There is another side to the soft, swaying-hips hula that many people think of when you hear the words, "hula dancer". It's the men of hula who tell their story - of strength, power, nature, battles, and love - who overcome stereotypes and distractions to dedicate themselves to the artform and who I find so very amazing. Sexy? You bet!
In Lisette Marie Flanary's documentary, Na Kamalei - The Men of Hula, we see the story of Hawaii’s oldest all-male hula group celebrating 30 years of renegade Robert Cazimero's unusual teaching style and performance at the Superbowl of hula, the annual Merrie Monarch Festival. "I'm doing this for your self-fucking-esteem!" he shouts when his men fall out of line. These aren't a bunch of sissy dancers. No way - these are "men's men" - barrel chested surfers, rugged firefighers, and gray-haired fathers who have a strong passion to celebrate their Hawaiian heritage and share it's resurgence in the art form of hula. It's a fascinating story of reclaiming masculinity and it's a powerful one to watch develop. There are tears and hugs and swearing and it all fits in perfectly with who Robert is as a Kumu and who all the men are who perform with him. My halau Kaleinani o ke Kukui has put on annual workshops with both Robert and Kaliko Chang, one of the dancers featured. We are so proud to see men's hula not only continue through Robert's talents, but flourish absolutely.
Watch the video of their powerful kahiko HERE to get what we locals call "chicken skin". It's a long video for those new to hula, but make sure you at least watch the opening and then last minute and a half.