Dance Scene
Kumu hula focusing on theater stage

By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer

Last year's class of chanters, dancers and kumu hula went through part of its 'uniki (graduation) ceremony during "Huliau," a tradition the Halau Hula Ka No'eau will reprise this weekend with its current graduates. Marie Nakano photo 'Huliau 2001: 15 Years of Hawaiian Dance, Chant & Traditions' Halau Hula Ka No'eau 2 p.m. Sunday Hawai'i Theatre $12, $18 528-0506

"We want to take it out of the back yard, out of the hotels, and into a theater setting," said Pang, whose goal is to have a full professional touring season for his dancers.

The Big Island kumu hula has brought his Waimea halau here for two O'ahu dates this weekend. One is the Prince Lot Hula Festival, a noncompetitive performance program that graces Moanalua Gardens every year, and the other is Pang's annual "Huliau" concert.

This is the 15th anniversary of Halau Hula Ka No'eau, and the show will celebrate the school's favorite dances rather than bring something new to the stage of the Hawai'i Theatre. The theme is, in fact, one of rituals and traditions, and the 10 vignettes that make up the program show some of the rites of halau life: The graduation, or 'uniki, of three new kumu hula from the school is one example.

There is also a piece, "A Dance for Margaret," that pays tribute to the late Ma'iki Aiu Lake, whose hula style forms the basis of Pang's teaching. Works like this, in addition to the conventional Hawaiian repertoire of single dances, are typical of Pang's creations.

"We create complete themed dances as a goal of sharing a complete story line," he said. "It's as if you go to the ballet and see 'Swan Lake.'"

Ordinarily, "Huliau" is the occasion for trying out new things, to prepare compositions for performance by Pang's troupe of 12 professional dancers. Eight years ago he founded the Hawai'i Arts Ensemble, the nonprofit that supports the school's touring program.

This year the halau travels have included a February tour of performances and workshops in New England ("Forty inches of snow fell," Pang recalled. "Not only were we freezing, so were our drums."). And in August, the company plans a trip to Taiwan to participate in a children's festival.

Over the years, touring has expanded to a season of eight to 10 weeks a year, during which the dancers are paid according to a $25,000 annual salary scale. Two months' pay isn't enough for anyone to live on, Pang said, but it's a start toward creating a career for a hula dancer apart from the tourism industry.

"My philosophy in this particular case is, if a dancer's been dancing for 10 years, in any other company she'd be a professional," he said.

"We did a few of the hula competitions, and we found that after the hula competitions, many of them didn't want to do it anymore, there was nothing left to do after that," Pang added. "The most logical step was to take hula into theaters.

"Of course, in the old days hula used to tour, but they were considered as side shows in the circus ... our goal is to put hula on to a stage, so that it can sit rightfully among other art forms."

Twenty-two hula halau from O'ahu, Maui and Guam will convene at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Blaisdell Arena for the 26th annual Queen Lili'uokalani Keiki Hula Competition.

The three-day event will award trophies to boy and girl soloists, and will honor group competitors for performances in traditional (kahiko) and contemporary ('auana) hula performances. Competition will resume at 6 p.m. July 27 and at noon July 28.

The festival, established as a commemoration of the queen's birthday, is open to children ages 6 to 12.

The competition is sponsored by the Kalihi-Palama Culture & Arts Society Inc., a private nonprofit community-based organization.

Tickets: $7.50, $8.50, excluding service fees. Call: 591-2211.

Information: 521-6905.