We spent part of the early afternoon with Kumu and Haumana Hula preparing for the opening ceremony ritual. Situated on the pa (lawn) of the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, we sat facing, what would be for the remainder of the conference, the Kuahu Hula (Hula altar) Although barely a shrine now, the following day it would be adorned with lei of maile, palapalai or halapepe and other various offerings to Laka, the Goddess of Hula.

This rehearsal was a time for us to as a group to familiarize ourselves with the surroundings and understand what our respective kuleana (responsibilities) would be inside this sacred space. It was also a great time for us to acclimate. At home we practice and usually perform indoors with a manageable amount of people. Here we would be subject to unrelenting heat and close quarters. Just imagine dancing with 400 people in your immediate vicinity. At one point during the rehearsal, I could see out of the corner of my eye that twinkle again. Athough this time, it wasn't just us. Everyone's face lit up with joy as we danced together. And if you couldn't or didn't see it, well, you could surely feel it. We were one. All of us were doing this together. It was amazing. The feeling was mutually overwhelming. And this was only this was only the beginning. The conference hadn't even started yet. Soon, the time came for us all to return home and get in "the zone". We would be preparing mentally, physically and spiritually for the next day.

So, with some encouraging words from Kumu Hula Keali'i Reichel, "… you betta be pa'a wit yo chants", we all no doubt either fell asleep or woke up in the morning chanting the oli in question. With the next morning came what seemed like a great calm. The hale was quiet, yet we were all awake, getting dressed and taking breakfast. We were there, in " the zone". When we arrived at the Maui Arts Center's parking lot to assemble for our entry, I could hear many groups shuffling about. People looked at their hands, grabbed earlobes and searched their necks hoping to find them naked of decoration. As this is a ritual and not a performance, the wearing of jewelry or adornment of any kind is strictly prohibited. We would enter the sacred space as one, natural and whole. This sense of unity became evident as we, haumana, stood outside the gates of the site, kumu on the other side and began to chant our mele kahea. This is one of the chants that haumana must employ in order to gain access to a sacred place or space. We are asking to enter, so before we can, permission must be granted by na kumu. That was a moment one cannot easily forget. As we all stood there, in that split second after finishing the chant, the tears started to fall as the kumu answered our call with their mele komo (chant granting permission to enter). We looked at one another, then moved in silence to the pa in front the Kuahu. Needless to say, the remainder of the ceremony unfolded in the same magical fashion.

Morning of Opening Ceremony
First Day Jitters
My first and only hula class was something that was new, exciting and frightening, all at the same time. When I walked into the room, I was immediately transported back to my first dance studio, Miss Debbie's Studio, circa 1982. I felt like I did back then, small and awkward. The room was filled with mostly teenage girls, giggling and fidgeting all over the place. Just about the time I got my pa'u on and started to wonder about my ability to maintain in a class of this caliber, in a room full of teenagers, a familiar face came to stand right next to me. Both of us, who happened to be the only people from our respective halau taking the class, were glad to see one another. We decided we'd stick together dancing side by side. Soon, my attitude changed. How could I feel awkward now? If Kia'i can stand here in a room full of wahine and be so focused on the dance, then so could I. In a room of about 65 women, my friend and the two Kumu were the only kane within sight.

Northern California Halau Hula practice at Peace of Maui in Makawao

Throughout the conference we had the great privilege of experiencing the "queen of all things hula", (as coined by the evening performance emcee, Alaka'i), Kumu Hula Hokulani Holt-Padilla. Kumu Hokulani addressed participants on the first day of the conference, and stressed the importance for us as hula people, to recognize our own kuleana as haumana hula. The perpetuation of Hawaiian culture is only one aspect of our responsibility. The other lies in our ability to take the information we are given and make thoughtful use of it . Whether it's teaching people in our disparate communities the value of malama 'aina (taking care of the earth) or just sharing a hula, we are responsible for transmitting the information we receive in whatever fashion that may be.

Plate Lunch Feed
At lunchtime everyday we would sit and trade stories of our classes. Some days were full of chatter from us all, the others spent in thoughtful silence, our brains full to the brim with information. The only thing to do during lunch those days was to eat quietly, letting everything digest.

Our nights were filled with the absolute best entertainment any hula enthusiast could desire. Each night, every dance was something new, exciting and sometimes unexpected. It was apparent that the presentation of dances by the Northern California Halau was a highlight in a week of exciting and fresh performances. This presentation was a great example of how hula are passed down through halau or interpreted by halau in different manners yet retain the essential meaning of the dance. One of the dances put all four halau one stage to present the hula pahu, Kaulilua I Ke Anu O Wai'ale'ale. Each halau performed this in their own style and interpretation. So, at times, everyone looked as if they are doing the exact same hand and foot motions while other times their movements were presented quite differently, based on the interpretation of the poetry by their Kumu or halau style. The presentation got such a warm reception, I heard the Northern California Halau being talked about on the radio the following morning. Not bad eh?

Haki Kino
So for all that can't seem to get up for your 10:00am hula or ori classes, we have no pity for you. In addition all the classes during the day (8am-4pm), spending our nights at the ho'ike and then coming home to digest all the information that was thrown at us, some of us spent our early mornings (7am) doing warmups at the Maui Arts Center. Not only did we get to practice outside and have fun but, we also learned a hula ma'i from Kumu Keali'i Reichel. If you don't know what a hula ma'i is, well then I suggest you ask Kumu Mahealani.

I didn't think I could laugh that early in the morning. Between Kumu Hokulani & Kumu Keali'i you really didn't have a chance at keeping a straight face. Those early morning workouts really got us prepared for the days ahead, kind of like coffee. Ok, more like decaffeinated coffee though, since you're substituting caffeine for adrenaline. And if that weren't enough of a wake up call, a couple of us braved the 3AM bus ride up to Haleakala ( the largest dormant volcano in the world ) to watch the sunrise. It was magnificent and spectacular. For me it was special because I got to witness and experience first light, the light that pierces the darkness.


Hula Heaven
It was actually alittle bit like Hula Heaven. We ate it, drank and slept hula for an entire week. It saturated every possible pore of our bodies. If we weren't doing hula, we were thinking about hula. There was so much that happened that I alone experienced that it seems like I am still sorting through all of the information. I do though, have a couple of highlights that I'd like to share...

Meeting so many fellow haumana hula gave me a great feeling of solidarity. It is great comfort to know that the time and effort spent to this entity that is hula, is shared by people worldwide of all classes, genders and races. It not just a dance but a way of life. The whole of hula enhances not only what you do in your everyday life, but what you say as well. It also changes how you see things in the world and how you react to those things. In my life I am always looking for the connection with the primordial earth in everything. Hula does this for me. That link between ourselves and Na Aumakua (the Ancestors) is present in almost every aspect of hula. It is a source of inspiration for me and an equally great motivator.

Before arriving at Ka Aha Hula o Halauaola, I was excited about all of the wonderful things I would bring back with me from Maui to share with my friends. Still ecstatic, I now realize that processing and sharing the vast amount of information and experience we were given will time. Much more time, many more words and lots more paper.