This one time, at Hula Camp…

This past weekend was the second annual Kūlia i ka Pūnāwai Hula Retreat…also known as Hula Camp. Four of us, plus Kumu Anne, went up this year. Erin, Deirdre and I were able to take off early from work and headed out about 3pm on Friday afternoon in hopes of avoiding Friday rush hour (which kinda worked). The drive was made all the better with good company and a stop at D’Amore’s pizza for a few slices of heaven. Once we got up to camp (no rain this year!) we quickly checked in and got settled in our cabin.

Cabin 10

Cabin 10

It’s been just over a year since Hula Camp 2010 and I think I’d forgotten just how uncomfortable those bunkbeds can be. I’m not sure anyone over the age of 30 should be sleeping in bunkbeds…or maybe even 18. Actually, the hard part was the Cirque du Soleil acrobatics that are required to get into these things since there aren’t really any ladders. And thank goodness for earplugs, there were some LOUD snorers in our cabin.

Yes, those are bunkbeds

Yes, those are bunkbeds

Saturday morning dawned lovely and warm as we headed up to the main dining hall, not for breakfast, for morning warm-ups. Everyone needs a little hula before breakfast. It’s really cool to see so many dancers from different hþlau all dancing together and even though you’re doing the same steps, there are stylistic differences. Kawika and Leinani Viloria led warm-ups, and let’s just say I was very warmed up (and sore) by the time they were over. After breakfast my first class was Lei Making with my friend Kapena Perez. Nicole, one of my hula haumāna, was in the class with me. In addition to learning how to make lei po’o (po’o = head), Kapi also taught us about some of the Hawaiian gods and what plants are associated with them.

Lei materialsTi leaf backingSorting lei materials

Me and Nicole

Me and Nicole

After lunch, I took a kahiko hula with Pilialoha Christensen (Ka Ala Aloha) and an ‘auana with Puanani Edgar (Ku’uipo My Darling). I love being able to learn from different kumu hula. It’s interesting to see how their styles of teaching and of dancing differ from my kumu. But when it comes down to it, they all have the same message of respect for the culture and for hula.

Kanikapila started right in after dinner. Kanikapila is like a jam session, and usually comes about whenever one or more musicians are together, especially if there are hula dancers around. Those of us who had learned dances during camp that day got up and performed them as well as other dances that we know. Towards the end of the evening, two of the kumu (Kanani Kalama and Puanani Jung) got up and starting (non-hula) dancing to Drop, Baby, Drop which got everyone on the floor for a big dance party. The musicians segued into several other songs and somewhere around Tears on my Pillow the Electric Slide started (I’m pretty sure it was Auntie Kanani that started it). Of course, everyone on the floor had fallen into perfect lines. Once a hula dancer….

Kanikapila!

Kanikapila!

Sunday morning began with warm-ups again and they were, for me, a bit more difficult after Saturday’s warm-ups + hula classes + another night on the bunkbed. My morning class was ‘ukulele with Nona Oshiro. Two of my haumāna, Nicole and Deirdre, were in class with me. We only had 90 minutes to learn about the history of the ‘ukulele in Hawai’i, finger placement and strum patterns. But by the end of class we’d been strumming together for three songs. I hope this inspires me to play my ‘ukulele more often!

Ukulele class

Ukulele class

My last class of the weekend was an ‘auana with Keali’i Ceballos. I was excited to take a class with him since he didn’t teach at last year’s Hula Camp. And the fact that his hālau goes to Merrie Monarch every year certainly played some part in my class selection. Once again I was treated to a new style of teaching and dancing hula. It was fun, and fast. Suddenly it was lunchtime and then Hula Camp was officially over. We packed up and made our way home with full heads and some aching muscles but another great Hula Camp weekend.

Hula sisters

Hula sisters

More pictures from Hula Camp are here!

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