʻa is a collection of 27 captivating video shorts from 11 elders that Hula Preservation Society has interviewed. The kūpuna featured were born primarily in the 1920s and offer insights into their lives and experiences in 20th-century Hawaiʻi as Hawaiians and cultural practitioners.
The respected Hawaiian treasures included are: (DVD cover order) Nona Beamer, George Naope, Queenie Ventura Dowsett, George Holokai, Puluelo Naipo Park, Joan Sniffen Lindsey, Myrtle Kahea Hilo, Emma Stone Kauhi, Rhea Enos Akoi, Pearl Keawe Souza, and Pilipo Solatorio. Segments on the DVD range from 3 to 17-minutes in length and embrace diverse topics such as storytelling, language, Pele, chant, hula, Kumu, family traditions, history, & local lifestyles. Hoʻohaliʻa is available as a 4-part series on HPS’s On-Demand Vimeo site.
Total Running Time (for 27 pieces): 3 hours, 35 minutes
The Hawaiian Room DVD
$18
From 1937–1966, the famed Hawaiian Room shared Hula, Hawaiian Music & Aloha with the world. Located in the heart of New York City, the elegant supper club at the Lexington Hotel enchanted millions through a captivating blend of Hawaiian melodies with American musical trends, and a hula show par excellence.
The hustle and bustle of Manhattan was a world away from island life for the talented young dancers, musicians, and singers from Hawaiʻi. They helped create a distinctive experience for residents, visitors, politicians, dignitaries, and celebrities who packed the sold-out shows. Three decades of top-notch entertainment and impressive ambience cemented the Room’s place in New York history.
In 2010, Hula Preservation Society (HPS) began documenting the stories of those who worked in the Room. They shared experiences and photographs reflecting that magical time in their lives. With materials in hand, HPS and filmmaker Ann Marie Kirk collaborated to create this documentary film. It is also available on HPS’s On-Demand Vimeo site.
We hope you enjoy hearing from the entertainers, dancers, and patrons who made the Hawaiian Room a special place to be and experience!
(Includes Japanese subtitle option)
Total Running Time: 60 minutes
Voices of Our Kūpuna DVD
$18
Voices is an enriching experience for the eyes, ears, and heart. This live program was presented by HPS in July 2005 on the island of Maui, and it features three esteemed kūpuna Kumu Hula—Auntie Nona Beamer, Uncle George Naope, and Auntie Kahili Long Cummings—all of whom have spent their entire lives immersed in hula and music, educating countless people around the world about their beloved Hawaiian culture.
This unique presentation captures their individuality, loving spirits, and playful natures, and provides you with the opportunity to experience the important wisdom and valuable insights they have gained over their lifetimes, that they so graciously share with us. Enjoy a delightful 80 minutes with these true treasures of Hawaiʻi.
(Includes Japanese subtitle option)
Total Running Time: 60 minutes
Hawaiiana DVD
$18
Hawaiiana is a documentary by Maui-based filmmaker, Tom Vendetti, in which he explores the passion, grounding, leadership, and life journey of one of Hawaiʻi’s most beloved figures, Auntie Nona Beamer (1923-2008). He endeavored to have Auntie tell her own story by weaving historical footage from both the PBS Hawaii library and the Hula Preservation Society (HPS) Archive, with thoughtful narration by daughter-in-law, Moanalani Beamer. The viewer delightfully hears Auntie’s sweet, yet determined, voice as she talks story, laughs, educates, reflects, and inspires.
HPS was pleased to make the Nona Beamer Collection available to the filmmaker for research including footage from the last formal oral history session held with Auntie in 2007, on the island of Maui. In that interview, Auntie reflected on meeting His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, an experience she found deeply impactful.
The teachings of Buddhism captured the heart of Filmmaker Tom Vendetti many years earlier after he also met the Dalai Lama, motivating him to produce other award-winning films on the pursuit of peace and happiness in life. In Hawaiiana, Vendetti brings his global humanitarian vision to the screen through the life and teachings of a Hawaiian woman who readily and beautifully embodied aloha, Hawaiʻi’s treasured gift to the world.
Total Running Time: 57 minutes