The Road to Merrie Monarch

All right party people! So for most of you who know about this site and know me through the na halau. You all know that I have been practicing with Auntie Sissy Kaio and her halau, Na Pua me Kealoha, in preparation for Merrie Monarch 2006. For those of you who are not aware, I had been asked by Auntie Sissy in November / December of 2005 to dance for her. It was quite a shock and honor to be asked by her to be invited and take part in this festival. When asked, I turned to my friends in the halau of which I was dancing for, Halau Keali'i O Nalani, and asked them what their opinion was. Unanimously they agreed that I should take part in this. I told them what the mele was about, and they were even more encouraging that I should do this. The mele that we are dancing is in honor of ke ali'i 'O Kamehameha. So at that time we knew that the mele choreography was going to be strong masculine and fierce, we were not wrong! After asking my friends, I turned to a couple of 'alaka'i (leaders) with in the halau. They gave their opinions, both positive and negative, but was ultimately my decision, and that decision was to do it, dance with Auntie Sissy.
My first practice came in the first week of Decemeber. I was nervous of course because I was entering into a new halau with new faces and people. So as one would suspect, there was some time for me and them to adjust with me being there. For starters, KON (Keali'i O Nalani) has a more feminine style, where as NPMK (Na Pua Me Kealoha) has a much more masculine style. Well the next full on practice with all the kane (men) was in January, the hillarity started. We had warm ups, haki kino, and the first movement were kaholos. And with KON, their kaholo style was different and with more kikala (hip) movement. Not NPMK, they have NO hip movments at all. So I stood out like a sore thumbe. Someone QUICKLY tapped me on the shoulder, "Eh brah, no hips, whacchoo doing? No hips!" So I was embarassed!
Well after a bumpy start everything fell into place. Over the next few months, we practiced our elemu off. It's not an easy mele to dance. There are a lot of ku'i, vigorous and sharp moves that should convey the sense of strength and power. Awesome! And as the mele began to sink into everyone's mind, so did my presence in the halau. I felt welcomed into their fold and participated in kind. I have to say, there is definitely a base sense of 'ohana there. You can feel it. Maybe it's because I have it built up in my mind of the people there. You know having a pre-conceived notion how people and things are before you get there. But for this instance, things just are that way. Auntie, a diminutive woman long black hair, definitely has kuleana from na hauamana oia, from her students. You see everytime we have practice. I have had brief conversations about mana'o, and have been impressed and gracious of what she shares with me. Recently as of this past weekend, April 1st, we had a fund raising BBQ at the halau for Merrie Monarch. My girlfriend, Kathleen, wanted to help out too. So the both of us were there and we did our things, she helped out withe ladies and the raffle sales, and I was out side with the guys BBQ'ing. So while Kath was in side working away, she was basically on her own to draw her own opinons. She's had, so far, a narrow exposure to this halau, let alone the Hawaiian culture. A couple days later, we talked about our time there at the BBQ. She did bring up the subject of Auntie Sissy. She complimented on how she, Kath, felt that Auntie had command over things. Not that she was telling people what to do, but she, Auntie, went about here and there, making sure things were good, and in order, and if anything needed help. Kath went on to notice that people went out of their way to do what Auntie asked of her. Now don't get me wrong. Auntie is not the kind of person who tells people what to do. But what Kath noticed was the respect and admiration that people have for Auntie Sissy. Kath also noticed the sense of 'ohana. She didn't use that word, but she described in more words, she just didn't know that word. It made me feel good that Kath was able to draw her own conclusion with out any of my influence, that, that's what I had sensed as well.

Well time is drawing nigh, and in on week, I am flying to Hilo to get ready for Merrie Monarch. While there, Auntie Sissy is making sure that we experience and visit places of things that are chanted about in our mele, Kamehameha's heiau, lo'i farming etc... It's to tie us closer to the chant and give us real expereinces to our hand movements and expressions and feelings about what we are dancing about. I can't wait! I'll keep ya posted!