12 Sunday, April 1, 2018 Hawaii Tribune-Herald
2018 Merrie Monarch Festival
Asialynn Genoa
Kalihilihi‘ulaonalehua‘ohopoe
Yap
DANCING FOR HAWAII ISLAND
Miss Aloha Hula
contestants
from Hilo, Kohala
exude confidence
Last year, neither Hawaii
Island halau that entered
the Merrie Monarch
Festival’s hula competition had
a Miss Aloha Hula candidate.
This year, all three halau
from Moku O Keawe have a
young woman vying for hula’s
prestigious solo title. They’ll be
among the dozen ‘olapa (dancers)
taking the stage Thursday
night at Edith Kanaka‘ole
Multi-Purpose Stadium.
“All of them are good,”
said Merrie Monarch Festival
President Luana Kawelu,
referring as much to the kumu
hula of the halau the women
represent as to the hopefuls
themselves. She noted that a
number of the halau entered
have had dancers win Miss
Aloha Hula titles in the past.
The past two Miss Aloha
Hula winners are from the
same Oahu halau, Halau
Hi‘iakainamakalehua, under
the direction co-kumu Robert
Ke‘ano Ka‘upu IV and Lono
Padilla. The reigning Miss
Aloha Hula, Kelina Kiyoko
Ke‘ano‘ilehua Tiffany Eldredge,
watched her hula sister and
2016 Miss Aloha Hula,
Kayli Ka‘iulani Carr, take
her final solo dance on the
Merrie Monarch stage as the
By JOHN BURNETT
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
See DANCING Page 13
Alana Maureen
Ka‘ano‘anookalani Paiva
Joelle Nohealani Kalima
HOLLYN JOHNSON/
Tribune-Herald
HOLLYN JOHNSON/
Tribune-Herald
Courtesy photo