Wai Ola, ʻAukele And The Waters Of Life – A celebration of hula kiʻi

The Mahea Uchiyama Center for International Dance / Hālau Ka Ua Tuahine will present a rare form of hula not widely practiced today. Hula kiʻi features the use of carved or crafted images in the story telling and movements of hula. Due to Western influences in the 19th Century, the hula kiʻi and other indigenous traditions were suppressed almost out of existence. As part of the rebirth of this tradition, Wai Ola celebrates the cultural heritage of hula kiʻi through a combination of storytelling, chant, music and dance in a unique presentation the likes of which is rarely seen.

Wai Ola is sponsored by the 2021 Gerbode Foundation Choreography Award and 2024 Touring Grants from the Gerbode Foundation and the Zellerbach Family Fund. The project encompasses the research of classical themes, the construction of hula puppets, and the development of a dedicated hula ki’i practice within the Berkeley-based hālau.

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