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The Birth of a New Hula Halau...
As a student of 13 years under the guidance of the late Kumu Raylene Ha'alelea Kawaiae'a on the Big Island of Hawai'i, Kohala raised Kumu Leia Lawrence has adopted that radiant spirit of deep aloha and grace, which she continues to instill in her own students - keiki and adults alike. Kumu Leia began teaching hula and Hawaiian culture in 2011. Since 2012, she has completed two years of intensive kumu hula training under Kumu Keala Ching of Kona, Na Wai Iwi Ola, and has thus far undergone two uniki (graduation) ceremonies.
Kumu Leia founded her own official hula halau (school of hula) in the Summer of 2013, and since their recent beginning, Hula Halau o Kukui Aloha o Kohala (Love and Light of Kohala) actively shares their hula and Hawaiian cultural practices within their Big Island community. The Halau has participated in North Kohala's annual King Kamehameha Day celebration for the passed three years and also at the Kohala 'Aina festival for the passed two years. In January of 2014 they danced in the He Lei Hiwi No 'Iolani Luahine Educational Challenge and were honored with third place in their first ever competitive event.
All of Kumu Leia's students are encouraged to grow their own Hawaiian garden for lei making material, implements, and natural dyes for costume. The haumana (students) take pride in making all of their own costume and lei, beginning with journeys into the forest or seaside to hand harvest their materials for lei and dyeing or stamping fabric to be sewn. They have learned traditional techniques of implement and fiber processing, including the several month long old Hawaiian method of making pa'u hau (hula skirts) from the bark of the hau tree, an ever abundant native tree that grows by the sea.
Hula Halau o Kukui Aloha o Kohala is passionate in their continuing hula journey. They are eager to adopt more knowledge of the Hawaiian culture and to do their part in sharing and continuing its legacy with their community and beyond. Their mission as a halau is to perpetuate Hawaiian culture and tradition through the spirit of dance and chant, and to share the love and light of Kohala with everyone.
How You can Support Us on Our Hula Journey...
As we continue to establish ourselves as a new and growing halau, we are working hard to develop and expand our breadth of knowledge of new mele and 'oli (songs and chants) as well as our collection of costumes and implements used for dancing. And perhaps the biggest project of all: to construct a small halau studio for our students to practice in. Having this space is an essential basic need which will allow our halau to expand on many levels. The estimated cost, from start to completion, for a modest studio that can accomodate Leia's 4 classes is $20,000. In addition to the expenses required for our building project, our halau is also in need of monetary support to rent a spacious and dry space for our students to practice in until our halau structure is complete.
We are looking to our family, friends, community and beyond for support in this endeavour. Your donation will go towards our studio construction and, even more, will enable our efforts to perpetuate the spirit of the hula and sacredness of Hawaiian culture.
Ku'i 'ia ke kukui pili ke aloha
Pili ke aloha kau maila e
Kukui aloha o Kohala e.
Connect with light,
Connect with love,
The love and light of Kohala.
Me ka mahalo nui.
With deep gratitude.
Kumu Leia Lawrence and the haumana of Hula Halau o Kukui Aloha o Kohala
As a student of 13 years under the guidance of the late Kumu Raylene Ha'alelea Kawaiae'a on the Big Island of Hawai'i, Kohala raised Kumu Leia Lawrence has adopted that radiant spirit of deep aloha and grace, which she continues to instill in her own students - keiki and adults alike. Kumu Leia began teaching hula and Hawaiian culture in 2011. Since 2012, she has completed two years of intensive kumu hula training under Kumu Keala Ching of Kona, Na Wai Iwi Ola, and has thus far undergone two uniki (graduation) ceremonies.
Kumu Leia founded her own official hula halau (school of hula) in the Summer of 2013, and since their recent beginning, Hula Halau o Kukui Aloha o Kohala (Love and Light of Kohala) actively shares their hula and Hawaiian cultural practices within their Big Island community. The Halau has participated in North Kohala's annual King Kamehameha Day celebration for the passed three years and also at the Kohala 'Aina festival for the passed two years. In January of 2014 they danced in the He Lei Hiwi No 'Iolani Luahine Educational Challenge and were honored with third place in their first ever competitive event.
All of Kumu Leia's students are encouraged to grow their own Hawaiian garden for lei making material, implements, and natural dyes for costume. The haumana (students) take pride in making all of their own costume and lei, beginning with journeys into the forest or seaside to hand harvest their materials for lei and dyeing or stamping fabric to be sewn. They have learned traditional techniques of implement and fiber processing, including the several month long old Hawaiian method of making pa'u hau (hula skirts) from the bark of the hau tree, an ever abundant native tree that grows by the sea.
Hula Halau o Kukui Aloha o Kohala is passionate in their continuing hula journey. They are eager to adopt more knowledge of the Hawaiian culture and to do their part in sharing and continuing its legacy with their community and beyond. Their mission as a halau is to perpetuate Hawaiian culture and tradition through the spirit of dance and chant, and to share the love and light of Kohala with everyone.
How You can Support Us on Our Hula Journey...
As we continue to establish ourselves as a new and growing halau, we are working hard to develop and expand our breadth of knowledge of new mele and 'oli (songs and chants) as well as our collection of costumes and implements used for dancing. And perhaps the biggest project of all: to construct a small halau studio for our students to practice in. Having this space is an essential basic need which will allow our halau to expand on many levels. The estimated cost, from start to completion, for a modest studio that can accomodate Leia's 4 classes is $20,000. In addition to the expenses required for our building project, our halau is also in need of monetary support to rent a spacious and dry space for our students to practice in until our halau structure is complete.
We are looking to our family, friends, community and beyond for support in this endeavour. Your donation will go towards our studio construction and, even more, will enable our efforts to perpetuate the spirit of the hula and sacredness of Hawaiian culture.
Ku'i 'ia ke kukui pili ke aloha
Pili ke aloha kau maila e
Kukui aloha o Kohala e.
Connect with light,
Connect with love,
The love and light of Kohala.
Me ka mahalo nui.
With deep gratitude.
Kumu Leia Lawrence and the haumana of Hula Halau o Kukui Aloha o Kohala
Organizer and beneficiary
Leia Lawrence
Beneficiary