Wednesday, September 2, 2009

E Hula Mau - Hawaiian Hula Competition this weekend!

This Friday through Sunday, it's the 15th annual E Hula Mau Hula and Chant competition, the only one of its kind in Southern California. It's three days of hula, mele (song), arts, crafts, food, and fellowship, held in the beautiful Terrace Theater of the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center - participating halau come from all over the mainland United States.

Friday is dedicated to solo performances, Saturday focuses on "kahiko" hula (which is the traditional, chanting kind and Sunday is filled with "'auana", or modern, performances, which means non-traditional instruments like guitar, piano, etc. accompany the dance. You might not have realized that there was a traditional and a modern style to hula - that's why you should come check this out!

Cool thing about E Hula Mau is that there are also vendors outside in the courtyard area and lobby so you can browse/shop/eat without needing a ticket to go in the auditorium. There are also live performances outside in the courtyard as well as lei making workshops and other arts and crafts activities. Parking isn't cheap, I think it's 10 bucks to park in the structure but, well, what are you gonna do, it's downtown Long Beach.