One of the strongest and most deeply rooted traditions in practice within the Hawaiian culture, hula has gained broad-based appeal over the years as an expression of culture through words and dance.
This year, the Bishop Museum Association Council (BMAC) invites you to deepen your understanding of hula by exploring special topics within the discipline from a physical, spiritual, and creative perspective through offerings of lectures, workshops, and film programs featured in Traditions of the Pacific: The Year of the Hula, a learning program sponsored by the Council.
Learn about hula through Bishop Museum’s unique and unrivaled cultural resources – explore the stories, archives, plants, collections, and people, and gain intimate cultural knowledge about the words and traditions behind the dance and the true depth of their meaning.
The following presentations are offered in the winter 2008 line-up of BMAC’s Traditions of the Pacific: The Year of the Hula educational series supported in part by Outrigger Reef on the Beach. Traditions of the Pacific is an ongoing program that highlights the cultural heritage and natural science of Hawai‘i, Asia, and the Pacific through stories, fieldtrips, lectures, and workshops. The popular program began in 1991 and will continue through 2008. The program is free to Bishop Museum members.
Traditions of the Pacific Lecture: Hula Plants
Thursday, January 31, 2008, at 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Hundreds of plants are connected with hula, each with its own unique significance. Join Dr. Isabella A. Abbott for a special presentation on hula plants, their association with kino lau (the many forms taken by hula deities who are honored with hula), and plants of the kuahu (altar). Dr. Isabella A. Abbott is an internationally known ethnobotanist and cultural historian, and was designated a “Living Treasure of Hawai‘i” in 2005.
Traditions of the Pacific Hula Workshop: Kahiko to ‘Auana
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Session One: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. with Kumu Hula Kula Abiva
Session Two: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. with Kumu Hula Ka‘anohi Aipa
Intermediate and advanced students are invited to join us for one or both of these instructional hula sessions. In each session, students will learn two dances and how they are closely related – one kahiko and one ‘auana. Ka‘anohi Aipa has been the kumu of Ka‘anohiwaianuenue Hula Studio in Kailua for 27 years. She began her training with Caroline Tuck and later studied with Bella Richards, Edith Kanaka‘ole, Pua Kanaka‘ole, John Topolinski and John Lake. Kula Abiva graduated as ‘Ōlapa from Maiki Aiu Lake in 1979, and has also worked closely with Kahauanu Lake and the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame concert presentations. He became a kumu hula under Edward Kalahiki in 1995, and is presently the kumu of Hālau Na Kipu‘upu‘u in Waipahu. Space is limited to 25 participants in each session; please call 848-4184 for reservations.
This year, the Bishop Museum Association Council’s popular Traditions of the Pacific series will supplement its lecture and workshop offerings with an evening Hula Film Festival. Films will be shown monthly in the Atherton Hālau, with a special introduction by a Bishop Museum staff member or guest affiliated with the film. Light refreshments will be served. Admission to the film screening for Museum members is $3; $5 for all others.
Traditions of the Pacific 2008: Hula Film Festival
Tuesday, February 12, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Famed hula dancer ‘Iolani Luahine carried on ancient dance traditions, as interpreted through her own personal style, often laced with humor. Filmmaker Tip Davis traveled throughout Hawai‘i with Luahine shooting beautifully staged versions of entire dances in locations ranging from remote beaches to Kīlauea Crater. This unique film documents one of Hawai‘i’s premier performers and cultural treasures.
The Hula of Old Hawaii
[28 minutes, 1943, by George Bacon]
This extraordinary video features noted Hawaiian scholar Mary Kawena Pukui and her daughters Pat Bacon and Pele Suganuma demonstrating dance movements of old Hawai‘i. These hula, photographed by Pat Bacon’s husband George, a former air force camera operator, represents the revival and perseverance of traditional Hawaiian culture.
Through Namaka’s Eyes: The Life of Patience Bacon
Tuesday, March 11, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
[70 minutes, 2007, Kamehameha Schools]
This documentary focuses on the amazing life experience of one of Hawai‘i’s Living Treasures, 88-year old Aunty Pat Bacon, hānai daughter of preeminent Hawaiian scholar Mary Kawena Pukui. Rare archival footage, still photos and provocative interviews make this a historically significant, must-see film.
Hula Film Festival: Kumu Hula: Keepers of the Culture
Tuesday, April 15, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
[85 minutes, 1989, directed by Robert Mugge]
Kumu hula Vicky Holt-Takamine and others are featured in this documentary, which takes an historical look at hula, its link to the past, the impact of Western culture, and its place in contemporary society. This film was part of the 2007 Annual Indigenous Film & Arts Festival in Denver, Colorado.
Traditions of the Pacific Lecture: Mele Hula
Thursday, April 24, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Like all art forms, hula evolves over the years because of the creativity of its practitioners. We can thus study various historical periods through hula, and consider how creative innovations reflect the needs and interests of the people at the time. Join Dr. John Charlot for an interpretation of the historical significance, pattern structure, and poetic form of the mele (songs) written for King Kalakaua, and learn how chanting and hula were adapted to reflect the changing political climate of the time. Dr. John Charlot is a noted University of Hawai‘i scholar, whose research on Hawaiian mele, oli, and stories has been based largely on the study of original source material. -- www.bishopmuseum.org
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