Aloha Allure

My Yellow Ginger Lei - Through the Decades The classic hapa haole song, "My Yellow Ginger Lei" was written by John Keawehawaii and copyrighted by him on January 29, 1948. John Kameaaloha Almeida oversaw the 1st recording of the song on the 49th State Record label in 1948, and apparently contributed the Hawaiian language introduction verse. Almeida voiced the intro himself on the recording, while Keawehawaii sang the now familiar melody line in English and falsetto. It subsequently became a favorite for falsetto and hula. (Karen Keawehawaii is John Keawehawaii's daughter.) Follow along through the decades as the song evolves: [(1948) John Keawehawaii & John Almeida, (1949) Joe Keawe, (1962) Charles Kaipo Miller, and (1998) Dennis Pavao.] Here is a beautiful contemporary version of  My Yellow Ginger Lei- Dennis Pavao

Beautiful "Pua Carnation" by Charles E King 1906 tells the story of a man searching all the islands for his love that has left him, hoping to find her through her scent that is as sweet as the beautifully fragrant carnation. Oh, thou fairest of all flowers Sweet carnation I adore thee Far from me thou art being borne, my love By the soft and gentle zephyrs Love for you is here with me Filling my heart with pain When you remember our love Come back to be with me

Honolulu  is an American  musical film  that was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1939 In this film clip staring  Eleanor Powell, her so-star  Gracie Allen is singing "Honolulu" 

Aloha isn't just a warm greeting; it also means love. The word features heavily in traditional Hawaiian wedding vows, as the bride and groom vow to expand their aloha through the rest of their lives together Flowers The traditional Hawaiian flower lei, signifies love and respect. They are worn by the bride and groom as well as members of the wedding party. Usually there is a lei exchange between bride and groom at the beginning of the ceremony, along with an explanation of its significance. Like a wedding ring, the lei is an unbroken circle that represents your eternal commitment and devotion to one another. The beauty of each individual flower is not lost when it becomes a part of the lei, but is enhanced because of the strength of its bond. Additionally, the bride often wears a garland of flowers in her hair, rather than a veil. Attire In traditional Hawaiian weddings, both the bride and groom wear all white, and the groom wears a colored sash ar

The  Raffia palms  ( Raphia ) are a  genus  of twenty species of  palms  native to tropical regions of  Africa , especially Madagascar , with one species ( R. taedigera ) also occurring in  Central  and  South America . They grow up to 16 m tall and are remarkable for their compound pinnate  leaves , the longest in the plant kingdom; leaves of  R. regalis  up to 25.11 m long [1]  and 3 m wide are known. The plants are either  monocarpic , flowering once and then dying after the seeds are mature, or  hapaxanthic , with individual stems dying after fruiting but the root system remaining alive and sending up new stems. Raffia fibres have many uses, especially in the area of  textiles  and in construction. In their local environments, they are used for ropes, sticks and supporting beams, and various roof coverings are made out of its fibrous branches and leaves. The membrane on the underside of each individual frond leaf is taken off to create a long thin fibre which can be dyed and

A tanoa fai‘ava (kava bowl) is used in the preparation of a drink made by mixing powdered roots of the kava (‘ava) plant with water. The oldest Samoan tanoa fai‘ava had four legs and a flat rim, features that distinguished them from their Fijian and Tongan counterparts. Eventually the four legs were replaced by many legs, either round or square and usually set close together. In the late 1920s, Samoans considered this style very modern, and they made bowls with many legs for tourists, charging by the leg! Over time these bowls became the standard style, both for local use and for sale to visitors. “Since the tānoa is round and its legs represent the ancestors or noble families of Samoa, it can be seen as a visible symbol of community for Samoans, both those living in the islands and those of us who live in the United States.” —Veronica Leasiolagi Barber The tānoa (TAH-noh-ah) or ‘ava (AH-vah) bowl, is a round wooden bowl that is at the center of the Samoan ‘ava [kav

One of my all time favorite medley arrangements of an infamous Hawaiian favorite "Pearly Shells" by the Brothers Cazimero. Enjoy the music! The music inspired this beach y fashion 

Kahiko is the most ancient form of hula and it is never performed with a grass skirt nor accompanied by a ukulele and steel guitar. It is, rather, a solemn Hula with sacred ties and strong purpose.   Kahiko   Hula is danced to the chanting of the Kumu Hula or Hula Master Teacher. Today, this ancient form of hula is still being performed and it is the pride and favorite of the Hawaiian people. Although the chants are called “oli” when they are added to song they are called “mele” making it a poetic song that beckons the listener to pay attention. The common reference to this form of hula is “Mele Hula”   meaning   “song dance” or “Kahiko” but the correct reference is “Hula   Kahiko .” One of the best venues to see Hula  Kahiko  performed is during the Merrie Monarch Festival held each year in Hilo, Hawaii for an entire week. In many ways the Merrie Monarch Festival is a symbol of survival for the Hawaiian people and a beloved example of the rich culture by all inhabitants of the

