My passions are jewelry making and painting/distressing furniture. in the hawaiian language the word "kumu" loosely translates to "the source" or "the teacher". Because I personally know Hina Wong-Kalu, I immediately drawn into the story. $40 per class. Cazimero has given talk-stories on various subjects, appearing on panel discussions on hula or ukulele, which he finds “very rewarding.” But teaching hula is a different matter. Read more about our story on the About Us page. Honolulu, HI 96813 He signed up. “Kumu’s teaching is the spiritual connection,” says Kimokeo Kapa- hulehua, himself a tireless advocate for Hawaiian culture. I don’t charge anything, but they send me monetary gifts all the time.”. Because of his knowledge of ancient protocols, Tau‘a’s been called on to bless everything from new canoes to a jetliner. His halau puts on a performance once a month on the Huli He’e grounds to share his Hula teachings. “I said, ‘I don’t know if the kupunas are going to accept that.’”, “He said, ‘Kumu, you have to realize—you’re the kupuna now!” Tau‘a recalls. "Kumu" = teacher in Hawaiian. All rights reserved. Five-week sessions, two hours a week. Show me what you want, and that’s what you will receive.’”. It was in the classroom that an eager student asked him to dust off his old recordings, and offered to help him copy his earlier albums from vinyl to CD. He settled into a quiet routine, teaching language and culture at Maui Community College’s language institute and adult education program. “I can see what they’re doing with their feet, I can see expression and movement of the head, and I can make corrections based on that,” she said. “I don’t want to put anyone else down, but I need to be able to interact with them.”. Enjoy this free story! “He just flies under the radar,” says Clifford Nae‘ole, cultural advisor to the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua. It wasn’t the last time Tau‘a would dive into something without knowing how deep it would be. We're a remote team with roots in Oahu and Silicon Valley. Wright, who at age 86 doesn’t “dance the way I like anymore,” sits at nearby workstations observing students performing remotely. She was my voice trainer. Reason, cause. And Tau‘a had become concerned, watching his students grow up more familiar with rock-and-roll than the music of their heritage. Tau‘a was teaching classes in Hawaiian language and history at Waimanalo Intermediate School on O‘ahu in the early 1970s when the principal of the school took him aside and showed him a flier for a training program with the master Maiki Aiu Lake to become a kumu hula, or hula teacher—and suggested Tau‘a sign up. 2. I let myself sink and thought, ‘Well, this is it,’ then I kicked myself up and started going again. Show me what you want, and that’s what you will receive.’”. “I had some other gigs lined up and some other shows in Japan. “The way I teach, and the way I like to teach, it has to be done face-to-face,” he said. Experienced students can compensate, Dalire said, while beginners are encouraged to send her videos of them dancing, which allows her to give more personal direction until they get it right. Students from New York, Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Chicago, Cincinnati, Nevada and California, as well as locally have joined up, and while she’s lost some students from Japan — connectivity is inconsistent in Japan and most homes are too small for dancing — she’s been able to maintain ties with about 60% of them. Foundation, basis. Print subscriber but without online access? She and her husband, John, cleared out their living room, installed a dance mirror on the wall, upgraded their connectivity, bought cameras, lights, microphones and a “humongous, 70-inch TV screen” to watch her students. “Kumu teaches us that we must be spiritually connected before we can be physically connected. Here, she dances while looking at a large mirror, which allows her to observe her students on the flat-screen behind her. The film traces Hina’s evolution from a timid high school boy Kumu Hina tells the inspiring story of Hina Wong-Kalu, a transgender native Hawaiian kumu, or teacher, community leader, and cultural icon who brings to life Hawaii’s tradi-tional embrace of māhÅ« — those who embody both male and female spirit. When I lived in Oahu, I sang baritone at a Hawaiian civic club choir. “When the hotel closed down on March 17, I was left with nothing,” she said. Kumu hula Pattye Wright gives hula lessons over zoom. Nainoa Thompson, the navigator of the Hokule‘a, told me, ‘I am the navigator. Recent years have seen Kumu Lei leading her hālau (hula school) in dancing for cultural and community events and fundraisers to help various members, groups and purposes of the Hawaiian community. … I felt it was important to provide them the opportunity to learn authentic hula.”, Going online required some soul-­searching, Dalire said, because of traditional taboos against filming lessons. The 2014 documentary Kumu Hina follows the journey of Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu (“Hina”), a teacher—or kumu—at a Hawaiian charter school in Honolulu, who is mahu. Tau‘a was taken aback. KUMU HINA (Teacher Hina) tells the inspiring story of Hina Wong-Kalu, a transgender native Hawaiian teacher and cultural icon who brings to life Hawai‘iÊ»s traditional