We are happy to continue to share about our experience in Hawai’i this past February. Our annual travel program, MoveMEANT Destination, took place in Kaua’i this year. We were able to learn about the land and work with leaders in the land stewardship space. These experiences are something we do not take lightly, as…

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We are delighted to share a video snippet from our time in Hilo, Hawai’i this past February. We partnered with Bulareyaung Dance Company for many work days, community events and educational opportunities. Giving back to the land is an integral part of our creative process and we are grateful to have had many opportunities to do so and connect with local communities along the way. Enjoy these reflections from our Director, Linda Kuo.

This past February, I was able to join Bulareyaung Dance Company from Taiwan on their cultural research and exchange huaka`i to Hilo in February. I was able to share the Lonoa Honua experience with my hula sister from our sister Hālau Ka Pā Hula O La’akea. The huaka’i was guided by Kumu Kekuhi Keali’ikanakaolehaililani, Kauila Keali’ikanakaolehaililani, Lehua De Franco and Ulumauahi Keali’ikanakaolehaililani from Hālau ‘Ōhia.

The mission of Lonoa Hunua is “to connect people, places, and energies in the universe to one another through Hawaiʻi Life ways.” The ‘āina-based activities explore the concepts of “rock,” “foundation,” “slopes,” and “spirit pillars” (ahu/kiʻi), and their connections to the Indigenous Paiwan practices of rock foundations and spirit pillars in Taiwan. By employing a Mauka-to-Makai approach, we engaged with multiple ahu and recognize kiʻi both physically and spiritually. Throughout the residency, we learned mele and hula noa, including e ho mai, oli moʻokū, and o Wakea to prepare for each engagement during exchanges.

As I continue to process the energies and experiences shared in a longer form of writing (to be released later on our Substack), I’m honored to share a video made by Ulumauahi for the Hawai’i Land Trust (HILT). The video talked about the first day of our huaka’i when we went to Kūkūau Community Forest to remove invasive species such as the strawberry guava trees. We learned about how our efforts support HILT’s vision to create a native forestry sanctuary, and how the health of the mountains and upstream lands protec the health of the entire ahupua’a or land division below.

-Linda Kuo, Director and Co-Founder of Dancers Unlimited

If you are in NYC, we would love to see you at our upcoming performance of our multimedia presentation, Edible Tales: Ho’oulu. See it live at La MaMa Moves! Festival

📅APRIL 25 & 26

📍Ellen Stewart Theatre

💲$30 Adults, $25 Seniors/Students, $10 La MaMa Members

First ten tickets to every performance $10 each (limit 2 per person)

Purchase Tickets

Thank you for being apart of our community! We hope to see you at an event soon.

-Dancers Unlimited

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When I was in high school in Hawai‘i, I participated in a workshop with National Dance Week Hawaii - We got the opportunity to work with choreographer Autumn Dones and work through a collaborative process to create a video. At the time, I had no idea who was behind it. I just remember the energy, the encouragement, and the sense of belonging that filled the room.

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Before diving into this month’s session, here’s a bit of background for new and returning members: MoveMEANT Sessions are a monthly series co-presented by Dancers Unlimited in partnership with La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. Each session is guided by a guest facilitator and designed as a space for dancers and movers to explore social justice themes through intentional movement, discussion, and creative prompts. This year, our overarching theme is “Banned Books”—every month, the facilitator selects a banned or challenged book as the focal point, weaving its ideas into the session’s activities and conversations. For this session, we were led by Angie Miller, whose thoughtful facilitation brought fresh insight and energy to our exploration.

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