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A wonderful way to feel the energy of Hawaii, gently tone your body, strengthen your core, and enjoy dancing to beautiful Hawaiian music. No experience necessary. Men, Women age 16 years and older welcome!
Tuesdays
11 am - 12 noon
Saturdays
8:30 - 9:30 am
Men, Women aged 16 years and older. 6 months experience or permission of Kumu. Dance to the melodic music of Hawaii.
Wednesdays
6 - 7 PM
Check our website for class schedules.
All classes are held at our sister organization:
Zen Life & Meditation Center
38 Lake Street
Oak Park, IL.
For more information call 708-689-1220
or email
june.tanoue@zlmc.org
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HULA PERFORMANCES
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The Warmth of Hawaiian
Mele and Hula
An Evening with Jason Poole and Halau i Ka PonoFebruary 7th7 - 8:30 pm
38 Lake Street Oak Park, IL
 The dances and music of Hawaii are at once mesmerizing and heart-warming. Join us for an evening that is sure to chase your winter blues away! $15/$10 for Halau & ZLMC Members $5 for children under 12 ******  Jason Poole also presents
a Zen Writing Workshop on February 7th from 9 - 4 pm
and
a Zentangle Workshop on
February 8th from 1 - 4 pm
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Kumu Michael Pili Pang
returns to Chicago!!!
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Hawaiian immersion time is coming - so mark your calendars March 6 - 8th for authentic Hula, chanting and instrument making with
Kumu Hula Michael Pili Pang and
Kumu Hula Keikilani Curnan.
Kumu Hula Michael Pili Pang will teach a Hula Auana with the Pu'ili (2 bamboo rattles), a classical Kahiko Hula (CD of the chant will be provided), and Hawaiian Chant Class. Kumu will also teach us how to make an 'Uli 'Uli with a Hala handle. Kumu Hula Keikilani Curnan of Halau Waiau (Waiau is the name of the lake at the top of Mauna Kea) will teach a wonderful Hula Auana on Sunday afternoon. Beginners welcome! Click here for more information
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL!!!
Sign up for classes and workshop by February 16th and SAVE Money!
Special Hula PerformancesSaturday, March 7th 6 - 9 pm Ho'olauna (to be friendly) - An Evening with Friends and FamilyHalau i Ka Pono Fundraiser featuring Kalua Pig and Cabbage Dinner, Entertainment, Silent Auction, Raffle $10/person 38 Lake Street Oak Park, IL *********** Sunday, March 8th 7 - 8:00 pm Featuring
Kumu Hula Michael Pili Pang, his 3 male students of Halau Hula Ka No'eau, Kumu Keikilani Curnan,
Kumu June and Halau i Ka Pono on
Call Tiki Terrace at 847-795-8454 for dinner reservations.
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MAHALO NUI LOA
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
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 | | Plumerias by Shay Niimi Wahl |
A heartfelt mahalo (thank you) to everyone who helps Kumu June and Halau i Ka Pono. Your aloha and kokua make a tremendous difference!!!
Special January Mahalos to:
Jason Poole, Lori Murphy, Yuka Fujita, Scott Lockhart, Sonja Hazell, Susana Banuelos and Afterschool Matters, Kumu Hula Michael Pili Pang, Shay Niimi Wahl, Robert Althouse
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 | | Kumu June Kaililani Tanoue |
It's about this time of year in Chicago - when snow is on the ground and it's cold out - that I yearn for the Big Island of Hawaii. There's been lots of overcast days, and since I missed going home last year, this winter seems especially dreary. Last night I even dreamed that I was going swimming in a warm friendly sea.
Clear ocean waters and warm sunshine are absolute healing for my body, mind and heart. I know there's people here who love snow. People who love regular and cross country ski-ing and ice skating. Of course I love the changing seasons, but I am also a Big Island girl.
I remember just before I left the Big Island, I went to a few favorite places to soak in the presence of the island's mana (energy). Hapuna Beach was one such place. The day was sunny day with blue skies and a slight breeze blowing. The ocean sparkled with small waves crashing on the shore.
I walked up and down the beach, as if the sand could indelibly print it's nature on the soles of my feet. The fresh salty air filled my lungs and every pore of my body with tingly aliveness. The sun beat down, but the breezes cooled me off.
Hapuna Beach was the place I came often with my family and friends when I was a teenager. I learned to body surf here with sand filling my swimsuit and hair when I "wiped out."
