Hula Ho’olauna Aloha at Ala Moana

Hula Hoʻolauna Aloha 2019 was a four-day festival uniting the Japanese and Hawaiian cultures through hula. The annual event is organized by JALPAK International Hawaii. The Hula Ho’olauna Aloha made appearances at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center for the Mini-Ho’ike on October 4; the Ala Moana Center for the Ho’ike on October 5; a competition at the Coconuts Grove in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on October 6; and the Aloha Party at the Sheraton Waikiki Ballroom on October 7.

Created in 2002, the annual Hula Ho‘olauna Aloha hula festival celebrates Japan’s love for the hula in its birthplace, while bridging the two cultures through dance and friendship. Among the participants in this year’s festival were Tiare Michi Hula Studio, Kumu Hula Michiko Matsumoto; Taimani, Kumu Hula YUYU; Hula Hālau o Nanilehua, Kumu Hula Akiko Takeda; Aloha Nui Loa, Kumu Hula Keiko Iwata; Ray Hula Studio, Kumu Hula Mamiko Sawada; Kurakura Hula Studio, Kumu Hula Keiko Matsuno; Hula Hālau Keolaloa O Kalehua Puakea, Kumu Hula Yukie Sato