Homeless afforded chance to dance
By Christie Wilson
Neighbor Island Editor
WAILUKU, Maui — Momi Cummings recalls how it felt to have to drop out of a hula halau because she couldn't afford to pay the fees.
Christie Wilson • The Honolulu Advertiser
Now she offers free hula instruction to youngsters who are in that same situation at the Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Center in Wailuku.
Momi Cummings, foreground, rehearses with her hula troupe at the Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Center in Wailuku, Maui. Rick Salazar, back row, assists Cummings.
"It's always been my desire to teach children to dance hula who can't afford it, because I was there," said Cummings, a receptionist at the homeless center.
The halau rehearses year-round for a single performance: the annual tree-lighting celebration at The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua. The troupe will perform three dances at this year's event, scheduled for 5:15 p.m. tomorrow.
Ka Hale A Ke Ola averages 240 to 260 residents, including about 100 children. Because families come and go, Cummings' roster of dancers frequently changes. Only two of the 12 girls in the group were there last year. The halau also welcomes residents of the neighboring Hale Makana O Wai'ale transitional housing development for families that have moved on from the homeless center.
The dancers range in age from 7 to 12, and there's also 3-year-old Schyler Salazar, who joins in "when she feels like it," Cummings said.
Schyler's dad, Rick Salazar, is a former professional hula dancer who assists Cummings. His 7-year-old daughter Shealynn also dances in the halau, and toddler son Ridge will join next year. "They learn about Hawaiian culture and meet new friends. It gives them a sense of togetherness," Salazar said.
Cummings said the experience of visiting the posh resort also boosts the girls' self-confidence. Last year, 1,800 people watched the Ka Hale A Ke Ola halau perform. After dancing, the hotel treats the girls to a special dinner.
"It gives them exposure to how to be in front of people and dance," she said. "It's very exciting for them and it overwhelms them. They love to visit the fancy bathrooms."
Cummings said she received informal hula instruction from family members and brief stints at two halau. By teaching youngsters the basics of hula, she hopes they'll want go on to get more formal training.
Her top pupil is Leolani Corpuz, 15, who lives at Hale Makana O Wai'ale. The Baldwin High School sophomore is a member of Luana Kawa'a's Halau Hula Ka Makani Kili'o'opu, and still helps Cummings with the younger dancers.
"It's something that I catch on to so fast that I might as well use my talent instead of just throwing it away," said Corpuz, who also is on the Baldwin wrestling team. "It means so much when you're dancing and the spotlight is on you."
Ornaments and light rings will be sold at tomorrow's free tree-lighting event at The Ritz-Carlton as a fund-raiser for the homeless resource center. Other performers include the Baldwin Drama Club, the Royal Order of Kamehameha Glee Club and Henry Kapono.
