Minerva Kalauhiwaokalani Pang
Title
Minerva Kalauhiwaokalani Pang
Subject
Nā Kumu Hula Minerva Kalauhiwaokalani Pang - Nānā I Nā Loea Hula Volume 2 Page 94
Description
Minerva Pang has been teaching hula in her home since 1958 and presently works as a kupuna in the Pearl City area.
I’ve always loved dancing especially the hula. My grandfather wanted me to study instead of dance because he said hula will not take me anywhere. So I used to hide to take hula lessons.
My cousin taught me the hula when I was three-years- old. At age seven I took hula ‘auana from Rose Kuamo‘o whenever I visited Hilo. I took two summers from her while living in Kaʻu.
When I moved to Honolulu, I took from my kumu hula Emma Moniz. She taught me hula ‘auana and a lot of implement numbers. The kahiko I learned was more modern, like dances about King Kalākaua and Queen Lili'uokalani.
As a student my goal was to take hula from Aunty Emma for two years and get a certificate to graduate. I had to learn the language, the dance, and get a certificate if I wanted to become a teacher. You needed to understand the Hawaiian words and the interpretation of the mele to he able to create your own hula. Aunty Emma said it would take years hut it was necessary to learn the language. I got my certificate at my ʻūniki in 1945.
Before I started to teach hula, I thought I needed to take more dancing so I took children’s hula from Kuulei Stibbard. I also took private lessons from Puanani Alama and learned some implement numbers and other hula ‘auana from George Nā‘ope.
At first I taught my own children and then my neighbors’ children. I felt that if they could learn from me, I could teach others. Then my friends came and soon I had over twenty children and it grew from that. I taught for five years before I had my first recital. I used to have a couple hundred children but now my class is smaller because I am in the kupuna program and I have less time.
I call myself a hula teacher but kumu has the same meaning. I teach old Hawaiian songs about places, islands, love, and songs that were written before the children were born so they can learn about them.
Some of our young teachers are not ready. But I cannot say much because when I opened my studio, I was very new. Everybody learns from their mistakes and improves by learning all the time.
Definitely the hula of today is different. The steps of today are faster especially the kahiko. Traditional hula today is too perfect not like I used to know, simple with feeling. Today’s children have different ideas and sometimes they get easily bored with the old ways. So to keep them interested, you have to create new ideas.
94 Minerva Kalauhiwaokalani Pang
I’ve always loved dancing especially the hula. My grandfather wanted me to study instead of dance because he said hula will not take me anywhere. So I used to hide to take hula lessons.
My cousin taught me the hula when I was three-years- old. At age seven I took hula ‘auana from Rose Kuamo‘o whenever I visited Hilo. I took two summers from her while living in Kaʻu.
When I moved to Honolulu, I took from my kumu hula Emma Moniz. She taught me hula ‘auana and a lot of implement numbers. The kahiko I learned was more modern, like dances about King Kalākaua and Queen Lili'uokalani.
As a student my goal was to take hula from Aunty Emma for two years and get a certificate to graduate. I had to learn the language, the dance, and get a certificate if I wanted to become a teacher. You needed to understand the Hawaiian words and the interpretation of the mele to he able to create your own hula. Aunty Emma said it would take years hut it was necessary to learn the language. I got my certificate at my ʻūniki in 1945.
Before I started to teach hula, I thought I needed to take more dancing so I took children’s hula from Kuulei Stibbard. I also took private lessons from Puanani Alama and learned some implement numbers and other hula ‘auana from George Nā‘ope.
At first I taught my own children and then my neighbors’ children. I felt that if they could learn from me, I could teach others. Then my friends came and soon I had over twenty children and it grew from that. I taught for five years before I had my first recital. I used to have a couple hundred children but now my class is smaller because I am in the kupuna program and I have less time.
I call myself a hula teacher but kumu has the same meaning. I teach old Hawaiian songs about places, islands, love, and songs that were written before the children were born so they can learn about them.
Some of our young teachers are not ready. But I cannot say much because when I opened my studio, I was very new. Everybody learns from their mistakes and improves by learning all the time.
Definitely the hula of today is different. The steps of today are faster especially the kahiko. Traditional hula today is too perfect not like I used to know, simple with feeling. Today’s children have different ideas and sometimes they get easily bored with the old ways. So to keep them interested, you have to create new ideas.
94 Minerva Kalauhiwaokalani Pang
Citation
“Minerva Kalauhiwaokalani Pang,” Nā Kumu Hula Archive, accessed June 29, 2025, https://nakumuhula.org/archive/items/show/145.