BYU–Hawaii’s Hawaii Club represents Lāʻie and Hawaiian culture through hula
Focused on performing with grace, appreciation and joy, Hawaii Club opened Culture Night by telling a story centered on Lāʻie. The performance honored the beauty and community found in Hawaiian culture, said Hawaii Club president Moanahiwalani Walker, a junior in Hawaiian studies and biology from Hawaii. “The Hawaiian community continues to carry that culture forward, and I hope our performance helped people recognize and appreciate that,” she said.
“Our Culture Night performance focuses on Lāʻie—specifically the temple, Iosepa and the seaweed along the shore,” explained Walker. Hawaii Club’s show featured three songs—each song talked about a unique dynamic of life in Lāʻie and emphasized important details about the resilience of Hawaiians.
The first song, “Nani Laie”, spoke of Lāʻie’s beauty, and compared the temple to a star in the east. The second song, “Ka Uluwehi O Ke Kai”, talked about the taste and smell of the seaweed along the shore. Finally the third song, “Ka Lei” Hoʻāno, shared details about Iosepa.
Despite there being many types of hula, Walker explained that they narrowed it down and only performed ʻauana to increase thematic consistency and fit time constraints. This stylistic decision emphasized a more flowy dance, and included instruments like ukulele, bass and guitar.
“I think many people view hula as sharp, fast and muscular movements, but this year we are showing the ʻauana side of hula,” she said. After countless hours of dedication and hard work, Hawaii Club hopes to have been a positive representation of what Hawaiian culture is, expressed Walker. “We hope our performance encourages people to appreciate the history, culture and beauty of Lāʻie and the Hawaiian community that continues to care for and represent it today,” she said.
