Alicia Keolahou Keawekāne Smith
Title
Alicia Keolahou Keawekāne Smith
Description
Alicia Keolahou Keawekane Smith
Alicia Smith in collaboration with Mae Loebenstein, founded the Halau O Nā Maoli Pua located in Kalihi, O‘ahu.
I go back to my na kupuna of the Kuni‘ohana of Waialua, O‘ahu, who were well-known at that time for their beautiful pageants and tableaus. Here I was born and as the saying goes, “I learned to dance before I could walk.” I grew up in the ‘ohana style of observing and learning quietly so everything would sink deep into the na‘au. I was taught not to be nīele or maha‘oi but to minamina and cherish the sense of values that was being passed on to me.
I am the adopted daughter of Amos and Alice Kuni Keawekāne Garner whose father was the Reverend Joseph Kuni. Grandpa Kuni taught the ‘ohana to sing and dance and they traveled from island to island raising funds for the church. This was the start of mom’s hula and entertaining career. Singing and dancing was a means of livelihood for our family. Mom gave me the basic introduction and interest in the hula.
My mom played music with Aunty Mae (Loebenstein) and Aunty Lena (Guerrero) and I became a dancer for Aunty Lena’s hula troupe. This was during World War II. We danced for the USO (United Service Organization), entertained at private parties, and performed at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
At the age of fifteen, I was hired as a hula instructor at the YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association) in Honolulu. Here I taught modern hula for twenty years until I resigned to open my own hula school called the Alicia Smith’s School of Polynesian Dancing. I taught almost every kind of Polynesian dancing there is. This continued for three years and at the end of this period I experienced a deep desire to improve my knowledge of my own Hawaiian culture. I searched for help in learning the old way of hula. It was then that I turned to Aunty Mae for help and I have learned a stronger discipline and spiritual guidance with her teaching. Together we started grooming seven little girls, the nā maoli pua, the real true flowers, and this in time blossomed into Halau O Nā Maoli Pua.
Alicia Smith in collaboration with Mae Loebenstein, founded the Halau O Nā Maoli Pua located in Kalihi, O‘ahu.
I go back to my na kupuna of the Kuni‘ohana of Waialua, O‘ahu, who were well-known at that time for their beautiful pageants and tableaus. Here I was born and as the saying goes, “I learned to dance before I could walk.” I grew up in the ‘ohana style of observing and learning quietly so everything would sink deep into the na‘au. I was taught not to be nīele or maha‘oi but to minamina and cherish the sense of values that was being passed on to me.
I am the adopted daughter of Amos and Alice Kuni Keawekāne Garner whose father was the Reverend Joseph Kuni. Grandpa Kuni taught the ‘ohana to sing and dance and they traveled from island to island raising funds for the church. This was the start of mom’s hula and entertaining career. Singing and dancing was a means of livelihood for our family. Mom gave me the basic introduction and interest in the hula.
My mom played music with Aunty Mae (Loebenstein) and Aunty Lena (Guerrero) and I became a dancer for Aunty Lena’s hula troupe. This was during World War II. We danced for the USO (United Service Organization), entertained at private parties, and performed at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
At the age of fifteen, I was hired as a hula instructor at the YWCA (Young Women’s Christian Association) in Honolulu. Here I taught modern hula for twenty years until I resigned to open my own hula school called the Alicia Smith’s School of Polynesian Dancing. I taught almost every kind of Polynesian dancing there is. This continued for three years and at the end of this period I experienced a deep desire to improve my knowledge of my own Hawaiian culture. I searched for help in learning the old way of hula. It was then that I turned to Aunty Mae for help and I have learned a stronger discipline and spiritual guidance with her teaching. Together we started grooming seven little girls, the nā maoli pua, the real true flowers, and this in time blossomed into Halau O Nā Maoli Pua.
Citation
“Alicia Keolahou Keawekāne Smith,” Nā Kumu Hula Archive, accessed November 15, 2024, https://nakumuhula.org/archive/items/show/83.