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2022
Our first one back live! It was wonderful having the whole hālau ʻohana gathered once again to welcome our new graduates. We were also able to present our new ʻukulele teachers, Uncle Lucky Keliʻiholokai and Kainalu Hochstim. Uncle Lucky is teaching the advanced students while Kainalu is training the beginning adults and keiki. Kainalu is a member of our Papa ʻIlima and this year had her first graduating class of ʻukulele students! Hoʻomaikaʻi to Papa Lehua, Papa ʻUkulele & Papa Liko!
2021
Another Hoʻopuka taking place in Kumuʻs backyard…hopefully we will be back to a full attendance Hoʻopuka in 2022! We were blessed enough to be able to start new papa via Zoom in the middle of this pandemic. They flourished through a difficult beginning as bonding through Zoom is more difficult than it would be in person. But these ladies and keiki are a tight bunch – forged in extraordinary circumstances. Many of the keiki in Papa Liko were also daughters and siblings of current haumāna, so we were able to have more of the hālau present to gift their hula and represent their respective papa to the graduates. We love it when ʻohana all begin to dance! This year we were also able to welcome Kilinahe Vasquez to our Board and we are richer for her light and love. Hoʻomaikaʻi to all and mahalo to Ryan Urak and the haumāna present for these beautiful photos!
2020
One for the books in a very unique way. This is the first time we had to modify our typical Hoʻopuka ceremony to accommodate for COVID protocols and safety. We moved from the whole hālau and guests of the graduates in attendance to a much more intimate ceremony in Kumu’s backyard. These papa began their journey in the typical fashion in early July 2019 but had to finish their year and bring their waʻa back home through Zoom and post-poned their Hoʻopuka to October 2020. As they were supposed to graduate in May 2020, these papa had a test of patience and steadfastness as learning hula through the computer is extremely challenging – especially if you started live. On the bright side, we were able to have the ceremony on Hula-ween! This added a bit of fun for the keiki as they performed their ʻauana in their Halloween costumes. The hālau was still present via Zoom and their aloha was still felt all around. Guests were very limited but still present to support their loved ones. A very special hoʻomaikaʻi to these graduates undergoing the trials and tribulations of handling the end of their journey in a very unique 2020 kind of way! Mahalo to Ryan Urak and the haumāna present for these beautiful photos!
