Hula and Kung Fu at the firehouse

Last night was The Big Show, the one I like to have every year where we get to do all the dances; the entire set, audience participation, and a huge sound system. My friend and old training sister Merrie Laugh got the job for us. Even better, she asked if the Gold Dragon could come down and demo some Kung Fu between our Hula sets, which he did.

Originally they wanted us to light the fire pit, and I was more than willing. I was even going to do a live chant with my ipu, just make something up in Hawaiian, something about lighting the fire in the pit, asking Pele to be present or something like that. After all, Pele is ka wahina o ka lua o ke ahi: the woman of the fire pit. I thought it would be appropriate. But in the end, they decided to light it later at night after we had already finished dancing.

So I got there with my flowers in my hair and my red lava-lava and I saw Merrie Laugh, and at first she didn't seem to recognize me. Then she found the perfect place for Kamila and I to set up our gear and stuff: in the apparatus room in the fire house. We were able to hang all of our huge costumes up among the fireman coats and stuff; our implements were on the back of a fire truck. Bear in mind that fire trucks are my first phobia. They scare me just a little bit more than zombies.) But it was an awesome set up because there was a door from there that went right to where we were dancing on the grass. (Oddly, neither Gold Dragon nor Kamila seemed to recognize me right away last night either. In both of them, as in Merrie Laugh, I saw that fleeting moment of "Who is that girl and why is she walking towards me?" Weird.)

The sound system ROCKED. I brought my iPod and was able to hook it up to their speakers which were massive. They had a mic set up so I could introduce each song and read the translation.

The Hula itself went off without a hitch. Well, with one minor hitch as I called out the wrong kahea during Waikiki Hula, but that was about it.

We did a fantastic show. Too bad that most people there didn't really want to see it. I get that; seriously I do. When people go to a hula show, they want to see Hula. That's why they're there. When they go to a party, they want to party, and if a show is going on, sometimes that's neat, but most of the time they'd just rather go about their business. This is why it's so hard to do parties, especially where drunk people are involved.

Interspersed among our set, the Gold Dragon came on and did three forms. At the end, he did broad sword, but he didn't have his sword; luckily I had mine in my car and he used that one.

The whole show was over by around 6:45.

Afterwards, I gave out the leis that I had made for people. I only had nine of them so I gave one to the Gold Dragon, one to Merrie Laugh, a few to the kids (who enjoyed it more than the adults,) and some to the older people in the audience who seemed really into it. But most of the folks there seemed uninterested. They didn't even really watch the sword form and even though they'd been asked to hang onto their kids, because it is, you know, a real sword? There were still kids and even adults wandering around close to him, as if he wasn't even there. As Gold Dragon put it as he was helping me put my stuff in the car, "God...tough crowd."

Kamila had to leave directly after dancing, but they invited Gold Dragon and I to stay and eat. The food was yummy so we both took them up on it. We took seats by the now-lit firepit and ate and talked probably until around 9. The music was terrible (mostly country and some crappy old 80's metal, liek the worst they could find,) and we were right under the speakers, but that's where we ended up so that's where we stayed. It was goddamn cold last night--as it has been this entire summer--and the fire was really nice.

A few people came up to us and said, "you guys did a wonderful job," and one lady apologized for some of the other people there. I told her, "Look, it's a party; people are here to party, not to watch a show that they don't really get. This happens a lot so we're kind of used to it. And at any rate, it's so much better than a handful of shows where people are too into it and get inappropriate."

Another woman came up to me and said, "I know it looked like no one was paying attention, but a few of us were and I have to tell you: Girl, you can move." Then, like I said, there were some older people there who seemed really involved in it. And there was this one little chick around 13 or so who followed us around chatting to us. She asked me to tie her lava-lava on her the way I was wearing mine (as a dress instead of a pareu) and I did, and after that we were like besties. It was really cute.

If even a few people get it, then it's worth it.

But even more than that, last night I got it. I was right down in it with Real Hula; not backyard party Hula, but really doing my thing like I know how to do it. Performance-wise, I think it was one of my best. I did it for Pele and Laka, and I was really happy with it. I think maybe it even shows in the photos. It's weird to me how I look like a totally different person when I'm dancing; like even my face looks different to me. I don't look at those pictures and cringe.

Gold Dragon made a comment too. We were talking about confidence for some reason and he said to me, "The girl you are tonight, when you're out there dancing? That's how you should always feel about yourself."

Anyway, so those pictures!

( These are the leis that I made. )

( The Gold Dragon does his thing. )

( The Gold Dragon does my thing. )

LOL, okay!

( Na Wahine O Ka Mokupuni Lo'ihi do their thing. )

( This is my favorite picture! )

That's one of my favorite sections to that Hula, which is my absolute favorite Hula. It's called O Keahi A Lonomakua and tells the story of Kamapua'a's reaction to the destruction that Pele caused after he insulted her. It's a very feminist chant (Pele is a massively feminist icon,) and I get so much out of performing it. I even chanted it last night too. Anyway, this is the part that says, "Kei ki'i mai nei Hawai'i," or, "Hawai'i is summoning me."

( These are all after the show. )

( When I came home, I still wanted to feel like I was Pele. I wasn't ready to give that person up yet. )

( It is traditional, after Hula, to dispose of live flowers at the beach, or by burying them. )

So I took Sano on a walk to the beach today and threw my haku lei, a maile, and my flowers into the bay.

And that was that!

More, locked!

