Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu returns to LC Out-of-Doors fest

What a delight to welcome back San Francisco's Patrick Makuakane and his grand Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu for another summer of Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors at Damrosch Park Bandshell! A freakish cold snap kept Friday evening’s attendance unusually low, but Saturday night’s warm weather encouraged a huge turnout of old and soon-to-be fans, including a fair number of Hawaiian New Yorkers.

The evening’s treats included traditional tunes by the musical duo Kūpaoa (Lihau Hannahs and Kellen Paik) as well as Makuakane’s surprising and wonderful hula interpretations of recordings by the likes of Annie Lennox and Peggy Lee. The company’s suite of authentic and contemporary hula works ranged from the romantic to the satirical, honoring deities and great leaders, celebrating the erotic and poking fun at the mindless, cheesy kind of hotel hula Hollywood and tourists have often confused for the real thing.

It takes fine, flowing coordination--of articulate hands and arms, of smooth turning, dipping and rising--to tell hula’s stories and express its heart. Hula teaches us that stories have physical logic, that the truest language is spoken by the flesh. The dances--short, dreamy narratives--convey a sense of the dense network of nature and spirit, interconnected worlds of stories.

The visual charms of Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu’s presentation reflected Makuakane’s meticulous taste and craft. I loved the women’s sleek velvet gowns that turned them into a uniform chorus of gentle vamps and the bunchy, scrunchy skirts that looked like watercolored, upside-down camellias. The male dancers’ moxie and joy lit up the stage.

“Always leave them wanting more!” Isn’t that what the old entertainers used to say? Indeed, Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu once again leaves me eager for this company’s next return to New York.

© 2007 Eva Yaa Asantewaa