Kahilu Theatre is offering several programs involving dance, drumming, soccer and gardening to help children develop creativity.
A Family Fun Day is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and includes a performance by the Great Barusky Magician, drop-in hip-hop classes, origami demonstrations and live music. The fun day held in conjunction with the 15th annual Waimea Healthy Keiki Fest at the Parker Ranch Center Food Court where more than 30 presenters will offer hands-on activities to develop healthy keiki. Both events are free.
Prince Dance Institute’s Season Finale: “Living Colors” will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, along with two school shows on Wednesday. Director Angel Prince has devised this spectacular performance that exhibits the Big Island in all its glory by showcasing the island’s many microclimates through dance, theater, original music, time-lapse film and photography. A cast of 60 dancers ages 5 to adult will use trapeze, hip-hop, breakdance, acting and contemporary dance to captivate the audience.
Prince Dance is Kahilu Theatre’s in-residence dance academy, offering after-school classes as part of Kahilu’s ongoing education program. Tickets are $25, $20, $15 and $10, and can be purchased at kahilutheatre.org or from the box office which is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Drop in or call 885-6868.
The community is invited to the K(Arts) Grand Finale performance at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Waimea Middle school students have participated in classes for nine weeks, learning hip-hop, Tahitian and kahiko hula and chanting, African drumming, basket weaving and flower making, and backstage production. K(Arts) instructors have been provided by Kahilu Theatre for the past seven years to create the popular, free after-school enrichment program. The finale celebration is free.
Children inspired to explore the arts themselves still have time to enroll in the 2014 Summer Arts program, happening 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday June 2 to July 3 for keiki ages 6 through 12. Presented by Lavaroots Performing Arts, this year’s theme is “The Roots of Hip Hop.” Keiki will have a chance to explore hip-hop culture through drumming, African dance, capoeira, breakdance, soccer and other art forms. Field trips will be taken to Imiloa Astronomy Center, sailing and Malaai Gardens. Sign-up forms are available at kahilutheatre.org/Education/Youth.
Finally, the Kahilu Theatre hosts the Hawaii Opera Theatre at 9:30 a.m. May 4 for a Gala Concert, and at 9:30 a.m. May 5 for a special production of “The Mikado” for schools audiences. Theater youth show coordinator Lisa Shattuck communicates with schools in advance of the shows to arrange block bookings for the students. Currently there are almost 400 tickets booked and about 100 tickets left. Any preschool or home-school families interested in coming to “The Mikado” show should contact Lisa at youth@kahilutheatre.org.