April Pualani Peeples Chock
Title
April Pualani Peeples Chock
Subject
April Pualani Peeples Chock - Nānā I Nā Loea Hula Volume 2 Page 31
Description
April Chock is currently teaching for the Kaimukī Adult Education Program and the Queen Liliʻuokalani Children’s Center in Honolulu.
In 1957 I began taking hula lessons from the late Māʻiki Aiu Lake who had her studio on Ke‘eaumoku Street. Besides the hula, she also taught us other things like how to haku lei and how to wrap a kīkepa in many different ways. We had the best years with Aunty Mā‘iki because she always had time for us.
In 1958 I started performing at the Lau Yee Chai Restaurant during the weekends and at the Halekūlani Hotel once a month with Aunty Mā‘iki. I danced at the Queen’s Surf with Terii Rua, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village with Danny Kaleikini and at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for special events. I worked in Nara, Japan at Dreamland and sang with Ed Kenney in the Tapa Room in Waikīkī.
When I wasn’t performing, I was studying with Māʻiki at the studio to puka. But I left when I got married and had children. If you can’t concentrate, you can’t study. I was sad to leave Mā‘iki but she always told us that family conies first. I would go in to help her but not as much as I did before. I was there if she needed me but it wasn't like I was going in every day and opening up the studio.
I taught for Mā‘iki in her hālau whenever she traveled to do shows. When I had my second child in 1965, I asked her if I could teach some friends of mine who wanted to learn hula for their wedding. From those four friends my studio grew in number.
In 1982 I knew I had to learn more and go deeper into the knowledge so I went to Kamamalu Klein to finish up. On August 18, 1985 I puka with Kamāmalu Klein in Kāne‘ohe. What we receive from our teachers is the kīhei. That is our certificate, not a piece of paper. The ceremony shows what we accomplished throughout the years. We made our own pahu, ipu heke, and ulī ʻulī for these are crafts that teachers should know and be able to explain. It’s a review of all we learned but we keep going to classes because we really don’t stop learning.
After I puka, I changed my hula studio name to Hālau ʻo Apelila. In 1992 Kamāmalu gave me another name for my hālau which I use as a signature, “Uluwehikalikolehuaikauanoe.” Her thought was that any student leaving my hālau would flourish and any student in my hālau would have the knowledge of Hawai‘i and would keep it as heritage.
Nānā I Na Loea Hula 31
In 1957 I began taking hula lessons from the late Māʻiki Aiu Lake who had her studio on Ke‘eaumoku Street. Besides the hula, she also taught us other things like how to haku lei and how to wrap a kīkepa in many different ways. We had the best years with Aunty Mā‘iki because she always had time for us.
In 1958 I started performing at the Lau Yee Chai Restaurant during the weekends and at the Halekūlani Hotel once a month with Aunty Mā‘iki. I danced at the Queen’s Surf with Terii Rua, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village with Danny Kaleikini and at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for special events. I worked in Nara, Japan at Dreamland and sang with Ed Kenney in the Tapa Room in Waikīkī.
When I wasn’t performing, I was studying with Māʻiki at the studio to puka. But I left when I got married and had children. If you can’t concentrate, you can’t study. I was sad to leave Mā‘iki but she always told us that family conies first. I would go in to help her but not as much as I did before. I was there if she needed me but it wasn't like I was going in every day and opening up the studio.
I taught for Mā‘iki in her hālau whenever she traveled to do shows. When I had my second child in 1965, I asked her if I could teach some friends of mine who wanted to learn hula for their wedding. From those four friends my studio grew in number.
In 1982 I knew I had to learn more and go deeper into the knowledge so I went to Kamamalu Klein to finish up. On August 18, 1985 I puka with Kamāmalu Klein in Kāne‘ohe. What we receive from our teachers is the kīhei. That is our certificate, not a piece of paper. The ceremony shows what we accomplished throughout the years. We made our own pahu, ipu heke, and ulī ʻulī for these are crafts that teachers should know and be able to explain. It’s a review of all we learned but we keep going to classes because we really don’t stop learning.
After I puka, I changed my hula studio name to Hālau ʻo Apelila. In 1992 Kamāmalu gave me another name for my hālau which I use as a signature, “Uluwehikalikolehuaikauanoe.” Her thought was that any student leaving my hālau would flourish and any student in my hālau would have the knowledge of Hawai‘i and would keep it as heritage.
Nānā I Na Loea Hula 31
Citation
“April Pualani Peeples Chock,” Nā Kumu Hula Archive, accessed June 9, 2025, https://nakumuhula.org/archive/items/show/113.