Mike Foley's blog
The Kamaluwehiokapalai halau hula from Japan
Story and photos by Mike Foley
[First published in the Polynesian Cultural Center blog, February 2017]
As it has for the past several years, the Polynesian Cultural Center hosted its annual Moanikeala Hula Festival on February 4, 2017, in a perfect setting — under the monkeypod tree in the Hawaiian Village. [Read more…]
[Story and photos by Mike Foley: Originally published in the BYU–Hawaii electronic “newsroom” on 27 February 2009]
Cy M. Bridges [pictured at right], Theater Director for the Polynesian Cultural Center and a noted Hawaiian cultural expert, shared his love, passion and expertise on historical and genealogical aspects of modern hula with Brigham Young University Hawaii students during the February 25, 2009, Honors Program colloquium in McKay 101.
“The hula was really our hard drive — our textbook,” said Bridges, who in addition to his work at the PCC is an entertainer, musician, genealogist, kumu hula or master, and periodic judge for the well-known Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in Hilo. “Everything was committed to memory, because there was no written language; so we chanted, sang and danced about our lives.”
[Story and photo by Mike Foley, originally published online in the BYU-Hawaii Newsroom, October 1, 2002] A prominent sports marketing and event management businessman took time on October 1st from a nearby professional golf tournament to advise BYU-Hawaii School of Business students on practical aspects of entrepreneurship. John Korff [pictured at right], President of Korff […]
[Reprinted from a press release I wrote on May 12, 2010] LAIE, Hawaii — The Most Reverend Clarence “Larry” Silva, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, presented the Polynesian Cultural Center and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hawaii with a special Certificate of Appreciation on May 7, 2010, “in […]
For the past 20 years the Polynesian Cultural Center has put on an annual “We Are Samoa” traditional arts and skills festival for high school students across Oahu. Here are some of my selected images from the May 11, 2013, festival:
Story and photos by Mike Foley (July 2010) LAIE, Hawaii — Cast and crewmembers of the 1969 Latter-day Saint film Johnny Lingo reunited on July 29, 2010, in the BYU–Hawaii Cannon Activities Center to celebrate the cinematic Polynesian fable’s perennial popularity over the past 40 years and also to hear from two of its main […]
