A slice of Hawaii could be found in the basement of the Performing Arts Center last Friday as the Pacific Islanders Club hula danced to the song “White Sandy Beach of Hawai’i” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole.
“Contemporary hula, known as hula ‘auana, primarily tells a story or describes a place through sinuous movements of the limbs and hips,” Britannica states.
A soft rhythmic dance with each move representing a different meaning, telling a story.
Keliani Adams, the president of the Pacific Islanders Club, wants to create a community and raise awareness for Pacific Islanders on campus.
One of the ways they work toward this goal is tabling, offering education resources and opportunities to learn about the culture, as well as hula.
Veevee Arnold, a member of the Pacific Islanders Club has been with the club for two semesters. She was the president of the club the previous semester when it gained official recognition.
“I’ve always loved dancing. I’ve been dancing since I was a little kid … for me it’s more of a cultural connection,” Arnold shared.
People are drawn to hula for many reasons; some, such as Lehua Roth, discovered their passion early, dancing hula from a young age. But as Roth got older she stopped; The Pacific Islander Club helped her find her passion for hula again.
Another reason Roth enjoys this club is getting to “learn a lot about the culture.”
In hula, it’s commonplace to ask before teaching another person’s choreographed dance. The Pacific Islanders Club has previously received choreography by Judy Hamamoto, who runs the Chico Aloha Dancers, Adams shared.
However, the dance the club was learning was choreographed by Adams. As curious club members filed into the basement to learn from Adams, she guided everyone through each movement, offering a helping hand when people struggled to get the moves right.
“It can be a month and a half to really be performance ready, both physically and mentally,” Adams said.
Anyone, whether you are Pacfica or not, is welcome to join the Pacific Islanders Club, Adams also said.
Fuega was happy to see there are more people who seem interested this semester, but looks forward to seeing it grow even more.
If you are interested in the Pacific Islanders Club you can follow their Instagram page for updates on future events.
Chris Hutton and Jenna McMahon can be reached at [email protected].
