L.A. halau takes most honors

By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer

For the first time, a Mainland halau has walked away from the King

Kamehameha Hula Competition placing in more categories than any other — five times — including one first-place trophy for men's hula kahiko, the ancient form of the dance.

Halau Keali'i O Nalani, the Los Angeles hula school taught by Keali'i

Ceballos, also placed second in women's and in combined kahiko, and second in men's and combined 'auana (modern hula).

The 29th annual event concluded two days of chant and group hula last night at the Neal Blaisdell Center Arena.

Top awards were distributed among several halau. The standout showings included that of the Kane'ohe-based school Keolalaulani Halau 'Olapa O Laka, which placed first in women's and kupuna 'auana and first in chant. The solo chanter was Keolalaulani Dalire, daughter of the kumu hula, Aloha Dalire.

Among the highlights was the according of noncompetitive honors. One was the Order of Distinction, a kind of lifetime achievement award presented as a surprise at the end of each yearly festival. This year the honor went to Leila Hoku Kiaha, a longtime choral director best known for her work at the Kamehameha Schools. Her classmates from the Kamehameha Class of 1944 gathered to sing choral selections.

But the biggest surprise came for the event's executive director, Keahi Allen, when the assembly paid her a special tribute in honor of her retirement from her position with the state Kamehameha Celebration Commission, which organizes the annual Kamehameha Day parade.

Here are the results of this year's competition (the kumu hula of each halau appears in parentheses):

CHANT

1. Keolalaulani Dalire, Keolalaulani Halau 'Olapa O Laka (Aloha Dalire, Kane'ohe), 123 points.
2. Tara Lani Tom, Ka Hale I O Kahala (Leimomi Maldonado, Honolulu), 111 points.
3. Kahikina de Silva, Halau Mohala 'Ilima (Mapuana de Silva, Kailua), 108 points.

MALE KAHIKO

1. Halau Keali'i O Nalani (Keali'i Ceballos, Los Angeles), 121 points.
2. Halau I Ka Wekiu (Michael Casupang and Karl Veto Baker, Honolulu), 115 points.
3. Keali'ika'apunihonua Ke'ena A'o Hula (Leimomi Ho, Honolulu), 108 points.

FEMALE KAHIKO

1. Halau Na Lei Kaumaka O Uka (Napua Greig, Pukalani, Maui), 135 points.
2. Halau Keali'i O Nalani, 122 points.
3. Halau Ke'alaokamaile (Keali'i Reichel, Wailuku, Maui), 120 points.
4. (tie) Halau Mohala 'Ilima and Ka Pa Lehua (Lehua Hulihe'e and Doreen Doo, Honolulu), 119 points.
5. (tie) Keolalaulani Halau 'Olapa O Laka and Na Pualei 'O Likolehua (Leina'ala Kalama Heine, Honolulu), 116 points.

COMBINED KAHIKO

1. Halau Ke'alaokamaile, 127 points.
2. Halau Keali'i O Nalani, 118 points.
3. Halau I Ka Wekiu, 112 points.

LANGUAGE, KAHIKO DIVISION

Na Pualei 'O Likolehua, 60 points

MALE 'AUANA

1. Keali'ika'apunihonua Ke'ena A'o Hula, 145 points.
2. (tie) Halau Keali'i O Nalani and Halau Na Wainohia (Tony Conjugacion, Honolulu), 127 points
3. Ka Pa Hula O Ka Lani (Kalani Akana, Honolulu), 103 points

FEMALE 'AUANA

1. (tie) Halau Ke'alaokamaile; Halau O Ke'a'ali'i I Ku Makani (Manu Boyd, Kane'ohe); and Keolalaulani Halau 'Olapa O Laka, 153 points.
2. Halau O Ka Manu Hula Le'a (Kayoko Hendy, Tokyo), 140 points.
3. Na Pualei 'O Likolehua, 139 points.
4. Keali'ika'apunihonua Ke'ena A'o Hula, 132 points.
5. (tie) Halau I Ka Wekiu and Halau Na Lei Kaumaka O Uka, 125 points.

COMBINED 'AUANA

1. Keali'ika'apunihonua Ke'ena A'o Hula, 145 points.
2. Halau Keali'i O Nalani, 132 points.
3. Halau Ke'alaokamaile, 128 points.

KUPUNA 'AUANA

1. Keolalaulani Halau 'Olapa O Laka, 128 points.
2. Hula Halau Kahula O Hawai'i (Kyoko Kubokawa, Tokyo), 123 points.
3. (tie) Keali'ika'apunihonua Ke'ena A'o Hula and Ke Ali'i O Ka Malu (Derek Kia'aina Nu'uhiwa, Wai'anae and Tokyo), 119 points.

LANGUAGE, 'AUANA DIVISION

Hu'i Park Hula Studio (Kepo'omaikalani Park, Honolulu), 59 points