Hawaii’s Renaissance Woman

Before the Internet

Before Wikipedia

Before YouTube

Before Twitter

Before myspace

Before DVDs

Before VHS

Before Betamax

Before reordings

There was Hula.

The Oli (chant), the Mele, (song) and  Ka Leo, the voice.

The truth of Hawaii and her people were nurtured and shared, from one

generation to another, passed down, the secrets and the mana, spirit, were

cared for, with reverence and understanding of it’s value.

My life changed so many years ago when my mother took me to

Kumu Hula Alica Smith’s dance school to learn the poetry and spirit of what is

Hawaii, revealed in the Hula.

Halau O Na Maoli Pua- “the school of the indigenous flowers,” as we were called, became a refuge for me. Mrs. Smith was a strict, driven, passionate, strong and fearless woman. You never challenged her and you held on to each insight as a gift. She could be intimidating and could make you cry with a simply giving a disapproving look, but in the end, you learned a lesson. She was unwavering, cause she understood the importance to train dancers who could perpetuate the culture of Hula.

Her experiences and hardships paved the way for our lessons in dance.

Her gifts continued with Hula taught the traditional way: a transmission from one master to another. Her Kumu was Aunty Mae Lobenstein, and Mrs. Smith passed her knowledge to her equally amazing daughter and dancer, Pi’ilani Smith, who would at time train us while she was being trained. Their vision of Hula, and understanding of it’s importance coincided with the Hawaiian renaissance, taking root, in the early 1970s.

Honor, duty, respect- some may associate these traits with martial arts, religion or the military, but it’s my understanding of the code of Hula, and what one must have to uphold the traditions of every culture.

I am grateful to be treated as an equal in the Halau- treated as the Keiki O Ka Aina, a child of the land. A child of Hawaii by birth, I was never made to feel ‘less’ because I am not ethnically Hawaiian. This gift of Aloha and Ohana, is invaluable.

Mrs. Smith taught us the old fashioned way. In 10 years, I never received a xerox, written leaflet or recording of our lessons or dances. We learned by rote and memorization and trusted our minds and hearts to be the Hula. We were trained in the ancient Kahiko, a refined and earthy style that are the dances of ‘pre-contact’ with Westerners, and later, Hula Awana, the contemporary dances of today that Mrs. Smith’s style were made seamless and elegant.

When I think of my times spent in the heart of Kalihi learning Hula, I am aware that the very foundation of my understanding of what it is to respect a cultural art form like dance, all resonated and started so many years ago in Mrs. Smith’s mint green classroom. Her endless Aloha for Hula, is what I carry with me and strive to share, where ever I go, who ever I teach and who ever I may share my dance and Aloha for Hawaii. Thank you to my mom, Mrs. Smith, my elders, Pi’ilani, my Hula sisters and fellow dancers...IMUA!

(Go Forward!)

Willow has performed Hula around the world, in Syria, Egypt, Germany, Switzerland, Greece,

Canada, Indonesia, Japan, France, Georgia and New York.  She teaches Hula 101 and various original Hula choreographies abroad, and with ESL (English as a Second Language) programs locally, sharing the traditions and spiritual importance of Hula and Hawaiian culture, always asserting the importance of respecting the people, kupunas (elders), kumus (teachers), stories and the language of Hula. She is delighted, honored and humbled to share the aloha of the Hawaiian culture worldwide, and has seen first hand, how transformative and healing it is.