Friday evening, with the sun shining low through the trees, the fourth annual Hula Mai hit the stage at Grinstead Amphitheater.
With a quorum of the City Council sitting in the front row, the program was a bit more special this night: The Hula Mai was performing with a special Proclamation from the City of Sonoma, honoring this yearly event passed back in February celebrating this June 14 as Hula Mai Day.
People must have been in the mood to hula, because it was a full house for the Ho'Ike, a presentation of music, hula dance, and aloha spirit that is Hula Mai's gift to the people of Sonoma.
The name, Hula Mai, is a verbal beckoning, an invitation to come and dance. Hula Mai offers classes in the hula at Vintage House in Sonoma, California, taught by Betty Ann Ka'ihilani Bruno.
Bruno -- Betty Ann seems more appropriate -- is Hawaiian-born, but has lived out her hula career (and a couple others besides) in California. She teaches hula for all levels, and all ages, and the most graceful become part of the yearly Ho'ike. See this earlier article on Patch for more.
Here are a few photographs from the first half of last night's show, the traditional (Kahiko) forms of hula.
