Oom Mow Mow

The art form of the hula is surprisingly complex-and goes beyond that little plastic wahine with the swoopy hips and shiny grass skirt sitting on your car dashboard. It's a dance form that dramatizes the mele, a chant or song that is paired with the dance. The movements depict aspects of nature, while the chants helped to pass on the oral history of Hawaii during a time that lacked a written language. Halau Hula Lani Ola translates to the Hula School of Heavenly Life, and this is their 10th-anniversary performance. There will be plenty of live music and vendor shopping in addition to the many dance performances that are as beautiful as the land they come from. The preservation of traditional Hawaiian culture has increasingly become a vital issue for the Pacific isle. Thankfully, mindful younger generations and institutions such as Halau Hula Lani Ola are helping to achieve that objective-even for displaced islanders or the Hawaiian at heart here in Orange County.
Sat., May 31, 4 p.m., 2008