Celebrating 20 years of offering Hawaiian cultural instruction and hula in Central Arizona, Hālau Hula Nāpuaokalei‘ilima announces its 19th annual fundraiser and recital show under the direction of Kumu Hula Kēhau Chrisman on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Phillip England Center for the Performing Arts at 280 Camp Lincoln Road in Camp Verde. Doors open at 12:45 p.m., and the show starts at 1 p.m.
The show will begin by featuring an interactional Hawaiian talk story on the use of Hawaiian implements and instruments in hula by Hawaiian cultural scholar B. Ka‘imiloa Chrisman and followed by students performing hula they have learned over the years from Kumu Hula Kēhau Chrisman. You can also take advantage of purchasing reasonably priced Hawai‘i-themed items for sale as well as several unique Hawaiian artifacts in the silent auction, just in time for holiday gifts. Proceeds benefit Aloha ‘Āina O Hawai‘i, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting activities that promote education about the customs, values, language, arts and crafts of the Hawaiian culture.
H ā l a u H u l a Nāpuaokalei‘ilima, based in Cottonwood, is under the direction of Chrisman, a Cottonwood resident formerly of Hawaii, has accumulated over 40 years teaching hula, of which 17 were spent training in Hawaii to reach the highest rank of Hula Master, similar to achieving a Ph.D., by following rigorous hula protocols taught by well known and respected masters of Hawaii’s hula legacy.
Chrisman first started teaching hula in Hawaii in 1997 and has been teaching in Northern and Central Arizona since 2004. Since opening the Cottonwood hula school in 2004, Chrisman has been teaching Hawaiian culture, including music, dance and language. Students travel from all over the Verde Valley, Flagstaff and Prescott seeking her Hawaiian cultural knowledge. For more information about Hālau Hula Nāpuaokalei‘ilima, go to arizonahula.com.
Pre-sale tickets are available at omella.com/n88gt for $17 for adults and $8 for kids ages 8 to 17; kids under age 7 are free. Pre-sale tickets must be purchased by 11:45 p.m. on Nov. 8. Tickets at the door are $20 for adults and $10 for kids.
For more information about this event, email HulaIsAloha@gmail.com.
