CulturalFest Countdown: Meet Pilialoha Pau ‘ole

We are just 9 days from the CulturalFest Performance Showcase on February 10! Read on to learn more about one of this year’s CulturalFest performers, Pilialoha Pau ‘ole.

We wanted to make this performance different -- unique. We wanted it to mean something. Like really mean something. So instead of spending 10 minutes on stage trying to explain to the audience what hula is, this year we are going to show the audience what hula means to us, the performers.

Hula is an integral part of who we are as individuals, from the unique values we learned in our halau to the communities we are a part of. Through hula, we each formed lasting connections to our hula sisters, brothers, aunties, and uncles, and found a place we could call home.

“Pilialoha Pau ‘ole” means “everlasting friendship” in Hawaiian, reflecting the theme of connections shared between our experiences. Also, Hula goes beyond just the dancers--it is a form of story-telling, sharing an experience as a dancer, musician, audience etc. We hope that through our story, you may join us on that journey and in turn, appreciate the experience of hula in your own way.

During our performance, you will see two types of hula - one kahiko (ancient) and one ‘auana (modern). The kahiko features chanting and rhythmic drumming while the ‘auana has more melodic singing accompanied by ukulele music. Through the stories the songs and the dancers tell, we hope you can begin to answer the question, “what does hula mean to you?”

Mahalo!

~ Pilialoha Pau ‘ole