The work was paying off.

Descendance, an Aborigine dance troupe out of Sydney, held crowds spellbound yesterday.

In high-cardio dances accompanied by clapstick percussion instruments called bibra, along with song and the sounds of the didjeridoo, they told stories of kangaroo hunts and of battles with mosquitoes and sand fleas in Australia's mangrove swamps.

Troupe members Nicole Willis, Ronnie Guivarra, V.J. Anderson, Reuben Doolah, Turtle Tamwoy, Gumboola Wylo and Sean Choolburra got good reviews from the crowd.

"Wonderful," said Canadian visitor Donna Breault, who has traveled to Hawai'i from British Columbia to see each of the 11 Honolulu Festivals.

"I just wish they had longer to perform. They've traveled so far."

Breault said she found many of the performances at the convention center to be particularly beautiful or stirring this year.

The festival continues today through 3 p.m., with performances, displays and craft sales at the Hawai'i Convention Center, Ala Moana Center and Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center. Descendance is scheduled to perform at 2:30 p.m. at the Royal Hawaiian center.

The festival's centerpiece, the Grand Parade through Waikiki, will begin at 4:30 p.m. at Beach Walk and continue down Kalakaua Avenue.

A special feature of this year's parade is a giant Hirosaki Nebuta lantern by Japanese artist Gendo Kogawa. Decorated with a Japanese warrior's image in front and the mother of the warrior in back, the nebuta is lighted from within with 300 candles.