A Honolulu-based dance theatre company that always serves up the brilliantly unexpected, and dear to many hearts here on Lanai. If you visit their web site, you’ll immediately recognize the two dancers who entertained us in the Great Hall in the final year of the Art & Story project; they performed a dance based on a traditional Chinese fable that featured a little red monkey and 10-foot tall man who danced the entire performance on stilts, both in stunning masks. The tiny, graceful dancer in the red velvet monkey suit was Monkey Waterfall's principal, Yukie Shiroma, who was the dance movement coach for all 5 years of Art & Story. Along with storyteller Nyla Fuji-Babb, who anchored the March 5 performance at the Lodge, they inspired over 100 young Lanai students and our capacity audience of over 200 saw why, and were touched and inspired themselves.
On Saturday, they delighted and awed the standing-room only crowd in the lovely Great Hall at Four Seasons Lodge at Koele. Their performance ranged among selections from the troupe's 20-year history, from smart and stylish excerpts from The Celebrity Project to their lovely and moving signature piece, Monkey and the Waterfall. Every piece featuring the striking masks of Michael Harada and eye-grabbing costumes. As with all the UH Manoa shows, the event was free and open to all Lanai residents and Four Seasons guests. A bright, funny, exciting afternoon from a committed, professional and delightful group.
Click here to visit Monkey Waterfall's great website for touring information, background and more rich content. |
