Last year was the first time we entered Ho'ike Hawai'i, a hula competition hosted in Orlando, Florida. We are proud to say we placed 1st or 2nd in six of the seven categories we entered! We showcased the presence of hula and Hawaiian culture as it thrives in Houston, Texas. You are welcome to see videos of last year's performances on our FB page: https://www.facebook.com/HoustonHula. (Please note that this year, we are under new leadership, so our name has changed, but the school remains the same.)

We are eager to return to the competition this year and reclaim our awards. We are entering this year with even more dancers because of the energy and momentum last year's success created. This year, we plan to enter into 7 categories across hula, tahitian dancing and Hawaiian chanting.

We began preparing for this year's competition shortly after returning from last year's competition because of the time needed to prepare for a competition of this stature. We have many hours of dance practice ahead of us, and even more time dedicated to creating our costumes and implements. We are also planning a variety of fundraisers - ranging from garage/yard sales to a major Hawaiian food fundraising event happening on March 29.

For all of our halau members, it is just as much about the journey as it is about the end goal. We are a vibrant community and school because each of us shares this passion for hula and the Hawaiian culture. Of course, for many of us, this activity is what we do in our spare time (as if there is such a thing!) - so we decided to apply for a grant from your Awesome Foundation because we believe that we add to the awesomeness that there is in Houston!