Hula and Kung Fu at the firehouse

Last night was The Big Show, the one I like to have every year where we get to do all the dances; the entire set, audience participation, and a huge sound system. My friend and old training sister Merrie Laugh got the job for us. Even better, she asked if the Gold Dragon could come down and demo some Kung Fu between our Hula sets, which he did.

Originally they wanted us to light the fire pit, and I was more than willing. I was even going to do a live chant with my ipu, just make something up in Hawaiian, something about lighting the fire in the pit, asking Pele to be present or something like that. After all, Pele is ka wahina o ka lua o ke ahi: the woman of the fire pit. I thought it would be appropriate. But in the end, they decided to light it later at night after we had already finished dancing.

So I got there with my flowers in my hair and my red lava-lava and I saw Merrie Laugh, and at first she didn't seem to recognize me. Then she found the perfect place for Kamila and I to set up our gear and stuff: in the apparatus room in the fire house. We were able to hang all of our huge costumes up among the fireman coats and stuff; our implements were on the back of a fire truck. Bear in mind that fire trucks are my first phobia. They scare me just a little bit more than zombies.) But it was an awesome set up because there was a door from there that went right to where we were dancing on the grass. (Oddly, neither Gold Dragon nor Kamila seemed to recognize me right away last night either. In both of them, as in Merrie Laugh, I saw that fleeting moment of "Who is that girl and why is she walking towards me?" Weird.)

The sound system ROCKED. I brought my iPod and was able to hook it up to their speakers which were massive. They had a mic set up so I could introduce each song and read the translation.

The Hula itself went off without a hitch. Well, with one minor hitch as I called out the wrong kahea during Waikiki Hula, but that was about it.

We did a fantastic show. Too bad that most people there didn't really want to see it. I get that; seriously I do. When people go to a hula show, they want to see Hula. That's why they're there. When they go to a party, they want to party, and if a show is going on, sometimes that's neat, but most of the time they'd just rather go about their business. This is why it's so hard to do parties, especially where drunk people are involved.

Interspersed among our set, the Gold Dragon came on and did three forms. At the end, he did broad sword, but he didn't have his sword; luckily I had mine in my car and he used that one.

The whole show was over by around 6:45.

Afterwards, I gave out the leis that I had made for people. I only had nine of them so I gave one to the Gold Dragon, one to Merrie Laugh, a few to the kids (who enjoyed it more than the adults,) and some to the older people in the audience who seemed really into it. But most of the folks there seemed uninterested. They didn't even really watch the sword form and even though they'd been asked to hang onto their kids, because it is, you know, a real sword? There were still kids and even adults wandering around close to him, as if he wasn't even there. As Gold Dragon put it as he was helping me put my stuff in the car, "God...tough crowd."

Kamila had to leave directly after dancing, but they invited Gold Dragon and I to stay and eat. The food was yummy so we both took them up on it. We took seats by the now-lit firepit and ate and talked probably until around 9. The music was terrible (mostly country and some crappy old 80's metal, liek the worst they could find,) and we were right under the speakers, but that's where we ended up so that's where we stayed. It was goddamn cold last night--as it has been this entire summer--and the fire was really nice.

A few people came up to us and said, "you guys did a wonderful job," and one lady apologized for some of the other people there. I told her, "Look, it's a party; people are here to party, not to watch a show that they don't really get. This happens a lot so we're kind of used to it. And at any rate, it's so much better than a handful of shows where people are too into it and get inappropriate."

Another woman came up to me and said, "I know it looked like no one was paying attention, but a few of us were and I have to tell you: Girl, you can move." Then, like I said, there were some older people there who seemed really involved in it. And there was this one little chick around 13 or so who followed us around chatting to us. She asked me to tie her lava-lava on her the way I was wearing mine (as a dress instead of a pareu) and I did, and after that we were like besties. It was really cute.

If even a few people get it, then it's worth it.

But even more than that, last night I got it. I was right down in it with Real Hula; not backyard party Hula, but really doing my thing like I know how to do it. Performance-wise, I think it was one of my best. I did it for Pele and Laka, and I was really happy with it. I think maybe it even shows in the photos. It's weird to me how I look like a totally different person when I'm dancing; like even my face looks different to me. I don't look at those pictures and cringe.

Gold Dragon made a comment too. We were talking about confidence for some reason and he said to me, "The girl you are tonight, when you're out there dancing? That's how you should always feel about yourself."

Anyway, so those pictures!

( These are the leis that I made. )

( The Gold Dragon does his thing. )

( The Gold Dragon does my thing. )

LOL, okay!

( Na Wahine O Ka Mokupuni Lo'ihi do their thing. )

( This is my favorite picture! )

That's one of my favorite sections to that Hula, which is my absolute favorite Hula. It's called O Keahi A Lonomakua and tells the story of Kamapua'a's reaction to the destruction that Pele caused after he insulted her. It's a very feminist chant (Pele is a massively feminist icon,) and I get so much out of performing it. I even chanted it last night too. Anyway, this is the part that says, "Kei ki'i mai nei Hawai'i," or, "Hawai'i is summoning me."

( These are all after the show. )

( When I came home, I still wanted to feel like I was Pele. I wasn't ready to give that person up yet. )

( It is traditional, after Hula, to dispose of live flowers at the beach, or by burying them. )

So I took Sano on a walk to the beach today and threw my haku lei, a maile, and my flowers into the bay.

And that was that!

More, locked!