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The 61st annual Merrie Monarch Hula Festival wrapped up in Hilo over the weekend, and residents are already looking forward to next year. Every year around this time, residents in this rainy town know exactly what to expect. HPR's Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi was in Hilo for the festivities and has this story.
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The traditional practice of “going on kapu” allows hula practitioners to cleanse their bodies, their minds and their lives of the unnecessary to really focus on hula. HPR's Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi explains how it differs among hālau.
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Hula is not the only Hawaiian tradition honored at Merrie Monarch this week. The festival is paying tribute to the 40th anniversary of the Hawaiian language revitalization movement. ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi teachers, students and pioneers were in Hilo to perform on hula's biggest stage. HPR's Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi reports.
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Every year, and exclusively during the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, crowds flock to a small church in the coastal community of Keaukaha for a taste of authentic Hawaiian food. HPR’s Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi reports on how it came to be.
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Hālau only get seven minutes to perform each number on stage at the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival. To ensure precise timing, some kumu hula on Oʻahu created a replica of the Hilo stage in vacant retail space in Kalihi. HPR’s Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi reports.
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The host town of Hilo is preparing for the influx of hula dancers and hula fans to the 61st annual Merrie Monarch Festival. Organizers expect dancers from more than 20 hālau hula across the islands and as far away as California. HPR reporter Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi has this story.
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The Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture has restricted the off-island movement of ʻōhiʻa plants and plant parts since 2015. This includes ʻōhiʻa lehua, leaves and seeds.
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The first night of group competition kicks off Friday night at the 60th Annual Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo. Many of the hula dancers taking the stage have pursued professional paths that are molded by and grounded in their love and commitment to hula.
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Hōʻike Night at the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival is an evening of non-competitive hula showcasing Hilo’s hometown favorite Hālau O Kekuhi. HPR's Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi interviewed dancer Kūhaʻo Zane, whose commitments range from Sig Zane Designs to teaching hula.
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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.