One of a Kind Polynesian Extravaganza Coming to Brevard County Valentine’s Day Weekend

COCOA BEACH, Fla. - Jan. 13, 2014 - PRLog -- In celebration of Valentine’s Day, Brevard Hawaiian Dancers has teamed up with the Radisson at the Port to present Brevard County with an authentic Polynesian style weekend and Sweetheart Luau Dinner Show.

The weekend will begin with a Traditional Polynesian Luau show on Saturday evening, February 15^th 2014 and will end Sunday with two Hawaiian workshops taught by Kumu Hula Lanigirl Kaleiki-AhLo from the renowned ‘Ilima Hula Studio in O’ahu, Hawai’i.  The Dinner show and workshops are being held at the Radisson at the Port Convention Center located at 8701 Astronaut Blvd. Cape Canaveral, Florida 32920.

This Sweetheart Luau will bring Aloha straight from the Islands to your entire family; all are welcome to join us! Doors will open at 5:00 pm; vendors will be lining the hall where you can shop an authentic array of Polynesian items and handicrafts found nowhere else. A silent auction will be held from 5:00-6:30pm. The evening show will start off with a Hawaiian style buffet at 6:30pm and live Polynesian music.  The show will begin at 8:00pm featuring dancers from Halau ‘Ilima O Pololika performing traditional Maori, Tahiti, Hawaiian and Samoan style dances to their live band "Elika and Lopaka" . Performances will include first place winning Wahine (women) as well as first place winning Keiki (children) dancers from the 2013 Ho`ike Orlando Hula Competition. There will also be a very special guest performance by Kumu Hula Lanigirl Kaleiki-AhLo flown in from Oahu, Hawai’i. This evening of Aloha will be Kumu Lanigirl’s first performance in not only the state of Florida, but the Southeastern United States!

Kumu Lanigirl Kaleiki-AhLo is one of the most renowned living legends of the Merrie Monarch Festival, the world’s highest level Hula Competition held every year since 1970. Kumu Lanigirl is the daughter of the spiritual mother and father of the Merrie Monarch Festival, late Kumu Hula Louise Kahili’okalani Kaleiki and Uncle George Na`ope, owners of the `Ilima Hula Studio opened in O’ahu 1957. Kumu Louise was asked by hula master George Na’ope to teach his dancers as he traveled the world, as the Grand Ambassador of Hula. In 1962 Louise’s youngest sister, Luka, was asked to help teach Lanigirl. The Kaleiki sisters and their Ilima Hula Studio gained worldwide fame through the years for teaching traditional Hawaiian hula and Polynesian dances that were not commonly taught at that time. Their ‘Ilima Hula Studio swept the Merrie Monarch Festival titles throughout the 1970’s claiming Miss Aloha Hula titles (the most honorable title of all) twice in 1975 and 1976. Since the passing of Kumu Hula Louise, Kumu Hula Lanigirl Kaleiki-AhLo became sole heir to the `Ilima Hula Studio and continues their legacy through teaching a style of hula with great tradition, style and respect today.

The Merrie Monarch Festival held in Hilo, Hawai’i is the most prestigious Hula event in the world considered as the “Olympics” of Hawaiian hula dance. Dancers travel to Hilo each year from all over the globe to participate. It is an immense honor to be chosen to perform and is the pinnacle of most dancers’ careers. Brevard Hawaiian Dancers (Halau ‘Ilima o Pololika), owned by Kumu Hula Christina Uluwehi Sulfridge, is the only Polynesian dance troupe (Halau) performing at this level in the Southeast of the Mainland for this International Competition.  The only other Halau from the East Coast of the United States invited is our sister ‘Ilima Halau (‘Ilima Hula Studio O Maryland) located in Maryland. Kumu Lanigirl is coming to Brevard County, Florida to mentor a select few dancers from Halau ‘Ilima o Pololika who will be performing at The Merrie Monarch Festival this April. Ten local dancers, right from our own backyard in Satellite Beach, were chosen to represent ‘Ilima Hula Studio and Halau ‘Ilima O Pololika (Brevard Hawaiian Dancers) at the most coveted Hawaiian hula dance event in the world. This one of a kind Sweetheart Luau is the only opportunity to see these performers before they make their pilgrimage to the Big Island in April.

The Polynesian Extravaganza will end with Kumu Hula Lanigirl teaching two separate workshops, one on the ancient style of Kahiko Hula and one on the modern style of Auana Hula, Sunday February 16^th to dancers throughout Florida. The Radisson at the Port has designed special rates for this event for those that would like to stay and enjoy both days Polynesian style!

Tickets for the Polynesian Luau Dinner Show are $45 for Adults; $25 for Keiki (Kids) ages 4-12 and FREE for Keiki (children) ages 4 and under. The workshops are extremely limited and only dancers with previous experience will be allowed to attend. Please contact us directly for more information on the workshops. To purchase tickets to the show, workshop or both (bundle discounts are given) please visit BrevardHawaiianDancers.com or contact us!

For more information about Brevard Hawaiian Inc. (Halau ‘Ilima O Pololika) or events, please visit our website http://www.brevardhawaiiandancers.com. Please contact either Juliet Underill 321-773-1300 or 321-537-3890 email julietund@cfl.rr.com or Kristi Ballard 321-305-3636 email:info@mahalomarketing.com