Over the last few years since its founding, Hula Mai has become a family - ohana. In Hula Mai your heart says yes and you're part of the ohana. It's a powerful bond. Our ohana unites us and gives us strength. You will find pictures of our ohana on this website. You can share the connection of the Hula Mai ohana when you come and dance with us.
We are Hula Mai.
We invite you. Hula Mai means come and dance. Please join us.
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Our Christmas Hula may just have become the latest rage! At this writing Toni has already done it SIX TIMES: at a family party, her book club, her local grammar school, a neighborhood meeting AND at a flu clinic! The pictures of her are at the family party when she says her grand children were all hopping and crawling around her, getting in the spirit, too!
Diane danced White Christmas at two concerts given by the Vintage House Singers. We took her picture at the Thursday evening concert, Dec. 8. Hubby Mark sang for her and Joanne played the piano. They may have initiated a tradition!
Most haumana, however, report that their venues are more often kitchens and living rooms - and, like Faye, that the audience is an appreciative partner!
The important thing is that it all adds to the holiday spirit!!
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| Hula Mai Shady Ladies at Westerbeke |
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More than 20 of the Hula Mai ohana dined at Sonoma's Westerbeke Center recently. The celebration was part of the Fourth Annual Ukulele and Slack Key Guitar Workshop and Retreat, organized by Theresa Castro and Dave Tachera. Betty Ann was there for the whole time and says "It's a wonderful weekend chock full of great classes for everybody from beginners to the most advanced on both uke and guitar. Parallel with those classes were some cultural courses: Dave's father, Herman Tachera shared his expertise at the Hawaiian art of feather lei-making, and Kumu Analu from the East Bay taught hula, chanting and the art of 'talking story.' Thinking about doing the whole thing next year!"
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| Westerbeke Uke Retreat |
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| Linda, Mary and Clay, Don |
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| Steve and Terri |
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Ten of us danced at the Ukes for Kids benefit dinner and concert that evening. Patrick Landeza, a talented young musician, called on us to come to the stage, saying his mom used to dance with Betty Ann back in the day (okay, so it was fifty years ago!). And then, although he threatened to play Hanalei Moon 'really fast' he didn't. Thank goodness! He played it perfectly - and helped us dance the same way. (Watch the video below and see for yourself!)
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| Hula Mai table |
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| Clay, Linda, Mary |
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| Atwood Ranch |
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| Thanks with roses; Seven Flags |
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| Linda, Sandy |
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| Craig, John |
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| Lynda |
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| Nellie |
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| Faye |
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| Beth, Minta, Diane |
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| Julie and Cindy |
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| Betty Ann, Diane, Lynda |
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| Atwood Ranch guests |
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| Mabeth and Bill |
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| After Hula Mai performs a show we just may enjoy a pot-luck dinner at Craig and Betty Ann's. And after dinner there is always more music. This time the show was at Merrill Gardens and the after dinner music was a banjo jam with Linda and Clay!!
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| On a recent warm evening hula dancers Liz, Minta, Betty Ann, and Beth
were dining al fresco at Wild Thyme in El Verano while Tommy Thomsen and
Ken Emerson played traditional Hawaiian slack key. Tommy asked that
they join in by dancing "Hanalei Moon."
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Several Hula Mai Sisters made the pilgrimage to the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in Hilo this year. They stayed in Volcano in a forested Japanese style B&B. They had a wonderful time and enjoyed watching the best hula dancers in the world.
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| Kathy, Minta, Betty Ann, Diane, Diane's sister Patrice, and Barbara |
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| The Hula Mai B&B in Volcano |
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| Hula in the morning |
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| Sightseeing in the afternoon |
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| Hula in the evening |
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| Too soon - back home |
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| Here are videos of two of the hulas the Hula Mai Sisters saw at the Merrie Monarch. The first is a kane kahiko and the second is a wahini awana. Yes, the Sisters arrived home ready to HULA MAI!!
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So ... what do we all do with our spare time? Go to hula shows, of course!!! Here are a few folks you'll recognize doing just that.
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| Beth |
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| Janie |
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| Diane and Mark |
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| Grant and Minta |
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| Liz and Linda |
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| Mary and Janie |
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| Grant, Linda and Betty Ann |
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| Baxter, Hula Mai-scot |
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| Daisy, Hula Kitty |
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