With a little prodding and encouragement, Deva Yamashiro moved a crowd of the Kaleinani o ke Kukui dance school’s smallest dancers into position.
The crowd of young boys and girls, dressed in bright yellow and white with green floral crowns on their heads, stared wide-eyed at the crowded auditorium at Thomas Jefferson Middle School as they prepared to dance in the Ke Kukui Foundation’s 2015 Cultural Lu’au on Saturday.
“We can work on the line every day, and then they come out all mixed up,” the dance instructor told the audience, who laughed. Many held their own young children.
The annual lu’au brings traditional Hawaiian and Polynesian dishes, music and dance under one roof. While a band sang and played slack-key guitars, dozens of dancers took the stage after having prepared for nearly a year.
The crowd, most of whom were clad in floral shirts and dresses, clapped and cheered through more than 20 performances covering a range of ancient and modern dances and songs.
The lu’au is the Ke Kukui Foundation’s largest fundraiser, lu’au coordinator Waialoha Marquoit said. Several hundred people attend the event each year. The nonprofit organization helps preserve and share Hawaiian and Polynesian culture through events, classes and workshops.
“(We’re sharing) with the public our culture through the art,” Marquoit said.
Events such as the lu’au also help the children of Hawaiian transplants to the mainland better understand their heritage, Marquoit said. “There are a lot of Hawaiians who have transplanted to the United States.”
Among the audience were Julianne Byrne and her mother Grace Byrne. The pair have been long-time supporters of the Ke Kukui Foundation. Both live in Portland, but Grace Byrne was born in Japan and has lived in the United States for 50 years.
Grace Byrne said she appreciated how “democratic” the dances are — dancers of all ages and sizes participate in the performance.
“I was so impressed,” she said. “Everyone, regardless of their body size, dances gracefully.”
Julianne Byrne, who called the event a “good bonding experience” for the community, was unble to pick a favorite dance.
“We love them all,” she said. “This is a very culturally authentic presentation.”
