“Hula is the language of the heart….therefore the heartbeat
of the Hawaiian people”
This past week Hilo was the center of attention for the Hula
community for this Island and a good many of the surrounding islands including
the rest of Hawaii, New Zealand, and Japan. The festivities began on Sunday the
27th of March and ended this past Sunday. The three nights of
competition each with a different winner: Thursday - the Miss Aloha Hula,
Friday – Group Hula Kahiko, and Saturday – Group Hula `Auana.
I have had the Merrie Monach Festival on my radar for
months. I even tried to get tickets by mail back in January. Alas my efforts
failed as I got a letter in reply stating that this year they received over
1700 ticket requests postmarked December 1st.
I was disappointed that I had to work during most of the
events; however, I did get a curbside seat for the 2-hour long parade! In the
end I am glad I didn’t end up getting tickets. The competition was streamed
live online starting at 6pm and running close to 11pm each night. I wouldn’t
have lasted sitting in the auditorium for that long. Still it was a great event
to experience and be a part of in the ways that I could. I leaned how much
thought goes into each dance as the movements are beautifully crafted to tell a
story. Each of the costumes was custom made just for this performance, with
handmade designs to enhance the telling of the story.
I so, so enjoyed the two free shows I saw at the local
hotels and completely ate up the opportunity to make my own lei! I couldn’t
help but drink in the fragrance of those wonderful plumeria blossoms.
Saturday, April 2nd: Merrie Monarch Parade and live
online broadcast
Monday, April 4th: Maui planning
No comments:
Post a Comment