embrace of mahu - those who embody both male and female spirit. Our Nā Kumu (Hawaiian for “teachers”) are lifelong practitioners of Hula and are themselves masters of the art. Welcome to Hawaiian Hula Tutorials where we guarantee a pleasurable, step by step musical, audio, and visual learning experience of this ancient Hawaiian tradition. She remembers her first Zoom class and being alarmed to see her 15 students “moving, all differently, and apparently not to the music,” she said with a laugh. “Learning [Hawaiian] was a revolutionary and conservationist act. In the old days, a kumu hula was an individual who had undergone extensive training that culminated in an Ê»uniki graduation ceremony. With Leo Anderson Akana, Haemaccelo Kalu, Ho'Onani Kamai, Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu. Edith Kanaka‘ole is a legend in hula and Hawaiian cultural teaching, whose name is revered and who founded a family of hula masters. >> Kuana Torres Kahele, award-winning composer. Etua has been teaching hula approaching 25 years in Kona Hawaii. First woman of color in the U.S. House of Representatives and the first Asian … An album of songs inspired by the voyaging canoe Hokule‘a is planned for release in September. Although she admits that “I’m really afraid if we gather together what it will look like,” she said she’s learned to “let that go” and focus on specific techniques, rather than on keeping to the beat. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property. This is not true for every hālau, but it does occur often. “I feel bad that I’m not giving them something that they might need,” Cazimero said, “and I can’t possibly see what I need to know.”. “It’s all a bonus to me, I’m having a good time,” she said. “They’ve been so supportive,” she said. Memberships from $75 a month, includes tutorial videos and live weekly classes at at 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Saturdays at 3 p.m. Beginners 6 p.m. Wednesdays and 11 a.m. Saturdays; Intermediates 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays; all classes free. By Gayle ‘Kaleilehua’ Greco When the moments in between chicken skin are filled with laughter or tears, you know you are in the presence of the great storyteller, Kumu Hula Etua Lopes. A friendship struck over the turntable blossomed, and Keli‘i and Chelsea Ann Tau‘a married in 2006. A painful divorce had made him realize the strain his performing schedule put on his family life. Wright herself trained as a kumu hula in Kailua with Lani Kalama. You often see the word “kumu” used in the Hawaiian language, like “kumu hula” or “master teacher in the art of hula” This special fish … Hawaii Documentary 'Kumu Hina' Profiles Native Hawaiian Mahu Teacher A conversation with Joe Wilson, director of a new documentary about Kumu Hina Wong-Kalu. Her husband helped her realize that there was a time delay — both sending and receiving signals — accounting for the disjointed dancing. Tau‘a acknowledges he’s never sought the spotlight. You can learn Hawaiian in just 5 minutes a day with our free app! Dalire has since built up what is essentially a franchising operation around her halau. Read this story for free: Watch an ad or complete a survey, On the Scene with Cyril Ontai III from ‘Tough As Nails’, Review: NBC’s ‘Young Rock’ reflects on life of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. One of the most prolific Hawaiian-language songwriters living today, he has recorded more than a dozen albums of Hawaiian music and chant, collaborating with Hawaiian music greats like Roland Cazimero and Gabby Pahinui. Though he didn't set out to become an expert on Hawaiian culture, Keli'i Tau'a may be the most revered teacher of hula and chant you never heard of. She teaches hula and Hawaiian Studies as part of the Hawaii Educational School Programme. He was saying, ‘How much do you want this? Sometimes we’d practice late at night. Even choosing a time to hold classes was tricky. Copyright © 2021 StarAdvertiser.com. “I thought it was important because hula is so loved around the world, and people were dancing what they thought was hula,” she said. You're reading a premium story. “I was overwhelmed with the response,” she said, with about 90 people signing up for one of her first sessions, about 50 of whom have stayed on. He recorded some of the Islands’ first chant albums, and his skill led Hawaiian music legend Gabby Pahinui to ask Tau‘a to collaborate on two of his records. Now, despite the pandemic discouraging in-person gatherings, hula is not only surviving, it appears to be thriving, thanks to kumu hula and hula performers who have gone online to keep their art form alive for their students. Miller, who earned the title of Miss Hawaii in 1973, advertised on social media and “much to my surprise, I got a great response from girls all over the mainland,” she said. Kumu Life. Tau‘a said later that the hula class was one of the hardest things he’d ever done; at the end of each session, his legs were often so weak he could barely make it down the stairs from the second-floor studio. But something about the class piqued his interest. Kumu hula Pattye Wright gives hula lessons over Zoom while dancers, Kailuana Oshiro, left, and Kaipo Parker take their lessons in person. Tau‘a had grown up in Kula in the 1940s, where his father followed the Hawaiian moon calendar for fishing and farming, and many other ancient traditions were still a part of daily life. Our mission is to support and encourage the growth and perpetuation of traditional Hawaiian culture through Pono (Hawaiian protocol), pa'a (strong/secure/right) education in Hula (Hawaiian Dance), na Oli (Hawaiian Chants), and in the participation in ancient ceremonies and rituals. It’s you centering yourself. Click on “Virtual Zoom Classes” to sign up for a Zoom link to a class. I am 1/4 Hawaiian girl & 100% crafty teacher. “Any human being does the natural thing—the dog paddle,” he chuckles. I thought I’d made a terrible mistake.”