You're never too old to start an exercise program. Aloha Allure Dance Fitness is not like regular exercise programs - we add some island flair to it. It's not too late to sign up. Classes are on going. Click here to see schedule

The Rascals  (initially known as  The Young Rascals ) were an American blue-eyed soul group   initially active during the years 1965–72. The band released numerous top ten singles in North America during the mid- and late-1960s, including the #1 hits " Good Lovin' " (1966), " Groovin' " (1967), and " People Got to Be Free " (1968), as well as " A Beautiful Morning " (#3 1968) and the lesser-known " A Girl Like You ".  The band was inducted into the  Rock and Roll Hall of Fame  in 1997,  and inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2010. They reunited in 2012 for a series of shows in New York and New Jersey. 1968's  Once Upon A Dream  was the first Rascals album designed from conception as an album, rather than as a vehicle to package their singles. T he album's song "My Hawaii" became a top of the charts hit in Hawaii. The lyrics are beautiful: My Hawaii  (by Felix Cavaliere and Edward Brigati Jr.)

The word  sasa  literally means 'to strike'. The dance was originally village activities that soon became one of Samoa's most interesting dances. It was performed by whole villages in order to give a perfect effect to the viewers. The more performers, the more the dance became effective, it became a form of entertainment for the Samoan Royal Family and other royal dignitaries that visited the islands. The Sasa requires synchronization and a lot of energy. Generally the  sasa  is performed by a large group of people, it is normally performed sitting down, but there are parts of the dance which require the group to stand up. The movements depict everyday life, from the movement of fish in the water, to the flying birds in the sky, from cooking the umu to cleaning the house, and even a form of voyaging, where the group move into the form of a large canoe, having the arms on the outside mimic the movement of paddles in the water. The particular Sasa you are about to wat

Proprioception (pro-pree-o-sep-sh?n) is the body's ability to realize its place in space. If a dancer or athelete is moving into a position that could sprain his or her ankle, increased proprioception can decrease the risk by alerting the athlete to the danger. Proprioception can also improve a dancers performance. A dancer with superior balance and awareness will be able to control his or her body more effectively. Proprioceptive training is done with balance exercises. In our Wednesday's Aloha Allure Hula fitness training we spend  quite a bit of time on balance exercises. We are strengthening the ankles without even thinking about it. A very important part of being able to be flexible and balanced....healthy strong ankles help not only your ankles, but improves movement in your knees and hips as well...Who would have "THUNK" it?  :) Here are a few exercises you  can do at home every day to increase your body's proprioception. Balance Training 

Honolulu City Lights by alohaallure featuring a red dress Red dress timelessvixen.com Oasis wrap coat $110 - oasis-stores.com Giuseppe Zanotti platform pumps thecorner.com French Connection sequin handbag $88 - asos.com Accessorize leaf ring accessorize.com UNEARTHED black jewelry etsy.com Adami & Martucci disc earrings saksfifthavenue.com

Often referred to as the candlenut tree, the fruit of this tree, the Kukui Nut, is a multi-facited  creation of nature. Kukui nut oil contains very high levels of the essential fatty acids linoleic and alpha-linolenic. Kukui nut oil is readily absorbed by the skin providing tissues with essential elements that provides effective relief for the symptoms of eczema, psoriasis, dry skin and acne. There are no proven cures for eczema and psoriasis. The outer part of the fruit is a hard green covering about 1/4 inch thick when immature and as it matures it turns a dark grayish-black and softens. This portion of the fruit decays rapidly after it falls to the ground. Enclosed within are one or two hard, stone like, wrinkled nuts. When young the shell of the nut is whitish, but as it matures it turns brown, then black. The oil has a shelf life of 12-14 months, and should not be exposed to heat. Popular uses of kukui nut oil: Hair and scalp conditioner; bath oil Relief for sunb

Sarongs have many names, "malo" is the Hawaiian name, worn by men, "pareau"  in Tahiti and "lava-lava" in Samoa, in Fiji it is called a "sulu" , and in East Africa it's called a "kanga" . We call them sarongs because it's the most popular name today for this versatile garment. Sarong measures approximately 66 x 44 inches (168 cm x 112 cm)  There are several ways to wear it. It's not only used while you do a beautiful hula or shake things up with some Tahitian....it's common place to wear them even if you don't dance Polynesian as a swimsuit cover-up, wrap around a pair of leggings or as a dress! The following video will show you numerous ways to tie your sarong Whether you're walking on the beach, doing an impromptu hula dance or going shopping, this fashion collection get's you through it all. "The Coral Reef" Coral Reef by alohaallure featuring a leopard tote bag Chi