Hawaii Tribune-Herald Sunday, March 27, 2016 27 2016 MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL Wendell Ka‘ehu‘ae‘a for Hawai‘i County Mayor “I was born and raised on Oahu and came to the Big Island in 1969. This has been my home ever since. I have been a business owner, farmer, videographer and a working man all of my life. I am a UH-Hilo graduate with a BA Degree in Political Science and Communications, and a minor in Economics. For many years I have been active in politics and have learned that the traditional well-worn paths practiced over the years have not led us to the transformational change our island needs.” Ready to take on the tough issues and earn your Vote. Mahalo Paid for by Wendell Ka‘ehu‘ae‘a More than a bookstore… BOOKS MUSIC MAPS GIFTS Unique gifts with an island fl air! Basically Books 160 Kamehameha Ave. in Downtown Hilo 961-0144 Facebook.com/BasicallyBooksHilo www.BasicallyBooks.com Merrie Monarch Festival. “I just want to show my teacher’s teachings in the right way.” Lopes said he loves hula’s tradition. He added it’s important to him that he be able to see the dancers’ steps from his stage-side vantage point. “Sometimes, it’s hard to see the steps,” he said. “To me, the feet are very important, the foot movement. The steps are what the hula really is. The (hand) motion is just the frosting on the cake. The foot movements are the foundation. We have nine basic steps. But, you know, some people dance on the balls of their feet and some people dance flat-footed. And that’s all good.” Lua, a cultural specialist at Kahanu Garden in Hana, Maui, and kumu hula who studied under her mother, Elizabeth Ku‘ualoha Terry, and Dr. Charles Kenn, said her selection as a Merrie Monarch judge “feels like a lifetime achievement award” and “is an extremely huge honor.” Lua said her criteria for judging remain the same for hula kahiko (ancient hula) and hula ‘auana (modern hula). “Hula has certain characteristics that need to be present so that it is recognizable as the hula,” she said. “Everything pertinent to the hula is judged: ka‘i (entrance), interpretation, expression, posture, hand gestures, foot movement, body movement, ho‘i (exit), authenticity of costume, adornments, grooming, overall performance, and for the kahiko, the ‘oli (chant).” Asked about challenges, Lopes replied, “The real challenge is sitting there for that long. You’re right there, front and center. And you don’t really get a break.” During the time between halau and at intermission, judges often are seen writing notes on their judging sheets to give to kumu. Even before the competition, judges have gone over notes provided by kumu about their presentation, including the chants and songs and the stories they tell, choreography, costumes, adornments and other details. “There’s a lot of reading and writing special notes. So before (halau) come out, I can read their (kumu’s) special notes that tell their mana‘o (ideas, thoughts and beliefs),” Lopes said. “All of us come from our own lineage of hula. We all come from different masters. We don’t set a guideline that we all have to do this the same way. The kumu can send you the fact sheets and we need to read them beforehand. “Some of the dances are really familiar to me because I’ve (choreographed) those dances in my time. And now, I get to see them through the eyes of a younger kumu.” Lopes said Collier reinforced to the new members of the panel how important fact sheets are to judges and the kumu and their halau. “He said to read the fact sheets,” Lopes said. “Because there were some (kumu) who couldn’t understand why they were scored as they were because of their fact sheets. And so, he said read their fact sheets really good. You’ve just got to study a lot. And let me tell you, we’ve got to study.” Lopes and Lua said it’s important for judges to use their backgrounds as a foundation in judging but to not become bound JUDGES From page 26 “There is a Hawaiian saying that says that all knowledge is not contained within one halau, and we kumu hula, we live and teach by that.” PI‘ILANI LUA 2016 Merrie Monarch judge, cultural specialist at Kahanu Garden in Hana, Maui, and kumu hula See JUDGES Page 28
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