Edward William Collier Jr.
Title
Edward William Collier Jr.
Subject
Nā Kumu Hula Edward William Collier Jr.
Description
Currently a (lance teacher at ‘Iolani School, Edward William Collier, Jr. has been teaching hula for over thirty years and is the kumu hula of Hdlau 0 Nd Pua Kukui located in Kalihi.
When I first started to teach hula, my halau was known as Ed Collier's Dancers. As time went on however we wanted to use the word “halau in our name. One day the name Hdlau 0 Nd Pua Kukui came to me. I was dancing with Kawai Cockett and the Lei Kukui Dancers in the late Sixties and early Seventies. So l asked Kawai if it was alright to use this name. I used the word “pua” instead of “lei” because as the “pua,” we re still growing and learning about hula. Also the kukui is symbolic and the Hawaiians used it for their food, medicine, dyes, and mainly for light. I felt this was an appropriate name for my halau.
I first learned hula when I was about twenty-years-old. Instead of being a dancer first then studying to become a teacher, it was the complete opposite with me. I was a teacher first. While involved with the St. John’s Church in Kalihi, I got kids who didn’t have anything to do and who had studied under different hula teachers to share with all of us. Because these kids loved to perform, we did shows at hospitals, old folks homes, and service clubs.
My first students were also my teachers. They showed me the basic steps. I just had a love for the hula. Although 1 didn’t know how to dance, I was able to choreograph by watching my kids. But 1 wanted to learn ancient hula. I wasn’t trained formally and I didn’t really understand it. I used to watch somebody dance and copy it, thinking it was alright. I later found out what I was doing was wrong.
The person I consider my first and only teacher is Henry Pa. He was teaching at the Magic Hula Studio where he and Aunty Bose Joshua shared (lie studio. 1 stayed with him for about four years. Uncle Henry Pa set me straight . He told me that hula is your own creativity. You have to create your own dance. You cannot use somebody else’s hula.
Uncle Henry taught me kaliiko, ‘auana, and how to choreograph. He would sit with me and teach me the pa‘i first. He would show me the drum beats and then we would go over the words. I remember getting scoldings from him when I didn’t remember the words the following week because I had not done my homework. After that I made it a point that whenever he taught me the dance or pa i. I made sure that when I came back the following week, I knew my dance or pa‘i. 1 wanted to let this man know that I appreciated what he was doing for me. He told me to teach my students what I was learning from him. As I taught my students, it enabled me to remember the dances.
Uncle Henry had a fantastic mind. The man was way ahead of his time. I le was amazing. He once presented a hula ballet that was danced to all Hawaiian music with Hawaiian movements. The only difference was that the dancers were dressed like ballet dancers. I wish 1 had more time with Uncle Henry Pa. He spoke the Hawaiian language fluently. He was able to translate and tell me what the song was actually about. He made me write and gave me handouts, the Western way of teaching hula. At times he would test me just to see if I was able to pick up from listening to him.
I used to feel bad because I didn’t uriiki. But other kumu and even some of our masters did not go through that old style of Tmiki. I think that the desire to teach and share is the only thing that is important. People ask me why I don’t Tmiki anybody. I’m just waiting. Each kumu who is getting on in age will know eventually w ho they wall select to carry on their work or select to carry on their halau. When the time is right I w ill know who that person is. I’m hoping it’s my daughter but it could be somebody else too.
Today I teach hula the way I was taught. 1 also choreograph my own. It depends on what I’m going to use the hula for. For a show' I would rechoreograph the dance. If it’s for a recital, then we do it the way it should be. I’ll tell my students that this is how this dance was taught to me so now I’m teaching it to you. And then there are times 1 11 tell them, “This is my creation.’ I teach them “Kawika in its very basic form because “Kawika” is a chant that starts everybody off who wants to study kahiko. This is traditional. And after awhile 1 11 come back and 1 11 say,
“You know how' to do the traditional form, now I’ll teach ‘Kawika to you in my form. This is not traditional, this is my creation.” After teaching for thirty years my greatest joy is that I’m now teaching the children of my original students. I enjoy giving people the pleasure of knowing a little of their Hawai‘i through hula. 1 have learned a lot and am still learning. 1 want my students to learn through hula too.
I define hula kahiko as the past. Twenty years from now we’re going to be the past and chants w ritten about things happening today will be kahiko. The true form of kahiko is the traditional works and the way the dances were passed on to you from your kumu. There are some changes from what I remembered the kahiko to be when I first danced. I enjoy the work of the young kumu hula. I see a lot of innovations in the hula and I tell myself, “that’s different.” Change is alright if it inspires the young people to continue to hula. I believe everything has to change to survive. Hula is no different.
