Volcano Art Center’s Hula Kahiko Continues May 19

Photo caption: Kumu hula Wahineaukai Mercado. PC: Courtesy photo.

The Volcano Art Center’s Hula Kahiko performance series continues on Saturday, May 19, at 10:30 a.m. with a performance by the haumana of Ke Ana Laʻahana Public Charter School at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Event admission is free; park entrance fees may apply.

Ke Ana La’ahana is a Hawaiian public charter school in Keaukaha serving grades seven through 12. The hula group is led by Kumu Hula Wahineaukai Mercado.

Hula Kahiko is a year-round performance series sponsored by the Volcano Art Center. Hula hālau from across Hawai‘i are invited to perform each month in the outdoor setting of the kahua hula (platform) inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The performances are presented rain or shine without amplification. Sun/rain gear and sitting mats are recommended for attendees.

In conjunction with the Hula Kahiko performances, the public is also invited to join Native Hawaiian practitioner Kaʻiulani Carvalho on the lanai of the Volcano Art Gallery from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. following hula performances for a Nā Mea Hula demonstration.

Kaʻiulani was born in Hilo and raised in Puna. She is a 2012 graduate of Ke Kula ʻO Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, a Hawaiian language immersion public charter school. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian Studies and Psychology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and is currently pursuing certification from Kahuawaiola—the Indigenous Teacher Education Graduate Program. For her Nā Mea Hula debut, Ka’iulani will present a workshop exploring the art of ʻOhe Kapala, or bamboo stamping.

The Volcano Art Center is a non-profit educational organization founded in 1974 to cultivate art and learning in the community through visual, literary and performing art activities. For more information, visit www.volcanoartcenter.org or call (808) 967-8222.