Halau Hula Napuaokalei`ilima Features Classic & New Hawaiian Compositions

Camp Verde AZ (October 11, 2019) – Traditional Hawaiian songs are Classics to many of us. They’re the songs Hawaiians grew up with that they sang and danced to throughout their childhood. New music artists create songs that may one day become Classics themselves. At the 16th annual Ho`ike (hula exhibition show), Halau Hula Napuaokalei`ilima presents both the New and the Old songs (mele) and honors the talent of all these fine composers with their authentic Hawaiian Hula, culture and music. This year’s theme for the annual show is “New Compositions and a Few Classics”. Kumu Hula Kehau Chrisman invites you to join the Halau (school) on a Saturday, November 2, 2019 at the Phillip England Center for the Performing Arts at 280 Camp Lincoln Road in Camp Verde. Doors open at 1:15 PM and the show starts at 1:30 PM.

At the show, Haumana (students) will demonstrate hula they have learned over the years from Kumu Hula Kehau Chrisman. You can also take advantage of purchasing reasonably priced Hawai`i themed items for sale and as well as several unique Hawaiian artifacts in the silent auction – just in time for holiday gifts. Proceeds benefit Aloha ‘Aina O Hawai‘i, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, supporting activities that promote the education of the general public about the customs, values, language, arts and crafts of the Hawaiian Culture.

Halau Hula Napuaokalei`ilima, based in Cottonwood, is under the direction of Kumu Hula (Hula Master) Kehau Chrisman. Chrisman, formerly of Hawaii and now a Cottonwood resident, has accumulated over 36 years teaching hula, of which 17 were spent training in Hawaii to reach the highest rank of Hula Master (similar to a PhD in Hula) by following rigorous hula protocols taught by well-known and respected masters in Hawaii’s hula legacy. She first started teaching hula in Hawaii in 1997 and has been teaching in Northern and Central Arizona since 2004. Since opening the Cottonwood hula school in 2004, Chrisman has been teaching Hawaiian culture, including music, dance, and language. Students travel from all over the Verde Valley, Flagstaff and Prescott seeking her Hawaiian cultural knowledge. For more information about Halau Hula Napuaokalei`ilima, go to www.arizonahula.com.