A Beloved Living Treasure...

Treasure...

noun: a person who is greatly loved 

                                                  verb:to hold or keep as precious :  cherish

On Saturday I attended, with my hula sisters, and other guests,

the presenting of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawai'i "Livng Treasures"

honor.  This year there were six honorees one of them being my beloved

kumu hula, Ms. Alama.

I loved the theme of the program.  

"Like a tree, these honorees

have sent roots deep into the community".

Ms. Alama was as beautiful and gracious as always.

there was a short video highlighting the accomplishments and

contributions of each honoree.

Ms. Alama has touched so many over the years with her hula.

During dinner Ms. Alama walked around to every table and posed for photos 

and thanked all of us for being there.

after the festivities ended, she had a few minutes to sit and rest with her

daughter, Pua.

(not the best picture, I know, but so much going on)

it wouldn't be a blog post for me without showing the table and food.

I'm usually the one taking pictures, so I'm thankful that I actually have one of me with her.

Yes, she truly is a treasure in so many ways.

Living Treasure...

so excited to attend a luncheon honoring my 

beloved kumu, Ms. Alama, tomorrow.

(photo credit: Hula Preservation Society)

It's such a special time...to honor those that truly are "living treasures"...

I hope she knows how much we love her.

**the big photo behind her was taken when she was 17 years old for

a HVB advertisement (I can't remember what the publication was)

Hula Sisters...

I was sorting through pictures on my phone and came across these two...

can't believe I didn't post about this.

One of my hula sisters from CA, Audrey, was here and wanted to

meet Iris and I for dinner.  It was her choice where she wanted to go 

and I was so glad that she chose The Willows.  I hadn't been there

in ages and it's always a good, fun place to go.

The three of us all dances for Baby Pua as Ms. Alama's daughter is

called.  We started with her when she had her studio in a very small, narrow

room.  

We were talking about our first hoike and how much we practiced...several times a week!

What a magical night it was at the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach.

Lots has happened since those fun times.

The best part of this evening was that even though we hadn't seen each other in years,

we still have that special "hula sister" bond.  

I don't think it ever goes away.

Ex-Lexes and the Hawaiian Room...

 last Saturday night we went to the Premier showing of a documentary film 

by Hawaii film maker, Anne Maire Kirk, called "The Hawaiian Room"...

it was shown as part of the Oiwi Film Festival at the Honolulu Academy of Arts,

Doris Duke Theater

the film had been in the works for many years and with the 

help and archives of Maile Loo and 

the Hula Preservation Society and many others the story has finally come out

And it's a wonderful story!

During the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's

in the famous Lexington Hotel in New York they had a

nightclub called "The Hawaiian Room".

The film is about the young girls who went all the way to New York

(some of them didn't even know where that was) to dance in the show.

This is their story told by them.

A few months ago a group of them traveled back to

the Lexington Hotel for a reunion and showing of the movie

On Saturday, the theater was full of friends and family.

Our dear friend, TeMoana (Marcie)

there were hula dancers from Auntie Lei's studio that recreated some of the hapa haole 

songs that the Aunties had danced

we were treated with short performances by the 'ex-lexes" themselves

their finale was "To You Sweetheart Aloha"

it was truly a magical night and so glad that we were able experience it.

Hula Sisters...

I have five hula sisters here.  We've danced side-by-side since I moved here.

I love them.

Mitzi, who I stand next to, and always with a smile on her face no matter how hard it is.

Leialoha, who has danced with Ms. Alama since she was a very little girl.

Elsie, sweet, kind Elsie, at 93 years young actually will practice.

Nancy, with her daughters, have taken hula from Ms. Alama the longest and been at every studio.

Every week we climb those 31 stairs and sometimes would rather sit and talk story

than dance...but we end up dancing.

Last Saturday Elsie wanted to go out to lunch, her choice.  So we ended up

at Burger King.  They make me laugh because they've got it wired...junior whopper

with extra lettuce and tomatoes (because Burger King doesn't charge for extras).

We sat and enjoyed just talking and in comes Ms. Alama and Makaleka to 

also have lunch.  She was telling us how much she liked Burger King for

all those same reasons as "her girls".

Hula Sisters are as close as real sisters but we're bound together not by blood,

but by the love of hula.

A Final Aloha Aunty Lei...

last nights service for Aunty Lei was so wonderful and just like her...

prayerful, musical,  a love of hula, love of family and some laughing.

the viewing line went on for over 2 hours...

the floral wreaths were breathtaking

(and full of Aunty Lei's signature, flower)

I loved these photographs from when she was very young.

