Hālau Makana Polynesian Cultural Arts Center, Inc.
a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation
Aloha & e komo mai to
Alameda's only Polynesian Cultural Arts Center
ISLAND HAWAIIAN STUDIOS
Island Hawaiian Studios, a place where the community can learn almost anything Polynesian—from music, to art, to dance. The Studio is a beautiful, light-filled space in Alameda. It is a place where our community gathers to share our mission of preserving the Hawaiian, Tahitian, and Maori cultures through dance, art and music, and to share these cultural art forms with anyone who has a desire to learn.
Hālau Makana is the only professional Polynesian Dance Company located in Alameda, California.
Every year we perform in numerous festivals in Alameda and the Bay Area, as well as for many local events, including corporate functions, cultural festivals and competitions, private parties, and community gatherings. September 2017 was our debut at the Hawai'i Kūpuna Hula Festival in Kona, Hawai'i.
We are proud to say that our bi-annual Ho'ike (recitals) and Hula Holidays Christmas Shows have all been sold out events for many years.
Students in our classes learn traditional dance, choreography, music, history, language, costuming, arts & crafts from Hawai'i, Tahiti and New Zealand. Our dancers and musicians are always invited, but never obligated, to participate in performances.
Home of Hālau Makana
Located: The Healing Garden, 1435 Webster Street - Alameda, CA
CULTURE KEEPERS:
HĀLAU MAKANA
Muralist, Joanna Ruckman
Medium: Photo-digital print, wheat paste, and acrylic paints
The mural documents and amplifies the incredibly important work of those who protect and propel traditional arts into the future. These “culture keepers” are at the forefront of contemporary innovation, as they embody and enliven their traditional art forms through dedication, creativity and personal vision. To be a “culture keeper” is an act of resistance in a world that continues to threaten the survival and wisdom of traditional art forms.
The mural, "Culture Keepers: Hālau Makana", illuminates a matrilineage of dancers including: Lillian Cid, Lani Cid-Iulio & Jade Makana Iulio, who runs the Hālau Makana Polynesian Cultural Arts Center in Alameda, CA. These three generations of Kumus teach traditions, rhythms and stories from times far before their ancestors used written language to record their histories. Hālau Makana’s mission is “preserving the Hawaiian, Tahitian, and Maori cultures through dance, art and music, and to share these cultural art forms with anyone who has a desire to learn.”