I also learned to sand surf at Hapuna. My sand surf board was a small round plywood board which I threw as the wave was receding. If you didn't throw it right it wouldn't glide along the sand. So you had to learn how to throw it first. Then after you learned that, you'd have to learn how to run and jump on it. If you didn't jump on it right, the board would stop short and you'd fall off. But if it was spot on, you could sail on that thin piece of water for a long distance.
It took a lot of tries before I got it. I was determined - because that ride was so much fun. But the learning process was also fun. I spent many carefree yet focused hours at Hapuna Beach.
Many beginners come to Halau i Ka Pono (Place that Cultivates the Goodness) to try dancing the hula. They find that it's a coordination of hands and feet, body and mind. It's an enjoyable way of strengthening both sides of the body - a kind of dance physical therapy. It's also a good exercise of the brain as you work on remembering the motions of the dances.
Hula is a place where brain and body work as one.
For those who stick to it, Hula becomes a way of life. This way includes respect, perseverance, patience, forgiveness, practice, openness, being kind to yourself and others - all those good and challenging things you must practice or do regularly to live a life worth living.
Sometimes it's undeniably hard to stay on this path. And we fall off. But we get up and start again.
I began a 108 Day Hula Inspired Life Challenge this month. I also issued the same challenge to my hula students to dance every day. You choose the number of minutes. Then just put on beautiful Hawaiian music and move your body as if no one's looking. Will you join me?
Malama pono (take care of body, mind and heart),
June Kaililani Tanoue
Kumu Hula
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Yuka Fujita
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 | Yuka Fujita
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Yuka Fujita was born in Tokyo, Japan and raised in the metropolitan Tokyo area. She graduated college in Japan majoring in Landscape Architecture. She also studied Plant Physiology.
Her father was a business man who worked at a chemical company and her mother was a housewife. Yuka has a younger sister in Japan who has a son and daughter.
When she was over 30 yrs old, Yuka decided to come to the United States because at that time, when women in Japan get older, there isn't much opportunity to get a good job. She tells us that this is changing now.
Yuka moved to the United States in 1990 and attended ESL in Ann Arbor, MI. She moved to Chicago for a job at a travel agency and got a green card. Yuka now works at a travel department in a Japanese Logistics Company.
We learned a little about Yuka and her interest in Buddhism and Hula.
"I belong to the Shinnyo-En USA Buddhist Temple in Elk Grove. IL. Most weekends, I spend time over there doing service volunteer work, meditation, meeting friends and studying Buddhism. The main purpose for us is to help people around us.
In 2009, my girl friends and I went to a restaurant to see Hawaiian dance. We were very impressed by the dancers so we decided to go to Hula dance classes. I really like Hawaiian and Tahitian dance and Hawaiian music. It makes me have a very happy feeling and I can relax.
A year ago, I joined Halau i Ka Pono. Kumu June teaches us Hawaiian history, words, culture and the Hawaiian spirit. It is good to understand about the different aspects of Hula and not just dance.
One of the most important things that I learned from Kumu June is that my body learns the dance and not just my mind. That helped me a lot.
I am taking a beginning Hula class and beginning Tahitian class. I realize that I have to strengthen my muscles for dancing. I need daily hula practice in my life to shape my body. I want to continue dancing for the both physical and emotional health."
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POLIAHU SHAWLS
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Poliahu Shawls
We have a beautiful array of Poliahu shawls in different colors. Poliahu is the snow goddess of Mauna Kea. Mauna Kea stands 13,803 feet above sea level on Hawaii Island. Much of Mauna Kea is below sea level so including that area, Mauna Kea stands 33,100 feet making it the tallest mountain in the world. The mountain is Poliahu. Poliahu is the mountain.
Shawls are $35 each and go to support Poliahu and Mauna Kea. Email Kumu June or come to the Zen Life & Meditation Center at 38 Lake Street in Oak Park to purchase one for a special someone.
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About Us | |
Halau i Ka Pono at "Many Traditions - One Heart," March 30, 2014
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Halau i Ka Pono means School that Cultivates the Goodness. We teach Hula which is defined as the art of Hawaiian dance expressing all that we see, hear, taste, touch, and feel. Hula and healing go hand in hand in our Halau. The dance connects us to the grounding energy of the earth and opens us to the warm spirit of Aloha (love). Come join us! We have wonderful introductory classes for adult beginners! No experience necessary.
Contact Kumu June at june.tanoue@zlmc.org for more information. May your lives be full of aloha blessings!
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