Kaha ha ʻlo me nā Makani

Kaha ha ʻlo me nā Makani. “The Hawk Soars with the Winds”. , Envisioned on a grand scale, these three awe-inspiring figures in bronze are dancing hula kahiko, the ancient style of Hawaiian dance. The two female dancers, spirits of the wind, represent the dance and chant of Hawaiian hula. Together they are the winds that uplift the mighty ’lo, the Hawaiian hawk, our central male dancer, who represents the spirit of Hawai‘i poised to take flight. These images pay tribute to the importance of dance, chant and song in the rebirth and growth of Hawaiian culture. Together they celebrate the power of the hula connecting us with the spirit of the land, the ‘Āina, that is our Hawaii. , Kū Makani , “Rising Wind”. Coiled to face the gusting wind, the dance in the ‘ai ha ‘a (bent knee) position is power and grace in motion. She steadies herself and squints into the wind defiantly instead of turning her face away, her pā‘u flying. , Kaha ka ‘lo , “The Hawk Soars”. The highest chiefs were often called ‘lo, hawk with eyes that can see everywhere on the land. The male dancer’s strong clean lines focus up toward the heavens, towards a future of great aspirations. Carried by the winds on either side of him, he soars ever higher. , Ka Leo o Haukani , “The Voice of the Wind”. The dancer, in hula noho (sitting) position, braces herself against a powerful wind, her hands moving as if to pull the wind over her. winds are seen as voices of the ancestors. Listen and they will speak to you. Hula noho is often done with the dancer chanting during the dance.