Merrie Monarch Festival
merrie monarch festival weeklong cultural festival take place annually hilo hawaii week easter honor king david kalākaua called merrie monarch patronage art credited restoring many hawaiian cultural tradition reign including hula many hālau hula school including u mainland international performer attend festival year participate exhibition competition festival received worldwide attention considered prestigious hula contest merrie monarch week begin easter sunday every year competitive hula event end week occur thursday friday saturday televised livestreamed free online hawaii news formerly khiitv kfvek merrie monarch festival cancelled due coronavirus pandemic concern competition held june – without live audience broadcast july – kfve merrie monarch hula competition began april pm hst livestreamed free three night website hawaii news festival dedicated memory king david kalākaua last king kingdom hawaii reigned death kalākaua “a patron art especially music dance” credited reviving many endangered native hawaiian tradition mythology medicine chant also strong supporter hula traditional form dance many cultural practice suppressed many year missionary teaching festival named kalākauas nickname “merrie monarch” known always happy fun loving towards people structure festival take kalākauas silver jubilee twoweek celebration hawaiian culture th birthday ʻiolani palace island oʻahu merrie monarch festival began helene hale executive officer hawaii county decided create event increase tourism island hawaii island suffered economic problem collapse sugar industry hoped festival would boost depressed economy along george naʻope gene wilhelm hale organized first merrie monarch festival festival “consisted king kalākaua beard look–alike contest barbershop quartet contest relay race re–creation king kalākauas coronation holoku ball among events” george naʻope well known kumu hula teacher hawaiian dance throughout whole world studied hula great grandmother since three year old established hula school george naʻope hula school shortly graduating high school taught hula japan guam australia germany england north south america purpose life preserve hawaiian culture thought festival perfect way allowing culture live festival waned popularity dottie thompson took festival executive director transformed private community organization thompson “wanted move festival toward hawaiian theme” goal accomplished centering festival event around hula thompson na’ope introduced hula competition nine wahine female hālau entered competition first year festival opened competition kāne male hālau today merrie monarch festival annual week–long event culminating three day prestigious hula competition non–profit organization registered state hawaii department commerce consumer affair proceeds festival support educational scholarship workshop seminar symposium continuation event merrie monarch festival occurs annually spring run easter sunday morning saturday evening festival royal court created represent king david kalākaua queen kapiʻolani family royal court coordinated uʻilani peralto luana kawelu year search male female portray king queen peralto say “the selection committee look find two individual exemplify maturity humility pride hawaiian culture” court consists member total typically represented friend family chosen king queen rest royal court includes counselor kahu caretaker ladiesinwaiting kahili bearer chanter pu kane conch shell blower person royal court educated role kalākauas mission people make royal court represent hawaiian history hawaiian spirit continuously flow throughout island procession royal court precedes end night merrie monarch hula competition sit state performance first four day festival consist free non–competition event include performance local international halau many venue around hilo well art craft fair wednesday hoike night free exhibition popular often feature international hālau pacific island japan native indigenous dancer dance location alaska new zealand final non–competition event merrie monarch parade take place saturday morning festivity culminate annual competition held edith kanakaʻole multipurpose stadium hoʻolulu park dancer perform individually group seven minute allowed performance miss aloha hula thursday night first competition event individual female dancer compete title miss aloha hula dancer perform modern hula ʻauana traditional hula kahiko form hula well chant oli miss aloha hula hula top solo wahine womens honor originally known miss hula title later changed miss aloha hula aloha dalire kumu hula hula dancer first miss aloha hula maiden name aloha wong miss aloha hula competition began hālau may submit one contestant year old unmarried contestant performs hula kahiko hula auana kahiko must perform oli kai mele hoi minute time limit microphone used oli minimal makeup applied also judged costuming lei group hula kahiko two division group competition male kāne division female wahine division friday night feature hālau performing ancient style hula group hula ʻauana saturday night feature hālau performing modern style hula award also announced saturday night judging criterion performance hālau individual judged variety category first entrance kaʻi chant oli dance hula judge look interpretation song performed expression hula chant song posture precision hand gesture foot body movement grooming authenticity costume adornment finally exit stage hoʻi performer scored aspect performance many believe merrie monarch festival “brought renaissance hawaiian culture” festival identifies four goal related hawaiian culture “ perpetuating traditional culture hawaiian people developing augmenting living knowledge hawaiian art craft workshop demonstration exhibition performance highest quality authenticity reaching might otherwise opportunity participate enriching future life hawaii children” claim festival “thousands people hawaii throughout world learning history culture hawaii” merrie monarch festival “has received worldwide recognition historic cultural significance” festival first broadcast local tv kitv brought festival home across hawaii coverage began taped edited highlight segment eventually went live kitv broadcast festival year luana kawelu recently taken job president merrie monarch festival signed deal competitor kfve broadcast festival beyond hula competition livestreamed free three night website hawaii news person living hawaii may enjoy hālau festival end competition place competition invited attend nā hiwahiwa festival tokyo japan festival includes merrie monarch festival winner nā hōku hanohano winner festival celebration hawaiian dancer singer received awardwinning recognition competition japan one biggest supporter world hula hawaiian culture japanese hula school compete merrie monarch festival school travel hilo every year support hula hālau experience festivity merrie monarch offer key note denotes winner hawaiian language award denotes winner later disqualified young hālau may participate wahine kāne division division must perform group kahiko auana color key nth place wahine nth place kāne overall k kahiko auana miss aloha hula note denotes former miss aloha hula winner denotes tie jasmin iolani hake book hula novel honolulu magazine award book year hawaii revolves around merrie monarch competition molokai ka hula piko merrie monarch festival official site merrie monarch festival photograph merrie monarch festival kfve live stream news video clip merrie monarch festival statistic information