On May 17th, 2008, months of grueling practices and rehearsals culminated into three wonderful performances at the Hawaii Secondary Schools Hula Kahiko Competition at Kekuhaupi'o Gym on the Kamehameha Schools Campus.
The day started at 8am, when the students of Halau 'Iolani arrived nervous and anxious, but ready to dance. Parents, alumni, friends, and family came to help the students prepare, helping with skirts, tying kupe'e, sizing lei po'o, distributing maile lei, making sure our students looked perfect for the competition. Advising everyone was Kumu Hula Ed Collier, who was an integral and vital person with his years of competition experience and knowledge.
Filled with nervous energy and excitement, the students lined up and headed toward the stage, the sweet aroma of maile lei and fresh pala'a fern lei po'o infusing the air. The students made the stage their own, dancing with precision, and expressing the emotions from their hearts. They truly represented the 'Iolani "One Team" spirit. Their teachers', Lehua Carvalho, Kamele Collier, and Sean Nakayama, hearts were filled with love and pride watching their students dance their hearts out. The kane, wahine, and hui 'ia (combined) groups took home second place in each of their respective categories, marking the return of Halau 'Iolani back to the Hawaii Secondary Schools Hula Kahiko Competition after a five year absence.