There were friends that we hadn't seen for years that I'd forgotten 

had been some of her very first students when they were little girls and now

they're great-grandmothers.

There was a song played that had been written for her when she 

was Miss Aloha Week Queen in 1959 that was so fitting now as I'm sure it was then.

Here in Hawaii, after a funeral, there is always food.  It's pretty much always the same;

sushi, noodles, chicken, mac salad, beef or pork, a veggie and mochi.  It's the

perfect time for friends, and family to reminisce and talk story.  It's a happy time,

and last night wasn't any different.  I overheard so many wonderful stories

of Aunty Lei and the love that people had for her.

It was perfect...

Aloha Aunty Lei...

 Friday, my friend, Aunty Leilani Alama passed away.

I'm sad, but also happy, because I know that now she's dancing her

beloved hula without any pain or being in a bed.

 70+ years of doing a thing that you loved...

that's what teaching hula was to Aunty Lei.

Always a performer with a quick wit and a twinkle in her eyes.

She still scared us when she would come into hula during our class and threaten us

with sticks as she counted out-loud...but always with that twinkle.

last year Aunty Lei and her beloved sister, Ms. Alama were honored at 

the International Hula Conference

in Waikiki.  I still think about that day and feel so

grateful that I was invited to go.

I took 500+ pictures over two days, but my most cherished ones are 

of these two...

sisters dancing hula together.

 I was crying as Ms. Alama danced for her sister.

Not only sisters, hula kumu but best friends for their entire lives.

I've always been concerned for Ms. Alama because this was going to be a huge loss.

We did have hula on Saturday, because "that's what my sister would have wanted".

These ladies have such class and perseverance, they show us how we should mourn .

In february Aunty Lei's studio was closed (the girls now take classes in our studio).

Coming up those 31 steps and not seeing this sign, I realized the sad truth...

things were going to change.  It's one of those things that doesn't hit home

until you actually see it.  End of an era.  She had been in this same small studio

for more than 50 years!

wish this photo was better, but it actually shows Pua (Aunty Lei's beloved niece), Pua's

twin daughters, Pua and Lei and Ms. Alama dancing while Aunty Lei sings for them.

3 generations of hula all in one place.  The love.

Here is a video from the conference last year, I couldn't get it to upload. This is why I love hula so much

A Happy New Year...

last Saturday we had a bit of a New Year celebration with my

hula sisters from the class before ours.

There was so much yummy food!

I loved the tempura and sushi

I brought "snow puffies" from Paalaakai Bakery to share.

it was especially nice that Ms. Alama could be there to celebrate with us.

I must say it was hard to get up and dance after all the food.

Aunty Lei...

thinking about her this weekend...

Two Living Legends...

 I was invited to attend the Waikiki International Hula Conference as a special

guest.  I knew that Ms. Alama and her sister, Auntie Lei would be speaking...but it

turned out to be so much more than them just talking.

The part of the conference I attended was honoring the founder of Merrie Monarch, 

Uncle Geoge Naope.  Since Ms. Alama is the only living judge from that first year 50 years

ago, she was speaking about her friendship with Uncle George.  Auntie Lei of

course also knew him, but they had a different type of friendship.

I loved that during the presentations, old photos were shown on the 

screen.  I've been lucky enough to have one-on-one time with Ms. Alama
when she has talked about those days...but this was something else.

Ms. Alama probably from the 1940's

Ms. Alama speaking about Uncle George

Auntie Lei

Since this is Auntie Lei's 70th year teaching hula, she was also honored.

a photo of her "Diploma" from hula school

Maile from the Hula Preservation Society with Auntie Lei

the true Living Legends, Puanani Alama and Auntie Leilani Alama

a chicken-skin moment was when Ms. Alama surprised Auntie Lei

by dancing Auntie's signature song "Mei nei"...

Auntie Lei was so funny during the discussion period, "I have nothing to say, they've said it all"

probably for me the high point came when the two sisters got up and danced together

always the performers...such grace and class.

Even though they were so tired, they still sat and posed for photographs

and signed many, many copies of the Hawaiian Airlines Hana Hou magazine

aren't they beautiful? Yes, they are both inside and out.

we went out to lunch afterwards...I could have spent hours listening to them talk

about their history, friends, Waikiki, hula and just days gone by.

I consider myself very, very fortunate to climb those 31 steps each week to spend

time with these two treasures.