HULA HIGHLIGHTS THE DAY AT THE POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER'S 13th ANNUAL MOANIKEALA HULA 'AUANA FESTIVAL Lä'ie, HI - August 23, 2003 - Hawaiian music filled the air as lovely hula hands spelled out the beauty of the day at the Polynesian Cultural Center's (PCC) 13th Annual Moanikeala Hula 'Auana Festival. The 13-year-old festival took on a different flavor this year as it switched from a competition to a sharing of cultures in a festival honoring one of hula and Lä'ie's greatest treasures, Aunty Sally Moanikeala Wood Nalua'i. The festival, part of the PCC's 40th Anniversary celebration, welcomed five hälau including adult members for the first time. Participating halau this year were:
"We came to join in today's festival because, for the first time, they opened the festival up to adults too," said Kumu Hula Keith Awai from Hälau Kawaipuilani of Haleiwa, and director of cultural presentations in the PCC's Hawaiian village. "Since I don't teach keiki, I've served as a judge in the past, but it's nice to be on the other end and share our love of hula and the Hawaiian culture with each other. It's also a nice tribute to one of my kumu hula, Aunty Sally." Aunty Sally Moanikeala Wood Nalua'i contributed greatly to teaching hula in Lä'ie. She was the PCC's first hula instructor when it opened in 1963 and continued until 1980 when she retired to serve as a consultant until she passed away in 2001. Her niece, Sunday Mariteragi, is credited with inspiring the creation of the competition. Once a PCC dancer herself, Mariteragi — at her aunt's urging — began teaching keiki hula in 1981. Two years later, she was invited to hold lessons at the PCC. It proved to be a delight for visitors and led to the start of the competition. Mariteragi's keiki hula halau, Napuananionapalionako'olau, participated in the festival for the first time this year after opting to perform only as an exhibition group in years past. Founded in 1963 as a non-profit organization, the PCC has entertained more than 30 million visitors by preserving and portraying the spirit, culture and people of Polynesia to the rest of the world. More important is the mission of the PCC, which supports the educational mission of Brigham Young University-Hawai'i and provides an extension of the classroom in a workplace setting. Since its establishment, the PCC has employed more than 12,000 BYU-Hawai'i students. As a non-profit organization, 100 percent of the PCC's revenue is used for daily operations and to support the students who earn their tuition, room and board, and books. The PCC also provides significant financial support to elementary and secondary schools and to college students attending institutions of their choice besides BYU-Hawai'i. ####
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