Synopsis: The Sixth Annual International Waikīkī Hula Conference will be held May 17-19. It pays tribute to 50 years of the Merrie Monarch Festival. Registration is open until midnight May 1.

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Welina e nā makamaka heluhelu. Nanea nō paha nā maka a me nā pepeiao i ka hula i nā lā i hala iho nei. Ua nui ka mahalo i nā moho Miki Aloha Hula nāna i hō’ike mai i ko lākou aloha i ka hana mai nā kūpuna mai. A he ho’omaika’i iā Manalani Mili Hokoana English o ka Hālau Nā Lei Kaumaka O Uka, ‘o ia ka Miki Aloha Hula hou. A pēlā pū ka ho’omaika’i ‘ana i nā wāhine o nā kūlana ‘ehā ma hope ona, ‘o Sloane Makana West o ka Hālau Kekuaokalā’au’ala’iliahi, ‘o Jasmine Kaleihiwa Dunlap o ka Hula Hālau ‘O Kamuela, ‘o Chalei Malianapuaonahala Pu’ulei McKee o Ka Lā ‘Ōnohi Mai O Ha’eha’e a ‘o Whitney Pi’ilani Baldwin Schneider-Furuya o ka Hālau I Ka Wēkiu. A i kēia ahiahi ana kākou e ‘ike hou ai i nā kino ‘olu i ka hula. A e ‘ike auane’i i ka mea nāna e lawe i ka inoa moho a lilo.

A he manawa kūpono kēia e ho’olaha ai i ka ‘Aha Hula No Ko Nā ‘Āina Like ‘Ole ma Waikīkī, e hiki koke mai ana, mai ka lā 17 o Mei a i ka lā 19. A ‘o ke ono kēia o ka makahiki e mālama ‘ia ana, a ‘oiai, ua piha nā makahiki he 50 i ka Ho’okūkū Hula ‘o ka Mō’ī Puni Le’ale’a, e ho’oheno ‘ia ana ia ho’okūkū.

‘A’ole paha ‘oukou i lohe iki no kēia ‘aha ma mua? He ‘aha kēia i hāmama kona ‘īpuka no nā kānaka hula like ‘ole, mai ka ‘akahi ‘akahi a i ke kumu hula nō paha, a no ke kanaka puni hula nō ho’i paha. He 80 papa a ‘oi aku paha, e mālama ‘ia ana i loko o ia mau lā ‘ekolu. E a’o ‘ia ana ka hula kahiko, ka hula ‘auana, ke mele, ke oli, ka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i, ka hana ‘ana i ka pā’ū lā’ī a me nā pono hula, a me kekahi mau mea hou aku. He keu aku ana ia a ka maika’i. A he nui nō nā loea nāna e a’o mai ana i ia mau mea.

Ma ka Hale Mālama ‘Aha ana e mālama ‘ia ai nei ‘aha hula. ‘O ka uku e komo ai ma loko o kēia ‘aha, he $385. A no ka po’e kama’āina o Hawai’i nei, he $250 wale nō. He emi wale nō ia no nā momi e loa’a ana i ka hiki ‘ana aku i laila. He 40 mau loea hula a loea hana no’eau paha e a’o ana i kā lākou ‘ai me kā lākou i’a. A he manuahi ke kau ‘ana aku ma luna o ke ka’a lawe ‘ōhua mai nā hōkele like ‘ole o Waikīkī a i ka Hale Mālama ‘Aha a me ka ho’i hou ‘ana aku i ka hōkele.

A ma loko o ka Hale Mālama ‘Aha, aia ana kahi holoē piha i nā kānaka e kū’ai ana i nā pono hula like ‘ole a me nā ‘ano mea like ‘ole i hana ‘ia ma Hawai’i nei.

E ‘eleu ‘oukou e nā makamaka heluhelu, no ka mea, e pau ana ke kākau inoa ‘ana i ke kulu ‘ana iho o ke aumoe i ka lā mua o Mei. A inā he 10 a ‘oi mau kānaka o ka hui e komo ana i nei ‘aha, e emi mai nō ka uku komo. No kahi ‘ike hou, e kipa aku i ka ‘ao’ao pūnaewele www.waikikihulaconference.com a i ‘ole ia facebook.com/InternationalWaikikiHulaConference.

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This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.