Hawaii Realtor Helps Kids Take Top Honors at Maui Hula Competition

KAMUELA, Hawaii - Nov. 30, 2017 - PRLog -- Some of the youngest members of Hawaii Island's newest hula halau (dance troupe) took top honors recently at the 27^th annual Hula O' Na Keiki competition held on Maui, Hawaii, November 10 and 11 at the Ka'anapali Beach Hotel.

Fourteen year-old Brianna Lim-Ryder won the overall female award and 15-year-old Hokani Maria won the overall male award. Both teens are part of the Kawehileimamoikawēkiu'oKohala hula halau under the direction of Kumu Hula (hula leader) Lorna Kapualiko Lim, who is part of the award-winning musical Lim family.

In addition to the overall award, both young dancers won in the categories for best Hawaiian chant and best costume and adornments. Among the prizes they each received was a $1,000 Akoni Akana scholarship to further their education in Hawaiian culture and hula. Another young member of the group, Makana Thomas-Kaholoa'a, 11, won the top award for male child dancer. Alyssa Lim-Ryder 11, won the interview part of the competition and placed in two other categories in her age group. What makes these wins even more impressive is that this is the first year the halau entered the competition! In fact, the halau itself, which is based in North Kohala on Hawaii's Big Island, was formed only two years ago.

"They did an amazing job, very proud of them" says Jana Kaholoa'a, a real estate broker with Hawaii Beach and Golf Properties, who has a leadership role as an Alaka'i, or second in command, of the dance group. Makana Thomas- Kaholoa'a is Jana's nephew.

The kids in Kawehileimamoikawēkiu'oKohala beat out dancers in six other hula halau to win top honors at this competition – the only one of its kind on Maui.

According to Jana, the competition capped off four months of preparations and planning. As part of being an Alaka'i for the halau, it's Jana's responsibility to help with the preparation of the dancers presentations, dances, lei, and costumes. The group also held fundraisers to cover travel expenses to the competition. Jana noted that the office of Hawaii Beach of Golf Properties contributed to the fundraisers.

Jana says she is "very humbled and proud to have been part of this special event," helping the kids in the hula halau not only compete, but win, this renown hula contest. Jana herself has danced hula since she was five years old.

"Over the years hula has kept me in touch with my culture and ancestors," says Jana. "Everyday life can be hectic, but hula has a way of removing myself from the present and taking me back to the past. I've gained so much knowledge and a variety of meles (stories) with each halau with which I have been involved."

She notes that her decades of hula training, and her tenure as Alaka'i in a hula halau compliment her real estate career. "Both require a lot of aloha, incredible attention to detail, juggling multiple tasks and property listings, as well as an in-depth knowledge of the community and land," says Jana, who has been a licensed realtor since 1990.

Jana points out that just as being a real estate broker means more than just listing a property, so too being a member of a hula halau is more than just dancing. Each member must memorize chants describing events in Hawaiian history and the natural beauty of places across Hawaii. Being a hula dancer means leaning about native plants and flowers and travelling to forested areas where halau members sing permission chants before collecting flowers and greens to make lei for their outfits. Dancers also study the names and history of geographic areas and the Hawaiian meles surrounding those areas.

Jana says the halau is already looking forward to competing next year as well. "I'm looking forward to what stories our kumu hula will present for the children to share."

About Hawaii Beach and Golf Properties:

Jana Kaholoa'a is a hula dancer and real estate broker with Hawaii Beach and Golf Properties, a boutique brokerage specializing in luxury oceanfront and resort properties along the Kohala and Kona coasts. Headquartered at the Shops of Mauna Lani, Hawaii Beach and Golf is open seven days a week, 11 hours a day. You can reach Jana Kaholoa'a at Jana@HawaiiBeachGolf.com.

Follow hula halau Kawehileimamoikawēkiu'oKohala on Instagram: @hwwok.