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Photos by Michael Darden | www.DardenPhotos.com | Special to Hawaii 24/7

The 5th Annual Moku O Keawe International Festival’s hula competition concluded Saturday November 5, when First Place Wahine Hula and First Place Pakahi (Soloist) were awarded to Hula Hālau O Leilani, Kumu Hula Mihoko Ogawa, from Kanagawa, Japan.

The winning hālau received a spectacular sterling silver and ‘ōhi‘a wood trophy created by Tiffany & Co., with Moku O Foundation’s “Pu‘u Lehua” logo designed by Sig Zane. The perpetual trophy will be held by the winner through the year and returned for the 2011 presentation. Solo winners received a Moku O Keawe signature bracelet in the same design.

On Friday, Hau‘oli’s Masako Aketa’s Hula Studio won first place in Kupuna Hula and Pakahi competitions. A total of 15 hālau from Hawai‘i and Japan participated in the competition. Groups and soloists were evaluated by judges Nālani Kanaka‘ole, Howard A‘i, Uluwehi Guerrero and Kaleo Trinidad, for expertise in the areas of Ka‘i (entrance chant), Interpretation, Expression Posture Precision, Hand Gestures, Feet and Body movements, Ho‘i (exit chant), Costumes, Adornments, Grooming and Overall Performance.

Event sponsors include Waikoloa Beach Resort, Louis Vuitton, Big Island Candies, Big Island Visitors Bureau, Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Native Arts & Cultures Foundation, Resort Quest Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Hilton Grand Vacations Club, Waimea Music Company, Bausch & Lomb, KAPA, Creative Arts, Shiono Sushi, Hawaii Tourism Authority, County of Hawaii, Kintetsu International Hawaii.

The Moku O Keawe International Festival is an annual celebration of the rich Hawaiian culture, produced by the Moku O Keawe Foundation, a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to enhancing, enriching and educating the practice and development of hula and its associated arts to build, strengthen and inspire the living cultural traditions of Hawai‘i. For more information, visit www.MOKIF.com

2010 Moku O Keawe International Festival Winners

Kupuna Pakahi (Soloist) Winners
3rd Place: Ke Ola Pono No Na Kupuna, Kumu Hula Rayce Bento
2nd Place: Kyushu Hawaiian Association, Kumu Hula Keiki Ito
1st Place: Hau’oli’s Masako Aketa’s Hula Studio, Kumu Hula Masako Aketa

Kupuna Hālau Winners
3rd Place: Hālau Keali‘i O Nālani, Kumu Hula Keali‘i Ceballos
2nd Place: Hālau Kealakapawa, Kumu Hula Michael Canopin
1st Place: Hau’oli’s Masako Aketa’s Hula Studio, Kumu Hula Masako Aketa

Wahine Pakahi (Soloists)
3rd Place: Kukui Mālamalama O Kona, Kumu Hula Bula Ka‘iliwai
2nd Place: Hau‘oli’s Masako Aketa’s Hula Studio, Kumu Hula Masako Aketa
1st Place: Hula Hālau O Leilani, Kumu Hula Mihoko Ogawa

Wahine Hālau
3rd Place: Hālau Kealakapawa, Kumu Hula Michael Canopin
2nd Place: Beamer-Solomon Hālau O Po‘ohala, Kumu Hula Hulali Covington
1st Place: Hula Hālau O Leilani, Kumu Hula Mihoko Ogawa