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Iona Contemporary Dance Theatre, known for its extravagantly exotic yet intimately interactive performances, holds its annual gala presentation on Saturday in Waikiki.
“It’s much more than a fundraising gala, it’s actually an amazing, wonderful, party-slash-dinner theater event,” said Cheryl Flaharty, Iona’s founder and artistic director. “The dancers perform and interact with the guests. We theme it differently each year, so we have different music, and even the cuisine is matched to the theme of the event.”
This year, the event has a new location: the Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach, recently remodeled and rebranded, but still known for its its huge indoor oceanarium.
“We’re keeping it outdoors at their Swell Pool Deck,” Flaharty said. “We’ll have an amazing ‘living fountain’ in the water and stilt walkers. What we do every year is we create a lot of amazing costumes, so this is the event where we premiere all the new costumes for the year. … It’s half-dance, half-fashion.”
Iona’s focus for the year is “light,” Flaharty said, so the costumes will be lit up with LED lighting, making the costumes even more fantastic and fabulous than usual.
The party is subtitled “Illumi-Naughty,” a typically provocative title. Previous themes have included “La Madonna,” a tribute to goddesses; “Dominion,” dances inspired by animals; and “Hawaiian Myths & Legends.”
Similarly, the dancing will be both invigorating and relaxing. Flaharty’s dancers often move very slowly, engaging audience members on an individual basis through eye contact — or a smile — then beckoning them to participate in activities like finger-painting or eating fruit.
ALOHILANI RESORT will cater the event, and Flaharty has requested something “artful” for dinner.
“I wanted it to have interesting plating, and very ‘New World,’ ” Flaharty said.
Flaharty has raised about $40,000 from the event in previous years for Iona, a significant source of funding for the 501c-3 nonprofit organization, which operates under the umbrella of the Nova Arts Foundation. She hopes to get that again this year, she said, noting that she finds it “tougher and tougher” to make ends meet financially.
Iona usually gives one major show for the public every year, and also makes money by performing at private functions.
“Honestly, we wouldn’t even be in existence if it were not for my dedication to the art of dance,” Flaharty said. “Next year will be our 30th anniversary. We’re still perservering, but we still need the support of the community to continue to do this.”
Nonetheless, Flaharty has big plans. For the new season starting in the spring, she is developing a show called “Iona Unplugged,” which will feature “kind of experimental, new, collaborative work.” She plans to set the event up, not in a traditional theater, but “in a space that is a little more low-tech,” she said — the Hawaii State Art Museum, for a First Friday.
Flaharty has also been laying the groundwork for a drive to raise $200,000 to rent a space for costume-making and dance classes for youth, as well as performances.
“We’re talking to someone about a warehouse-type space,” she said. “That would be ideal.”
“IONASPHERE: ILLUMIN-NAUGHTY MYSTIC IPARTY”
>> Where: Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach, 2490 Kalakaua Ave. (Swell Pool Deck)
>> When: 6 p.m. Saturday
>> Cost: $175; $2,500 table of 10; themed sponsor tables available
>> Info: ionasphere2018.eventbrite.com
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