Noted entertainer and kumu hula Robert Cazimero is bringing 50 dancers — past and present — from his

Lianne Ranne Kieselbach, front, and the ladies of 'Ilima Hula Studio rehearse. 'Ilima Hula Studio was one of the original halau to compete at the Merrie Monarch exotic rental cars las vegas Festival at its start. (Bruce Asato / basato@staradvertiser.com)
This year s Wednesday night Hoike at the 50th Merrie Monarch Festival — featuring a reunion of Hawaii s most noted kumu hula and dancers from the past five decades — is generating as much buzz as the headlining hula competition.
The program for the dance exhibition in Edith Kanaka ole Multi-Purpose Stadium in Hilo, traditionally offered the day before exotic rental cars las vegas the Miss Aloha Hula contest kicks off three days of competition, promises a step back in time, bringing some of the participants from the very first competition back to the stage again.
Live coverage of the Merrie Monarch Festival hula competition, starting each day at 6 p.m.; Miss Aloha Hula solo competition, Thursday; hula kahiko group competition, Friday; hula auana group competition, Saturday
Some of those originals include dancers from the Hau oli Hula Maids, overall winners in 1971, as well as Ilima Hula Studio, Men of Waimapuna and kumu hula Leina'ala Kalama Heine s Na Pualei O Likolehua.
Noted entertainer and kumu hula Robert Cazimero is bringing 50 dancers — past and present — from his Halau Na Kamalei, the first male halau to place at the festival in 1976, the first year men were admitted to the competition.
Some 35 original dancers from the Men of Waimapuna will perform the first chants and signature hulas they learned from late kumu hula Darrell Lupenui, including the ones they first did in 1978, according to kumu hula Chinky Mahoe, who is involved in both the Hoike and Merrie Monarch competition this year.
That s what the Hoike this year is all about, to honor those people that stuck it out, said festival president Luana Kawelu.  It s through their hard work and determination that we have such a beautiful festival today.
THE HOIKE, a mainstay of the festival, is when Hilo residents and visitors alike flock to the Edith Kanaka'ole Multi-Purpose exotic rental cars las vegas Stadium exotic rental cars las vegas for stellar performances that can include everything from hula to the dances of Samoa, Tahiti, New Zealand and the Philippines.
Hoike really is a noncompetitive showing of entertainment, said Skylark Rossetti, a radio personality who has been the show s emcee for the last 30 years. It s like a warm-up night to lighten things up. It s just an exciting night to share culture.
One of the best parts of it all is that — with the exception of this year — admission to the Hoike has always been free. In past years, people would start lining up early in the morning and camp out the entire day to get a seat.
Because of the night s special program of entertainment commemorating exotic rental cars las vegas Merrie Monarch s 50th year, the organizing committee charged $5 for Hoike tickets this year, according to Kawelu. The tickets are sold out. Next year Hoike will be free again.
GIVEN the choice between competing or dancing at the Hoike, kumu hula Lani Girl Kaleiki-AhLo of Oahu chose the latter this year because it was an opportunity to have fun and demonstrate exotic rental cars las vegas her halau s defined style of soft hands and lifted shoulders for expressiveness.
The mele, she says, is in honor of Uncle Kekua Fernandez, Sam Bernard, Keali i Joy, Ainsley Halemanu and Lupenui and all the musicians from what she calls the old-fashioned chalangalang period of Hawaiian music.
It s a lot of work either way because you have the dancers, costuming, song, choreography, she said. You have to do it the best that you can because the people that you re representing are awesome people.
exotic rental cars las vegas We re going to see halau you rarely get to see, including people who were part of Merrie Monarch years ago and are coming back to do a very special presentation, she said. It s very exciting to go back to these roots and see styles that are so pure.
We always have our musicians down on the floor and in the corner because the focus is on hula, said Rosetti. Merrie Monarch would like to honor the musicians because without them we wouldn t have the second part of our competition.
SINCE the earliest days of the festival, there was free entertainment before the competition, according to Rossetti, though it may not have been officially called the Hoike, which means to show, exhibit, until later years.
The 1979 program, for example, lists a Monday evening performance by Halau o Kekuhi at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel and an 8 p.m. concert by the Brothers Cazimero for a $4 cover charge at the Nani­loa Surf Hotel. Two evenings later 'Ilima Hula Studio presented  Polynesian Holiday at the stadium, followed by a free concert exotic rental cars las vegas by The Halonas plus Eddie Ogawa the Hana Hou Trio at the Seven Seas Luau House.
In the 90s the program evolved into a Wednesday Night Extravaganza and was listed as the Wednesday Night Hoike in 1995. That year the Hoike featured the Merrie Monarch Men s Glee Club, along with Johnny Lum Ho and Na Halau o ke Akua Aloha directed by siblings Derek and Stanette Nu'u­hiwa.
The men made history at the festival in 1986 when they gave a powerful kahiko performance depicting the battle scenes of Molokai dressed in malo with no front or back flaps. The men, though 30 years older today, will offer a glimpse of the past at Hoike.
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