The Volcano Art Center’s 2019 Hula Voices series kicks off Wednesday (Jan. 2) with a program featuring kumu hula Leilehua Yuen and moderator Desiree Moana Cruz.
Yuen’s hula lineage is rooted in her grandmother’s teachings and her studies with legendary expert on all things Hawaiiana, Auntie Nona Beamer. The powerful natural forces of the island are where Yuen draws much of her artistic inspiration.
She and her partner, Manu Josiah, are known for their informances, in which they blend storytelling, science, chant and hula to create a journey through Hawaiian history and culture. They live in her family home in Hilo, restoring the medicinal garden that her grandfather tended.
Hula Voices is an oral history project, presenting an engaging, intimate talk story session with Hawaii Island’s hula practitioners as they share their hula genealogy, traditions, protocols and experiences. These free, educational offerings are slated for 5-6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at the Volcano Art Center Gallery in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Park fees apply.
For more information, visit www.volcanoartcenter.org.