LIHUE — Like soldiers heading to a big battle, the students of Kumu Hula Leinaala Pavao Jardin and Halau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leinaala collected at the Lihue Airport on Monday morning.
The students, including the halau’s kane (male), wahine (female) and the halau’s candidate for the Aloha Hula, Jaedyn Pavao, readied the arsenal of implements and garment adornments, some of the primary ingredients for the 62nd Merrie Monarch Festival — the perpetuation of hula and the Hawaiian culture.
This year entourage was expanded to include the kane students joining the wahine and Miss Aloha Hula competitors following the halau’s invitation to join halau from around the Hawaiian Islands and as far away as the Mainland.
Because the Merrie Monarch Festival is an invitational event, and because no other halau on Kauai has earned an invitation, people often refer to Halau Ka Lei Mokihana O Leinaala as representing Kauai at the prestigious hula competition.
Kauai residents unable to make the trip to Hawaii Island (room accommodations are gone as much as a year in advance), are able to view the three-day competition via the live broadcast on KFVE-TV, or Channel 5, or through the live stream on www.merriemonarch.com.
The Miss Aloha Hula competition is scheduled for Thursday while the wahine and kane vie for group hula honors in the kahiko (ancient hula) on Friday, and awards and auana (modern hula) will take place on Saturday.
The 62nd Merrie Monarch Festival kicked off on Sunday with the hoolaulea at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium, providing early festival attendees a taste of hula at the Hilo venue.
The Merrie Monarch Invitational Hawaiian Arts Fair is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Afook Chinen Civic Center from April 23-25.
Following the competition, the Merrie Monarch Royal Parade closes the week-long celebration on Saturday starting at 10:30 a.m. at Pauahi Street in Hilo.
For more information, visit www.merriemonarch.com.