. Hula instructor Kanoe Miller conducts classes from her living room via Zoom with students from all over the country joining in. She has several students overseas, including one in ­Italy and several in Japan. The Lopes’ ‘ohana moved to Kāne‘ohe when Edward was three years … The first film I watched was KUMU HINA in 2016. “I’d always thought a TV was an ugly piece of furniture, but now I have one in my living room,” she said with a laugh. And last April, at the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua’s Celebration of the Arts, Tau‘a received Na Mahana Award of Excellence in recognition of his lifetime of dedication to Hawaiian culture. “I thought that was hilarious.”. He is the only Kumu Hula that has the privilege of teaching on these royal grounds. … When the class finished, I flew onto the couch and started crying. “My success is due to the mentoring of those people.”. She got the approval of several kumu, many of whom appear on her website, ikumuhula.com, but then ran into a number of technical hurdles — like how to record and post videos on Vimeo and livestream lessons on Facebook. It's a documentary about a transgender native Hawaiian teacher inspired a girl to lead a male hula troupe. Beginning, source, origin. This gift, this mana [power], is what makes it possible to feel the power of the paddle, the canoe, the spear for fishing, the hula. Tau‘a recently returned to the recording studio after more than a decade. Tau‘a was teaching classes in Hawaiian language and history at Waimanalo Intermediate School on O‘ahu in the early 1970s when the principal of the school took him aside and showed him a flier for a training program with the master Maiki Aiu Lake to become a kumu hula, or hula teacher—and suggested Tau‘a sign up. Although he’s been giving twice monthly hula lessons online, kumu hula Robert Cazimero confesses to “hating” teaching on Zoom, because it deprives him of the close connection to students. Her studio now consists of a dance floor where an alaka‘i (leader) performs in front of a mirror, with a camera recording her from behind. $150. “I struggled with it for a good three years before I started because I was struggling between the old and the new.”. Nae‘ole learned hula from Tau‘a, and says that, as a teacher, Tau‘a was strict, exacting and old school. But while Tau‘a is revered by students of Hawaiian culture, many people outside that community don’t even recognize his name. “With chanting, you don’t need any accompaniment. As indicated by its title, Kauhale Kumu uses the kauhale (community) as a traditional metaphor, centered on meeting the daily needs and functions of Hawaiian immersion teachers. When I looked ahead and saw all the tourists on the shore, I thought, ‘Man, I got a long way to go.’”. kumu: (Hawaiian) 1.Teacher, primer. You have entered an incorrect email address! Nae‘ole says Tau‘a’s humility, a product of the Hawaiian spiritual traditions he follows, and his intense devotion to studying and teaching rather than self-promotion, are some of the reasons he isn’t better known in the wider community. “It has been a most positive experience.”. Kumu is a Hawaiian term for "teacher" or "source of wisdom." Like much of Hawaiian culture, hula survived decades of suppression. Kau‘i Dalire, the 1992 Miss Aloha Hula and now kumu to Halau Ka Lihilihi­lehua ‘O Hopoe Kuikanani, got a bit of a head start on the pandemic when she started teaching online a few years ago. While recording his latest album of chants, Tau‘a wasn’t satisfied with one of the tracks, and sat back in the Wailuku studio in frustration. As a Teacher (Kumu) Ehulani herself has a wealth of experience teaching others. 3. ‘ A ‘ ole e ‘ au ’ a kumu ‘ ole ‘ ia ka waiwai lewa a waiwai pa ’ a paha o ke kanaka. And he’d never danced hula. Tau‘a says that if he has become a master of chant and other Hawaiian arts, it’s only because of the knowledge he received from his elders. Directed by Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson. kumu scratch was founded in the summer of 2016 by maker jennifer lazo. Kailuana Oshiro, left, and Kaipo Parker dance in front of a mirror while Wright also observes her online students on two monitors, giving comments and encouragement along the way. Dalire has seen steady growth in interest in hula during the pandemic, with several beginners signing on. The film traces Hina?s evolution from a timid high school boy to her position as a … “They’d go to concerts when the musicians used to come, so there’s a big draw towards hula. Just learning the language was being a participant.” He graduated from the University of HawaiÊ»i with dual degrees in Hawaiian Language and Pacific Island Studies by the time he was 30, and became a teacher. He is a teacher. That may be changing. He was saying, ‘How much do you want this? *Kumu Life* Wright now gives beginning and intermediate classes on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Kumu hula Pattye Wright has an elaborate studio setup at her home in Kailua. The thirteen-year-old student at Kamehameha Schools in Honolulu had been raised in Kula, far from the ocean, but when, on a Saturday excursion to Waikiki Beach, his mates ran to the end of the concrete- and-stone breakwater and jumped off, he leaped too. When the pandemic hit, one of her students suggested going to Zoom, and she made a major commitment to “just do it, because we felt like there was nothing else we could do.”