beauty & grace

today, is the first knight of hula competition, at the world renowned merrie monarch hula festival, in hilo, hawaii. the competition is held thursday, friday & saturday, april 8-10. tonight is the miss aloha hula competition, where the ladies take the stage, dancing solo, in both kahiko(ancient style) and auwana(modern style). you can view the competition live, for free, on-line here. if you haven't seen authentic hula dancing before, now is your chance, as the best hula dancers in the world compete for this prestigious honor. you will be amazed at the drama, pageantry, live hawaiian music, beauty & grace of this annual event. tomorrow, the halau(group) kahiko competition starts. the ladies and gentlemen, compete as groups, covering the entire stage with beautiful, authentic hawaiian adornments and freshly strung, flower leis, enveloping the stadium with sweet perfume. together, they strive to dance as one. saturday, is halau auwana knight, where live hawaiian bands accompany each halau performance. this is also the final knight and awards are given out. this year, marks the 47th year, of the merrie monarch festival, which is named after king david kalakaua, hawaii's merrie monarch, who helped revive and perpetuate the hawaiian culture.

my home town, competes in this competition for the last 30 years. their halau name is "hula halau o' kamuela," and they are the defending world champions from waimanalo, hawaii; dominating this competition over the years. i am so proud of them, but most of all, like my king tay tay, i love their beauty & grace.