Contemporary

Hawaii’s Renaissance Woman

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Hula Theatrical Dance Fusion Contemporary

Contemporary dance is such a vague term, which embraces

such a passionate array of styles, flavors and feelings expressed through

the medium of dance.

Willow views contemporary dance as a place to gently but firmly push

boundaries, pay homage to those who have inspired her, remain true to

the music, expressing in movement the language of the heart.

Her earliest foray in the genre was exploring a freeform,

improvisational dance, that was a great contrast from the

structure and narrative nature of Hawaiian Hula she was

trained in.

She was always comfortable exploring and being

expressive in the moment- and it was easy to

believe others felt the same (which since

teaching she has learned isn’t always so).

Willow’s first public display of contemporary dance was when she was 8, dancing at the Manoa Summer Fun assembly. With visions of Mary Lou Retton in her head, her well meant but odd gymnastics inspired routine to “A Hard Day’s Night” went south the moment she realized she brought the wrong recording (instrumental jazz) and that most 3rd graders didn’t know who the Beatles were. Two important lessons were learned that day: check your music and know your audience!

Willow had a better experience at 15, placing as a finalist in Villa Roma’s Hot Dance Jam. The year was 1987, and Hawaii embraced the funkier, urban jams of Lisa Lisa Cult Jam and breakdancing. Enter little Miss Willow, who discovered what would become a ritual, life long passion and trademark...creating a costume of her own design. This time, she entered in a mini Ziegfield Follies inspired peacock headdress ensemble, complete with teal, silk ‘poof’ skirt and fishnets. She danced to Siouxie and the Banshee’s Beatles cover (hmm) ‘Dear Prudence’, fusing club moves with Hula infused grace.

Little Willow, feeling it... The group freestyle, yes, it’s 1987....

Swimming upstream, she was encouraged and inspired by dance legend Simeon Den, who applauded her unique although young, vision. Who would have known, many years later, Mr. Den would be featured in Willow’s Annual PUJA Concert, 2009’s GODS + MONSTERS.

After returning from a professional Hula tour in Egypt, Willow returned to school, completing a degree in Dance at the University of Manoa. Here, she learned the theories of composition, various techniques and the legacies of modern and contemporary dance worlds.

Willow continues to explore dance in ALL its’ forms and genres, including contemporary, world and theatrical dance. She continues to take workshops and classes with local and visiting teachers, and also travels abroad to present and teach, including the Music Medicine Concert in Cairo, 2005, the International Council of Dance (CID) in Athens, Greece, 2006 and recently in Austria at the IUGTE- International University of Global Theater Experience, 2010.

She finds inspiration in the works of masters Martha Graham, Ruth St. Denis, Merce Cunningham,Paul Taylor, Meredith Monk, Twyla Tharp, Alvin Ailey, Mark Morris, Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Alonzo King, Garth Fagan, Complexions Ballet, Shen Wei, Pina Bausch and Butoh great Kazuo Ohno.

Her personal style in undoubtedly inspired and influenced by world traditions, and one may easily spot the shifting from Balinese moves to fluid moves of Bellydance to the stillness within Butoh...Willow embraces these as GLOBAL languages of the human experience.

CONTEMPORARY HIGHLIGHTS IN PICTURES...