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This event took place on March 18, 2025.

Wahine Advanced Class: Te Hau Nui School of Hula and Tahitian Dance

Name: Wahine Advanced Class: Te Hau Nui School of Hula and Tahitian Dance
Start: 2025-03-18T18:00:00-07:00
End: 2025-03-18T19:00:00-07:00
Location: The 418 Project (Lobby)

Advanced Wahine Hula & Tahitian Dance Choreography

Session Date & Time

Mar 18 2025 (Tuesday)

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Location

The 418 Project

In the: Lobby

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About This Event

The Wahine Advanced Class is Te Hau Nui’s intensive master-level class for experienced adult dancers dedicated to preserving, practicing, and performing authentic Polynesian dance traditions.

Founded in Santa Cruz in 1997 by master teacher Kumu Lorraine Kalei Kinnamon (1957–2024) and carried forward with reverence by Charmaine Moniz, Te Hau Nui ("The Great Peace") honors the sacred genealogies of Hawaiian Hula and the exhilarating power of Tahitian 'Ori Tahiti.

Repertoire & Study:

Hula Kahiko (Ancient Hula): Sacred chants (oli) accompanied by traditional percussive implements (ipu heke, pahu, kāla‘au), focusing on ancestral deities, voyaging history, and island ecology.
Hula ‘Auana (Modern Hula): Flowing, melodic storytelling dances set to Hawaiian slack-key guitar, ‘ukulele, and vocal harmonies.
‘Ori Tahiti (‘Ote‘a & ‘Aparima): Rapid, syncopated drum dances requiring exceptional core and hip stamina, paired with lyrical, expressive ballad dances.
Performance Repertoire: Intensive rehearsal of full hālau suites for community festivals, cultural showcases, and seasonal presentations.

Class Details:

When: Tuesdays, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: The 418 Project Lobby Dance Floor (155 River St S, Santa Cruz, CA)
Who: Experienced wahine dancers by instructor placement or invitation.
What to Wear: Traditional practice pā‘ū skirt, pāreu, or hālau practice attire.

Visiting The 418 Project: What to Expect

House guidelines to ensure a welcoming, inclusive space for everyone

We are committed to a safe, welcoming environment where everyone is treated with cultural and personal respect across all backgrounds and identities. We hold the highest standards for consent—in movement, touch, and conversation. Always check in first, honor boundaries, and ensure that consent is clear, voluntary, and ongoing.

As a community-run non-profit collective with a small staff, we cannot clean everything after every event. Please help us care for the space by picking up after yourself, placing recycling and compost in the bins provided, and treating every room with kindness so it remains welcoming for the next gathering.

We have a filtered water bottle refill station on-site, so feel free to bring a refillable bottle. All restrooms are all-gender, ADA-accessible, and located conveniently on the ground floor.

To ensure everyone can breathe and move comfortably—especially community members with chemical sensitivities and asthma—The 418 Project is a low-fragrance space. Please refrain from applying perfumes, scented colognes, or strongly scented lotions before attending.

As an artist-driven non-profit collective, we believe movement and art should be accessible to all regardless of financial circumstances. Many events feature sliding scale tickets, and we offer work-trade opportunities for community members who wish to volunteer in exchange for admission.

Explore volunteer & work-trade opportunities

Plan Your Visit

Venue & Accessibility

The 418 Project is located in downtown Santa Cruz. We are dedicated to creating an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming space for all dancers, artists, and community members.

Address: 155 S. River St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Accessibility: Ground floor entrances & all-gender accessible restrooms

Parking: On-street parking & nearby River Street public garage

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