Halau Wai Pu‘olena

Hawaiian Culture Classes

Teaching Objectives

Teaching Philosophy

Student Responsibilities

Kumu Kawena’s Teaching Commitment

Contact Kawena




Students will:

• Feel Kawena’s ea (breath, mana) and aloha (love) through his teaching.
• Gain a solid foundation in hula through Kawena’s insight into genuine Hawaiian history, beliefs and practices.
• Aspire to reflect Hawaiian values: ha`aha`a (humility), `olu`olu (kindness) and pono (harmony) towards all people.
• Enter a professional entertainment venue: performing hula, chant, and music.
• Have an enjoyable learning experience.

• Nurturing. Kawena is an experienced, effective, and authentic Hawaiian teacher. His teaching reflects and honors his teachers’ methodology by respecting and inspiring students to use strengths to grow in their understanding and skills in hula. Kawena guides his teaching with great aloha (compassion and love), and ahonui (patience).
• Modeling. Kawena truly believes in living the values that he wants his students to learn and reflect. Fundamental examples of Hawaiian values Kawena models in his halau (hula school) include aloha(compassion and love), malama (respect), lōkahi (unity), and pono (harmony)
• Sharing. Kawena desires to share his Hawaiian culture through teaching his students as much as possible. His lessons are rich with life anecdotes that are found in the authentic Hawaiian hula teachings he has experienced. For example, the idea of kahea (to call), and pane (to answer).
• Enjoying. Kawena embraces the Hawaiian approach to learning, that it should be fun and enjoyable experiences. Kawena has fun teaching and that translates to students having fun, too.

育成
カヴェナ・マンは経験と実力を兼ね備えた真のクムフラです。彼の師であるクムフラたちの教えを踏襲し、生徒がフラを学び、その理解を深める能力を培うことができるよう、ALOHA ・愛とAHONUI・忍耐を持って指導致します。

信条
クム・カヴェナは、生徒が学ぶべき信条を確固として掲げています。ALOHA・愛、MALAMA・尊敬、LOKAHI・統一、PONO・調和、この４つがハラウの基本理念となっております。

SHARING
クム・カヴェナは、自らが習得したハワイアン・カルチャーをできるだけ多くの生徒に伝えたいと強く希望しています。彼のレッスンには、真のフラを学んだ経験から見出した、人生の逸話(「呼びかけ・KAHEAと応え・PANE」といった)にあふれています。

ENJOYING
カヴェナのレッスンは「どんな事も楽しもう！」というハワイアンスピリットに貫かれています。「自らが楽しんで教える」というポジティブな取組がそのまま生徒の心に伝わってきます。

• “Nānā i ka maka (Watch with your eyes), Ho`olohe i ka peipeiao (Listen with your ears), and Hana ka lima (Do the work with your hands).” Following this familiar Hawaiian saying, the student is bound to succeed. Learning hula depends on the student’s ability to be observant, and attentive.
• `Oia`i`o (honesty, integrity). Students should demonstrate:

1. Regular attendance at practices and shows;
2. Fair and reasonable care (malama ) of the kumu hula and his `ohana;
3. Respecting the tuition payment due dates;
4. Harmonious (pono) relations with fellow hula students, halau, guests, and other people at all times, but especially while performing out in the community; and,
5. Students should refrain from teaching songs, and chants that were received from Kumu Kawena’s classes. Please ask Kumu Kawena for permission otherwise.

• `Ike aku (Recognize the source of knowledge). Kawena was fortunate to be a student of four renown Kumu Hula; Chinky Mahoe, Al Makahinu Barcarse, John Keola Lake, and Kawaikapu Hewett. Through this progression, Kumu Kawena maintained very close relations with all Kumu Hula, and he continues to honor them by drawing on their vast knowledge. If we are fortunate to have one of these teachers come and visit our halau , please help as one `ohana to care for them. They are the source of your knowledge, too.
• Ho‘oponopono (to realign, to make right and harmonious). Kawena encourages good communication between student and himself. Please ask him any questions concerning issues or problems that arise within halau or in classes. Kawena encourages malama pono (maintain harmony). Always work to maintain harmony with everyone whereby ho‘oponopono is not needed. Kawena, as the teacher, will have the final authority and responsibility for all decisions concerning the halau.

• Teach each haumana (student) the value of halau (school).
• Teach traditional hula kahiko (ancient hula) and auana (modern hula).

• Perpetuate teachings of former teachers with truth and integrity
• To establish strong foundation for haumana(students):

- Hula basics (foot movement);

- Hula origins ( how hula began)’

- Hula traditions & practices; and,

- Hula lineage (knowledge of those teachers that have come before Kawena’s teachers).

• To maintain teaching philosophy (see above).
• To inspire students’ desire to learn.
• To provide an enjoyable experiential learning environment.