Uncle george naope biography of donald
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When we [Hawaiians] became part of America most of our people forgot our ancient dances.
NEA: I understand you began teaching at age 13. My students are all different races but when they dance, I know they're Hawaiian.”
(Excerpt from the March 1996 Hula Mae'ole Seminar Brochure)
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George Na‘ope
Born in Kalihi, Hawaiʻi in 1928 and raised in Hilo, George Lanakilakeikiahialiʻi Naʻope was a foundational figure in the perpetuation, visibility, and celebration of Hawaiian culture.
NA'OPE: Well, there were those movies like “Blue Hawaii”, the Dorothy Lamour hula pictures, and all the other Hollywood hula movies. They're adding to it. Over subsequent years, he studied under many notable teachers, including Tom Hiona, with whom he would ‘uniki (graduate) as a kumu hula.
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George "Uncle George" Louis Lanakilakeikiahiali'i Na'ope
February 25, 1928 - October 26, 2009
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MR. When he moved to O'ahu, he studied for ten years with Joseph Ilala'ole. If you love your culture you will teach tradition and the love of the hula.
They should leave it as our forefathers left it to us and we should continue to keep it that way.
In the ancient hula and in all of our chants are the history of Hawaii. I really started enjoying it when I was about 15 years old. Was that challenging to be so young and to be a teacher?
MR.
MR. In 1978, he would ‘uniki his own group of kumu hula, which includes such people as Rae Kahikilaulani Fonseca.
It was forbidden. Many of the chants are not in books -- they were handed down from generation to generation. There was nothing here in Hilo, so I decided to honor Kalakaua and have a festival with just hula. He has judged hula competitions worldwide. I finally got them interested in the ancient dances.
NEA: Do children learn hula in the schools nowadays?
You can put 100 dancers together all dancing the same dance and everyone is dancing differently because that's their interpretation.
We must remember who we are and that our culture must survive in this modern world. Now all of the schools have Hawaiian classes.
NEA: What is the main message that you think that the hula and the chanting is conveying?