Hula-o-na-keiki competition to nurture the next generation of dancers

• Hula o Na Keiki is Maui’s only children’s hula competition dedicated to perpetuating Hawaiian culture.
• This competition challenges students to think about what it means to be Hawaiian and practice hula, an art that was once banned in Hawaii.
• Hula teachers see a lot of hope for the next generation of hula dancers

MAUI — Fresh plumeria in hair clips and leis fills the ballroom with sweet scent. Before long, the dim stage lights brightened, and the audience fell silent. A group of 10 or so kaika mahine (girls) take the stage wearing her ruffled off-the-shoulder tops with vintage-inspired bloomers peeking out from paulais (skirts made of green ti leaves). A hula dancer takes a fixed position.