The 59th Annual Merrie Monarch Festival hula competition wrapped up late Saturday night.
The 59th Annual Merrie Monarch Festival hula competition wrapped up late Saturday night.
Eighteen hula halau presented 24 performances of hula kahiko, or ancient hula — 17 by wahine groups and seven by kane groups.
Among the performances were two by Big Island halau, Halau Hula Ke ‘Olu Makani O Mauna Loa of Volcano under the direction of kumu hula Meleana Manuel, and Halau Kala‘akeakauikawekiu of Kailua-Kona under the direction of kumu hula Kenneth Dean Alohapumehanaokala Victor.
Both halau competed in the wahine division.
The festivities — which include the results and awards ceremony — wrapped up later than West Hawaii Today’s print deadline, but results are posted on the newspaper’s website at www.westhwaiitoday.com.
In addition, a full wrap-up story about the “Olympics of Hula” will be published in Monday’s edition.
