Lola Yolanda Caldito Balubar

Nā Kumu Hula Lola Yolanda Caldito Balubar - Nānā I Nā Loea Hula Volume 2 Page 14

Lola Yolanda Caldito Baluhar
Lola Baluhar founded the Hālau Hula ‘O Keola-Aliʻiokekai in 1975. She has taught in her home, the Salvation Army Hall, Central Maui Youth Center and is presently at the Wailuku Industrial Park.


My friends knew me as a dancer. During my high school years I danced al local night clubs, hotels, and lūʻau. My dad was a politician and whenever I went to rallies, I was always asked to do a hula. My love for hula lives on and I am proud to carry on the culture through song and dance.

My mother’s kumu hula was Elizabeth Lum Ho. Mrs. Lum Ho was also my first kumu hula. She was a Chinese- Hawaiian lady who trained us from the basics in learning the foot steps and making sure we learned the name of each step. If we had a hard time doing the ‘ami, for example, she had us place our hands against the wall, bend our knees, and push our hips making sure we moved only our hips. I remember kneeling down and she would push against one of my thighs with her foot to strengthen the thigh muscles. I also remember she used the pū‘ili to correct us. Just a tap on our hips, elbows, knees or feet to remind us to concentrate on doing our steps correctly. I was very disappointed that after the ‘ūniki, I was unable to return to hula because it was too expensive.

Later when I was in the sixth grade, Aunty Becky Ka‘ōpū‘iki taught my sister, Charlene Rodrigues and me with her daughter in her yard in Naska. We learned implement hula, Polynesian dances, hula kahiko, and ‘auana for performances at the local hotels. Although I was only in the seventh grade, Aunty Becky Ka‘ōpū‘iki gave me confidence to be creative in my hula.

I was very fortunate to have studied under kumu hula Uncle Johnny Hokoana and Uncle Robert Kalani. Uncle Johnny Hokoana concentrated on hula ‘auana and comical hula. Uncle Robert Kalani taught hula kahiko, implement numbers, and Polynesian dances. My husband suggested I stay home and care for our son and start a dance studio. I put an ad in the local paper and the response was unbelievable! My hālau was originally called Lola Balubar’s Polynesian Dance Studio but was later renamed Hdlau Hula ‘O Keola- Alʻiokekai. I continued learning kahiko from Uncle Robert Kalani so I could teach my students. I also decided to teach Hawaiian Studies through the Department of Education so I could become more familiar with Hawaiian vocabulary and language.

In the 1980s I started entering hula competitions on Maui. The first year I entered the Ka‘ahumanu Festival with senior girls and keiki. We entered the ‘auana divisions and placed first. I became interested in hula kahiko when my hālau was invited to participate in the Queen Lili‘uokalani Keiki Hula Competition. That’s when I started creating my own kahiko and tried to put my own tune to the contest chant. Every year I have grown, but there is so much more to learn.

I enjoy using my talents and I really love teaching. I feel the aloha from my students when I teach them foot steps, step names, movement of the hips, good posture, head turns, facial expression, interpretation of the hula, expressing feelings of the dance, and memorizing the hula so they will have confidence when performing. I also train the haumāna in personal grooming, costuming, dressing in preparation for a performance, and helping one another use their good judgement and common sense. To have carried on the Hawaiian culture through hula has been very rewarding in so many different ways. Mahalo ke Akua for the guidance.

"I enjoy using my talents and I really love teaching. I feel the aloha from my students when I teach them foot steps, step names, movement of the hip...''


14 Lola Yolanda Caldito Balubar