When I first started to teach hula, my halau was known as Ed Collier's Dancers. As time went on however we wanted to use the word “halau in our name. One day the name Hdlau 0 Nd Pua Kukui came to me. I was dancing with Kawai Cockett and the Lei Kukui Dancers in the late Sixties and early Seventies. So l asked Kawai if it was alright to use this name. I used the word “pua” instead of “lei” because as the “pua,” we re still growing and learning about hula. Also the kukui is symbolic and the Hawaiians used it for their food, medicine, dyes, and mainly for light. I felt this was an appropriate name for my halau.
I first learned hula when I was about twenty-years-old. Instead of being a dancer first then studying to become a teacher, it was the complete opposite with me. I was a teacher first. While involved with the St. John’s Church in Kalihi, I got kids who didn’t have anything to do and who had studied under different hula teachers to share with all of us. Because these kids loved to perform, we did shows at hospitals, old folks homes, and service clubs.
My first students were also my teachers. They showed me the basic steps. I just had a love for the hula. Although 1 didn’t know how to dance, I was able to choreograph by watching my kids. But 1 wanted to learn ancient hula. I wasn’t trained formally and I didn’t really understand it. I used to watch somebody dance and copy it, thinking it was alright. I later found out what I was doing was wrong.
The person I consider my first and only teacher is Henry Pa. He was teaching at the Magic Hula Studio where he and Aunty Bose Joshua shared (lie studio. 1 stayed with him for about four years. Uncle Henry Pa set me straight . He told me that hula is your own creativity. You have to create your own dance. You cannot use somebody else’s hula.
Uncle Henry taught me kaliiko, ‘auana, and how to choreograph. He would sit with me and teach me the pa‘i first. He would show me the drum beats and then we would go over the words. I remember getting scoldings from him when I didn’t remember the words the following week because I had not done my homework. After that I made it a point that whenever he taught me the dance or pa i. I made sure that when I came back the following week, I knew my dance or pa‘i. 1 wanted to let this man know that I appreciated what he was doing for me. He told me to teach my students what I was learning from him. As I taught my students, it enabled me to remember the dances.
Uncle Henry had a fantastic mind. The man was way ahead of his time. I le was amazing. He once presented a hula ballet that was danced to all Hawaiian music with Hawaiian movements. The only difference was that the dancers were dressed like ballet dancers. I wish 1 had more time with Uncle Henry Pa. He spoke the Hawaiian language fluently. He was able to translate and tell me what the song was actually about. He made me write and gave me handouts, the Western way of teaching hula. At times he would test me just to see if I was able to pick up from listening to him.
I used to feel bad because I didn’t uriiki. But other kumu and even some of our masters did not go through that old style of Tmiki. I think that the desire to teach and share is the only thing that is important. People ask me why I don’t Tmiki anybody. I’m just waiting. Each kumu who is getting on in age will know eventually w ho they wall select to carry on their work or select to carry on their halau. When the time is right I w ill know who that person is. I’m hoping it’s my daughter but it could be somebody else too.
Today I teach hula the way I was taught. 1 also choreograph my own. It depends on what I’m going to use the hula for. For a show' I would rechoreograph the dance. If it’s for a recital, then we do it the way it should be. I’ll tell my students that this is how this dance was taught to me so now I’m teaching it to you. And then there are times 1 11 tell them, “This is my creation.’ I teach them “Kawika in its very basic form because “Kawika” is a chant that starts everybody off who wants to study kahiko. This is traditional. And after awhile 1 11 come back and 1 11 say,
“You know how' to do the traditional form, now I’ll teach ‘Kawika to you in my form. This is not traditional, this is my creation.” After teaching for thirty years my greatest joy is that I’m now teaching the children of my original students. I enjoy giving people the pleasure of knowing a little of their Hawai‘i through hula. 1 have learned a lot and am still learning. 1 want my students to learn through hula too.
I define hula kahiko as the past. Twenty years from now we’re going to be the past and chants w ritten about things happening today will be kahiko. The true form of kahiko is the traditional works and the way the dances were passed on to you from your kumu. There are some changes from what I remembered the kahiko to be when I first danced. I enjoy the work of the young kumu hula. I see a lot of innovations in the hula and I tell myself, “that’s different.” Change is alright if it inspires the young people to continue to hula. I believe everything has to change to survive. Hula is no different.
Birth Date
May 31, 1940
Birthplace
Honolulu, Hawai'i
Hālau
Nā Kumu Hula Hālau O Nā Pua Kukui - Established 1960
Hula Training/
Competitions
HULA TRAINING
Henry M. Pa 1963-1965
Henry M. Pa 1963-1965
Citation
“Edward William Collier Jr. ,” Nā Kumu Hula Archive, accessed November 16, 2024, https://nakumuhula.org/archive/items/show/17.