Michael Pili Pang, Al Machida, and Kahauanu Lake
2009 Photo by Patrick Satterthwaite
Michael Pili Pang was ten years old when he started hula in grade school in Honolulu. His teacher was Kealoha Wong, a dancer of the great Maiki Aiu Lake. He danced until high school, and then danced with Mrs. Lake until her passing in 1984. In 1985, he went through his second '
uniki (hula graduation) under Mae Kamamalu Klein, the first
Kokua (assistant) Kumu Hula of Maiki Aiu Lake. There he received his
kihei (garments) and title of Kumu Hula.
Michael is the kumu hula of
Halau Hula Ka No'eau, a hula academy in Waimea on the Big Island and in Honolulu. I studied with him from 1988 to 2001. We talked by phone recently, and I asked him to first tell me about the cultural context and history of the Hula. Our conversation follows:
Michael Pili Pang: Dance is a reflection of a group or community of people. In this case a group of Pacific Islanders with cultural ideas/idioms - cultural DNA are embedded in the hula. As hula moved through time, with the influx of foreigners/westerners, the cultural DNA shifted in Hawaii, and so did the dance form. It moved from religious to honorific to entertainment to cultural identity - all of which are embedded in hula.
June Tanoue: What was one of the most important things you learned from Auntie Maiki and what do you hope that your students learn?
MPP: As a teacher she was most inspiring. She didn't just teach us hula. She taught us that it was a way of life. We no longer just saw a flower on the tree - it was part of a lei. We looked at mountains as poetic forms of people and places. We looked at the sunrise and sunset as a gift from God. It's not just a matter of learning how to dance. We learned how to live hula, and how hula is a part of us everyday. We learned life values: she taught us that you treated others and especially your elders a certain way. Though not related, she became like a mother to us. When you went to learn with Auntie Maiki, it was a family atmosphere. We had hula brothers and sisters. The elders became our aunties and uncles.
JT: You were very close to her husband Kahauanu Lake. What did you learn from him?
MPP: Uncle K was a ukulele virtuoso, musician, and composer as well as a great community leader. Working with Uncle K on projects and just hanging out with him, I learned so much about the history and genealogy of songs and how he as a musician composed and arranged music. It gave me a better understanding of how Auntie Maiki choreographed - very much in sync with the music. In the dance
Pua Ahihi (a distinct species of
ohia lehua flower) - the word
pua ahihi stretches over 8-counts. We don't just describe the flower - we pick the flower and lift the flower to show that it grows up on the mountain. The choreography moves with the music instead of just describing the poetry. My understanding of how she created and how the music flows with the dance made me appreciate her choreography.
JT: What are some of the key things that you learned while getting your MFA in dance and hula in particular?
MPP: The major thing I learned was to understand that all communities and cultures dance, and we all have our own reasons. It made me look at hula from an outside point of view and taught me how to explain it a little better. For example, you can take a hula and look at it's structure - how it was created, why they dance it, what are the links that make this Hawaiian hula. It taught me how to use body gestures and helped me to understand another level of kinetic movement - of moving my body through space. Where once it was just
ho'onana (watch),
ho'olohe (listen),
ho'opili (mimic) - now I can take it all apart and explain the details of each gesture and movement. I learned how to break down the movement.
However, although I can make a dancer a better technician, it doesn't mean that the
eha (essence of the dance) is always there.
Eha is one thing that the University does not teach, and
alo to
alo (face to face) experience with the kumu hula is very important. You have to be dedicated, physically and mentally present, to be a great hula dancer. For us, it's not just learn a hula and do it on your own. For example, our style of hula - the hula
ku'i style takes a tremendous amount of teacher/student relationship to
pa ka na'au (get it in your body, mind and heart).
JT: You learned about the rites of passages, the graduations or
'uniki of hula. What do you feel is important in this process?
MP: The process of graduating takes place not when the student is ready. It happens when the kumu is ready to pass the knowledge on and move the student forward. As a kumu hula, I have to be ready - it's a life changing experience, and I have to be ready for all of it. When I do begin, I start by hoping that what I pass on to my students will be understanding and respect for our styling of dance and our culture. I expect my students to understand how to keep the mannerisms and protocol of the dance intact, and to understand the
kaona (hidden meanings) of our hula traditions and our lineage. There are plenty of people in the world who understand hula - but not our lineage, nor our style.
It is important first to understand what it takes to be a dancer - dedication, hard work, the qualities of respect and patience. The whole concept behind it is a master/apprentice time frame. It is a very serious endeavor.
JT: You've been teaching for 26 years now and dancing since you were 10. What insights would you like to share about the hula?
MP: Hula is and has always been a privilege that we never take for granted. Everything that we see and try to do for hula is purposeful. Sometimes I may drive my students a little nuts by making them go the extra route, such as 'let's make a
lauhala mat or a new feather lei.' We never took the short route and became frivolous because I value it so much. Hula is not a matter of convenience. It takes lots of work and lots of dedication. Ten people will drink from the well, but only one or two will actually be nourished and walk away with what we are all about. Not everyone will get it. And that's okay because hula should be enjoyed by everyone, but only a few will move to the next level.
