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Oh yea she is awesome and from Keali`i Reichels halau Ke Ala O Kamaile (I think that's the name of the halau). Her kahiko was so killer and her auana was sweet too. YouTube has tons of awesome Merrie Monarch videos that I can watch for hours. I am a Mainland haole girl that has taken lessons only for 6 years but my Auntie won't teach them to us without teaching us the history and the meaning behind the dance (as it should be). When I went to Honolulu this year, if I heard a song I knew, I would dance. Dancing is in my blood and I try to honor the culture by dancing it the way I was taught and the way it is meant to be danced.
I enjoy the Merrie Monarch Festival. I like the kahiko for the women and the men's auana..ok, who am I kidding. I like all the men's hula.
My grandmother-in-law's halau was at the Merrie Monarch Festival a few years ago. They were/are all senior citizens. It was so great to see all the silver haired elders dancing hula in unity. It was a chicken skin moment.
I work as an entertainer at a hotel show in Hawai'i (Hawaiian show) , where I have lived for over 10 years - I am haole, so I speak from that perspective, but I know many, many entertainers who are "local" who work here in various lu'au and other tourist oriented shows - I also have studied hula with the same hula halau for 18 years still dance with them 3 times a week. I have also attended the Merrie Monarch Festival about 6 times and am familiar with many other hula halau thru attending hula workshops, etc. In addition I have studied 'Olelo Hawai'i (Hawaiian language) for a year and a half in an immersion program that is held twice a month for 4 hours each time.
I only put this out so you know my background and that I might have a somewhat different "take" on this question than others, having worked in the visitor entertainment industry here for over 10 years.
I do not know one single entertainer here who resents their job - most musicians (all that I know) are happy of the opportunity to try to make a living with their music and share it - as well as have a job that they love - music is an integral part of life here, so many people are gifted with amazing musical skills - sure, they can kanikapila at the local park with their buds, but to be able to also perform in front of an audience - well, that is very important as well.
Lu'au shows are by their very nature, visitor-oriented (unless you go to a local baby lu'au or other family affair) - so when a dancer goes into one of these shows, they know what they will be expected to do - perform a choreographed program that basically showcases (some more flashy than others) the Hawaiian hula (kahiko and 'auana), Tahitian otea, Maori poi balls, and usually Samoan fire knife dancing. Certainly some shows are a little "cheesier" than others IMO, and I do know some dancers who take a job with some shows and due to their hula training (which is part of life here and something that is very important to the culture obviously) - find that something like for instance..a "booze cruise" where "hollywood style" hula with cellophane skirts and tiny bikini tops, is
offensive - I know a couple of girls who worked the ones out of Waikiki (they had traditional hula halau training) and couldn't handle that aspect of it - so they quit.
By and large though - every dancer I know that works professionally in a lu'au enjoys it - they keep it "separate" from their hula training however and consider it a "job" - not something particularly cultural and not something that advances their hula training in their halau. Girls vie for a very few positions in these shows and are not particularly well paid comparatively - but it is usually steady work and that is hard to come by these days no matter what.
I know there are some kanaka ma'oli out there who feel these "tourist lu'aus" degrade and minimalize the Hawaiian culture - but I also know very respected Kumu Hula (Charles Ka'upu for instance) who work at one of these lu'au and bring their knowledge and integrity to the shows they are in.
Just like anything, there are extremists out there - but by and large - people who either are musicians, dancers, or emcees, etc. in any type of tourist venue - value their jobs and do not "resent" any visitors for attending them.
Okay - pau now - just thought I'd put my perspective out there!
I work as an entertainer at a hotel show in Hawai'i (Hawaiian show) , where I have lived for over 10 years - I am haole, so I speak from that perspective, but I know many, many entertainers who are "local" who work here in various lu'au and other tourist oriented shows - I also have studied hula with the same hula halau for 18 years still dance with them 3 times a week. I have also attended the Merrie Monarch Festival about 6 times and am familiar with many other hula halau thru attending hula workshops, etc. In addition I have studied 'Olelo Hawai'i (Hawaiian language) for a year and a half in an immersion program that is held twice a month for 4 hours each time.
I only put this out so you know my background and that I might have a somewhat different "take" on this question than others, having worked in the visitor entertainment industry here for over 10 years.
I do not know one single entertainer here who resents their job - most musicians (all that I know) are happy of the opportunity to try to make a living with their music and share it - as well as have a job that they love - music is an integral part of life here, so many people are gifted with amazing musical skills - sure, they can kanikapila at the local park with their buds, but to be able to also perform in front of an audience - well, that is very important as well.
Lu'au shows are by their very nature, visitor-oriented (unless you go to a local baby lu'au or other family affair) - so when a dancer goes into one of these shows, they know what they will be expected to do - perform a choreographed program that basically showcases (some more flashy than others) the Hawaiian hula (kahiko and 'auana), Tahitian otea, Maori poi balls, and usually Samoan fire knife dancing. Certainly some shows are a little "cheesier" than others IMO, and I do know some dancers who take a job with some shows and due to their hula training (which is part of life here and something that is very important to the culture obviously) - find that something like for instance..a "booze cruise" where "hollywood style" hula with cellophane skirts and tiny bikini tops, is
offensive - I know a couple of girls who worked the ones out of Waikiki (they had traditional hula halau training) and couldn't handle that aspect of it - so they quit.
By and large though - every dancer I know that works professionally in a lu'au enjoys it - they keep it "separate" from their hula training however and consider it a "job" - not something particularly cultural and not something that advances their hula training in their halau. Girls vie for a very few positions in these shows and are not particularly well paid comparatively - but it is usually steady work and that is hard to come by these days no matter what.
I know there are some kanaka ma'oli out there who feel these "tourist lu'aus" degrade and minimalize the Hawaiian culture - but I also know very respected Kumu Hula (Charles Ka'upu for instance) who work at one of these lu'au and bring their knowledge and integrity to the shows they are in.
Just like anything, there are extremists out there - but by and large - people who either are musicians, dancers, or emcees, etc. in any type of tourist venue - value their jobs and do not "resent" any visitors for attending them.
Okay - pau now - just thought I'd put my perspective out there!
A Hui Hou.......
Mahalo for taking the time to write!
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