The graceful Hawaiian art form hula manifests and sustains communal bonds, and after two years of struggling against isolation Nā Lei Hulu’s I OLA! celebration embodies the enduring ties that have sustained the company through the pandemic. While the 40 dancers in Patrick Makuakāne’s Nā Lei Hulu school spent many months learning dances online via Zoom, he helped bridge the distance by creating a kuahu (altar) in every class that served to focus their creative energy. The bountiful inspiration will flow when the troupe returns to the Gardens to offer I OLA!, which translates as “health and well-being, thrive, survive and heal.” The performance encompasses chants, dances, songs and rituals that provided succor and sustenance through dark times, while also setting the company on a new course of discovery.

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

And supported in part by:

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