At this year\u2019s Merrie Monarch Festival, Nani\u2019s current halau<\/i>, Manaola \u2014 formed in 2016 and named after her son \u2014 will be performing what for them will be a more modern story. It is based on the legacy of Queen Kapi\u2018olani (1834 \u2013 1899) who was known for her philanthropy and deep commitment to the health, education, and well-being of the Hawaiian people in a time when huge social and cultural changes were sweeping over the islands.
\n \u201cWe go to Merrie Monarch to tell stories that have never been told before,\u201d Nani says. \u201cThis year we will be telling the story of Kapi\u2018olani\u2019s e orts to bring forth and preserve the Hawaiian race.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though the tale may be more modern than ancient, the ties to the past remains the same. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe message is that we are connected to our ku\u0304puna<\/i> through time and space,\u201d Nani says. \u201cThey were a special people and as dancers we must nd that connection.\u201d <\/p>\n
For Nani and the Lim family, the past is a family thing. Descendants of Alapa\u2018inui \u2014 one of the ruling chiefs of Hawai`i Island in the 1750s and uncle to Kamehameha the Great \u2014 both her father and her mother were talented musicians who would play music to entertain the family in their remote Parker Ranch home. They would also often perform at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, and as soon as they were old enough, their kids, including Sonny, Lorna, and Nani, began performing with them. <\/p>\n
Nowadays, a third generation of the Lim- Yap family is coming of age and, following in the tradition of their forbearers, telling the sacred stories of their ancient people. Just as it should be.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1670,"template":"","edition":[63],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n