Nearly 500 hula dancers from across the islands and as far away as Washington State are descending upon Hilo this week for the 60th Annual Merrie Monarch Hula Festival.
Among this group of elite hula dancers are educators, lawyers, entrepreneurs and health care workers.
It’s not unusual for nurse practitioner Jessica Kapua Anahu to work through lunch at the Family Medicine Center in Hilo.
“I’m finishing off my charting and calling patients,” Anahu said.
Mondays are a particularly busy day for Anahu because she has to make it to hula practice at night. But most of her day is dedicated to seeing anywhere from 12 to 15 patients.
“When I talk to my patients, I really look at their whole well-being,” Anahu explained.
This holistic approach to medical care is something Anahu said she learned from her 30 years as a hula dancer, where relationships to culture, ʻāina and community are crucial.
“We talk about lifestyle and family and the foods they eat and the types of activities they do,” Anahu said. “And try to tie that all in so that their healthcare works for them.”
Anahu has spent three decades dancing for Hālau Ke ʻOlu Makani O Maunaloa and Kumu Hula Meleana Manuel.
The hālau includes geologists, park rangers, real estate investors, early childhood educators and more.
“Most hula dancers have studied a lot more than people realize and we do have regular jobs too,” Manuel said. “It's not just the dance. It's the lifestyle that you’ve committed yourself to.”
For Anahu, a single mom, that commitment extends to her 2.5-year-old son Nathaniel as well. She said the rambunctious toddler has been to every hula practice since he was born.
“Now, he’s big enough to where he can run around. He’s under our feet. Hiding under my skirt as we’re dancing,” Anahu said.
“I actually was pregnant with him when we were practicing for Merrie Monarch. So he’s actually been on the Merrie Monarch stage too," she said.
The Merrie Monarch Hōʻike Performances are on Wednesday at the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium. The competition begins on Thursday, April 13. | Full schedule | Streaming info