. The main challenge is the delay caused by streaming over such a long distance. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Hula performer Kanoe Miller remembers it clearly when her 43-year-plus gig at the Halekulani Hotel came to a screeching halt. The teacher of hula is the kumu hula. While her Vimeo and Facebook lessons were strictly one-way — students could see her, but she couldn’t see them — the advent of Zoom has given her the advantage of being able to see her students. She is the only woman lucky enough to be accepted as a disciple and study and earn the title of teacher (Kumu) under Grand Master (‘Olōhe) Solomon Kaihewalu in over 40 years. In fact, he says he never had an interest in learning hula, chant or Hawaiian spiritual practices, until his elders gently nudged him in that direction. Sometimes we’d practice late at night. For over 127 years the vast majority Hawaiians have lived with little to no access to relevant education about their language, history, and national identity. Like much of Hawaiian culture, hula survived decades of suppression. The Hawaiian renaissance was blooming, and the principal wanted more cultural activities on campus. KUMU HINA is the story of Hina Wong- Kalu, a transgender native Hawaiian teacher and cultural icon who brings to life Hawaii's long-held embrace of mahu - those who embody both male and female spirit, and were traditionally respected as caretakers, healers, and keepers of ancient traditions. He’s led his hula halau, Maui Nui o Kama, for thirty-six years, and taught Hawaiian language and culture at Maui Community College for more than a decade. Kumu hula Pattye Wright has been teaching in her Kailua home since 1973, and when the pandemic first hit, her first thought was “no more of that.” But her husband, Rusty, is tech-savvy, having recorded instruction videos for her for several years, so together they set about offering free hula lessons online. “Today’s youngsters don’t really recognize the value of kupuna  [elders], who can guide and help them,” he says. It wasn’t until young Keli‘i Tau‘a’s feet hit the water that he remembered he’d never learned to swim. Twenty-two of those years, Etua has been teaching at the Huli He’e Palace. Michelle is internationally known for her accomplishments as a Senior Black Belt and teacher (Kumu) of the rarely seen ancient Hawaiian Combat Art, the Kaihewalu Lua. $40. I set the physical path. her background in art + design mixed with her love of hawaii's natural resources continually informs her design + style. Often there is a hierarchy in hula schools - starting with the kumu (teacher), alaka'i (leader), kokua (helpers), and then the 'olapa (dancers) or haumana (students). “I really enjoy these classes now and look forward to it.”, Not all hula instructors are enthralled with online teaching. This wasn’t always the case, however. CRAIG T. KOJIMA/[email protected]. Welcome to Hawaiian Hula Tutorials. Kumu Keli‘i Tau‘a delivers the spiritual guidance.”. Info: Call 225-6599 or email [email protected] for information. “I’ve received letters of thanks, emails, three to four every week. “It has given me a whole new way to teach, and I have loved it,” she said. #7-210 “Stepping to the beat is super important, and when you see people not doing that, or appearing to not be doing that, it just sends you into a twit. By reconceptualizing the kauhale, the program seeks to recreate a Hawaiian language immersion teacher educational kauhale in order to support this dedicated group. They send gifts and everything. Aloha mai welcome to Kumu Cards we are a Hawaiian owned grass roots education company, dedicated to perpetuating Olelo Hawaii (Hawaiian language) & ancestral knowledge. Kumu Hula - Frank Keli'i Chang Hawaiian / Polynesian Cultural Teacher and Craftsman Houston, Texas Area 500+ connections 710 likes. She has taught hula in the Malamalama Waldorf School, Na Wai Ola Public-Charter School, and Kea'au School summer programs, as well as being a Hawaiian Studies Hula Teacher in various public schools on the Big Island. “At that time, dancing wasn’t cool [for men].”. 500 Ala Moana Blvd. In addition to providing dance instruction, Wright also provides historical and cultural background to hula and Hawaiian history, finding illustrations to go with her presentations, with a book in Japanese based on her research in the offing. Hula teachers in the present are referred to using the title “kumu hula”. She has 13 teachers in training in Central Europe, Asia and the mainland, preparing to start giving in-person classes once it is safe to do so.
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