| Ka Hale o Ku`u Hoaloha Hula |
Aloha kakou! E komo mai!
Welcome to Ka Hale o Ku`u Hoaloha
Hula!
Here is a place where serious and
inquiring students may learn about hula,
about the beautiful culture from which
hula has come, and about some of the
wonderful arts and crafts associated
with the dances of Hawai`i.
He haumana pa`a ka mana`o au. I am a
dedicated student of hula who has been
trained to teach as well. I started with
Kalina D'Errico, a forever friend who
started me off properly in hula, then sent
me to study with Kau`i Brandt.
Aunty Kau`i Brandt trained me to dance,
to teach, and to organize and lead shows
and cultural presentations.
When I moved to California, I continued
my studies with Aunty Harriet Spalding,
who shared some wonderful hulas with
us, who taught me even more about
entertaining through song and dance,
and, like Aunty Kau`i, how important it is
to share our aloha.
In California, I also was welcomed into
the Kaleponi Strings, led by Hollis Baker,
and the Royal Hawaiian Ukulele Band, led
by Kem "Kanikapila" Tung-Loong. Uncle
Hollis and the late John Ogao, who made
my beautiful `ukulele, started the
Northern California `Ukulele Festival.
Uncle Kem and Aunty Roz own the
Templebar Restaurant in Berkeley, which
has its Aloha Sunday the first Sunday of
every month, and which is host to many
concerts, halau presentations, CD debuts
and other "local-style" events.
These bands make many public
appearances each year, not only at the
`Ukulele Festival, but also the Aloha
Festival at San Francisco and many
other important occasions.
After Aunty Harriet's stroke, I was
welcomed into a new halau started by
Mikioi Iwamoto. Mikioi's informal motto
in the halau was "No pressure! No
stress!" What a lovely place to learn!
I have been blessed and am grateful for
many other kumu hula and teachers who
have helped me along my way. I hope to
study with them again. I will never stop
learning!
But many of these people have asked, as
have others, "Why don't you teach?"
And the answer is, "Who wants to learn?"
Who wants to be an explorer and
adventurer into hula, to see where its
paths may take you? Who wants to learn
its language of footwork and hand
motions and, most importantly, of the
actual language of the Hawaiian people?
Who wants to learn to make costumes
and lei? Who wants to learn to play the
instruments of hula, both the ancient
percussion instruments as well as the
more contemporary `ukulele?
E komo mai i Ka Hale o Ku`u Hoaloha
Hula!
A me ke aloha pumehana,
Kaunaloa
Welcome to Ka Hale o Ku`u Hoaloha
Hula!
Here is a place where serious and
inquiring students may learn about hula,
about the beautiful culture from which
hula has come, and about some of the
wonderful arts and crafts associated
with the dances of Hawai`i.
He haumana pa`a ka mana`o au. I am a
dedicated student of hula who has been
trained to teach as well. I started with
Kalina D'Errico, a forever friend who
started me off properly in hula, then sent
me to study with Kau`i Brandt.
Aunty Kau`i Brandt trained me to dance,
to teach, and to organize and lead shows
and cultural presentations.
When I moved to California, I continued
my studies with Aunty Harriet Spalding,
who shared some wonderful hulas with
us, who taught me even more about
entertaining through song and dance,
and, like Aunty Kau`i, how important it is
to share our aloha.
In California, I also was welcomed into
the Kaleponi Strings, led by Hollis Baker,
and the Royal Hawaiian Ukulele Band, led
by Kem "Kanikapila" Tung-Loong. Uncle
Hollis and the late John Ogao, who made
my beautiful `ukulele, started the
Northern California `Ukulele Festival.
Uncle Kem and Aunty Roz own the
Templebar Restaurant in Berkeley, which
has its Aloha Sunday the first Sunday of
every month, and which is host to many
concerts, halau presentations, CD debuts
and other "local-style" events.
These bands make many public
appearances each year, not only at the
`Ukulele Festival, but also the Aloha
Festival at San Francisco and many
other important occasions.
After Aunty Harriet's stroke, I was
welcomed into a new halau started by
Mikioi Iwamoto. Mikioi's informal motto
in the halau was "No pressure! No
stress!" What a lovely place to learn!
I have been blessed and am grateful for
many other kumu hula and teachers who
have helped me along my way. I hope to
study with them again. I will never stop
learning!
But many of these people have asked, as
have others, "Why don't you teach?"
And the answer is, "Who wants to learn?"
Who wants to be an explorer and
adventurer into hula, to see where its
paths may take you? Who wants to learn
its language of footwork and hand
motions and, most importantly, of the
actual language of the Hawaiian people?
Who wants to learn to make costumes
and lei? Who wants to learn to play the
instruments of hula, both the ancient
percussion instruments as well as the
more contemporary `ukulele?
E komo mai i Ka Hale o Ku`u Hoaloha
Hula!
A me ke aloha pumehana,
Kaunaloa
| Legends say hula's motions were inspired by nature, our first halau. |
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`O wai `oe?
Name:
Kaunaloa Weilenman
Mitchroney
Mitchroney
Email: