KAHĀ 2026: Full Schedule

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2:00pm PDT

Session 1: Hula Kahiko "He Mele Hulu No Kapiʻolani" ("Aia i Waimānalo Ko Nuʻa Hulu") (2 hrs)

Friday June 26, 2026 2:00pm - 4:00pm PDT

Limited Capacity seats available

Workshop Session 1 (Friday, 2:00pm-4:00pm)

"He Mele Hulu no Kapiʻolani"("Aia i Waimānalo") is from a set of three feather chants composed to commemorate Queen Kapiʻolani’s visit to Mauna Loke (Rose Mount), the residence and sugar plantation owned by John Adams Cummins at Waimānalo, (son of Englishman Thomas Cummins and Chiefess Kaumakaokane Papaliʻaiʻaina.) It is believed that these chants were composed in 1883, the year King Kalākaua and Queen Kapiʻolani had their coronation. Cummins was a good friend of King Kalākaua and was appointed his minister of foreign affairs. Kalākaua and his wife Kapiʻolani visited Mauna Loke many times. Queen Kapʻiolani spent her birthday, December 31st, 1885, at Mauna Loke. On this occasion, a number of people went to Mauna Loke aboard the steamer. Waimānalo and others took the overland route over the Nuʻuanu pali. Read story from Mary Kawena Pukuʻi’s: The Echo of Our Song (159-161)

Presenters

Pōhaikealoha Souza

Kumu Hula, Hālau Hula Kamamolikolehua

Kumu Hula Pōhaikealoha Souza has been dancing hula since she was 3 years old. Her hula
lineage traces back to influential hula masters like George Holokai (her first teacher), then her
aunt Maiki Aiu Lake, and then Mae Kamāmalu Klein under whose mentorship she graduated
with... Read More →

Friday June 26, 2026 2:00pm - 4:00pm PDT

Hula, Kahiko

2:00pm PDT

Sessions 1 & 2: Hula Kahiko "ʻAʻohe Ka Heluna No Waiʻanae" (4 hrs)

LIMITED

Friday June 26, 2026 2:00pm - 6:15pm PDT

Limited Capacity seats available

Workshop Sessions 1 & 2 (Friday, 2:00pm-6:15pm)

Explore and experience the beauty and history of Waiʻanae through a standing hula ʻōlapa using the ʻulīʻulī, entitled “Waiʻanae.” This intermediate to advanced workshop is designed for dancers with a strong foundation in hula technique. Participants will learn one of six mele composed in honor of Queen Liliʻuokalani by her courtier, Eleanor Kekoaohiwailani Wright Prendergast, commemorating the Queen’s train journey and highlighting wahi pana of the Waiʻanae district. Participants must bring their own ʻulīʻulī.

Presenters

Kalani "Boboy" Kaawa Flores-Hatt, Jr.

Kumu Hula, University of Hawaiʻi - Honolulu Community College, Hālau Nā Pua A Kapiʻolani

Paul Kalani “Boboy” Kaawa Flores-Hatt, Jr. is a proud kupa (native) of the ahupuaʻa of Nānākuli in the moku of Waiʻanae, Oʻahu. He serves as a College Professor of ʻIke Hawaiʻi and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Culture and Place-Based Campus Coordinator, Division Chair for Kūlana... Read More →

Friday June 26, 2026 2:00pm - 6:15pm PDT

Hula, Kahiko

4:15pm PDT

Session 2: Hula ʻAuana "Kuilima Hula" (2 hrs)

FULL

Friday June 26, 2026 4:15pm - 6:15pm PDT

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Workshop Session 2 (Friday, 4:15pm-6:15pm)

“Kuilima Hula” is a cherished Hawaiian mele written by Emma Blanchard with music composed by Val Kepilino, celebrating the natural splendor and warm hospitality of Kuilima on the island of Oahu. The song poetically praises the beauty of the land with the line “He nani Kuilima,” portraying it as a beloved and welcoming home, “Kuʻu home hoʻokipa ka nui mālihini,” where countless visitors are embraced with aloha. Closely associated with the area now known as Turtle Bay Resort, formerly the Kuilima Resort, along Oahu’s scenic North Shore near Kahuku and Kawela Bay, the mele reflects themes of hospitality, unity, and joyful relaxation. Frequently performed in hula, it captures the spirit of “Kipa hoʻonanea me ke aloha,” expressing the idea of visiting and finding delight in love and companionship. The name “Kuilima,” meaning “to bind hands” or “holding hands,” beautifully symbolizes connection and togetherness, echoing the enduring sense of community and welcome embodied in the song.

Presenters

Leimomi Ho

Loea Hula, Keali’ika’apunihonua Ke’ena A’o Hula

Kumu Hula Leimomi Ho, born July 22, 1944, in Hanapēpē, Kauaʻi, has spent more than seven decades immersed in hula, guided by revered teachers and recognized as one of Hawaiʻi’s most respected kumu hula. She often shares, “If it’s in your heart and meant to be, hula will... Read More →

Friday June 26, 2026 4:15pm - 6:15pm PDT

Hula, ʻAuana