Constance Hale - The Natives Are Restless (Corte Madera)

In conversation with Patrick Makuakāne

After a dramatic display of dances in the courtyard, and a stirring traditional Hawaiian chant, Constance will be in conversation with Kumu Hula Patrick Makuakāne about the book. Come early and enjoy a soundtrack that veers from soft slack-key to digital drum beats. Munch on macadamia nuts, and quaff mini Mai Tais as you watch dancing that will forever change your idea of the hula. Join a discussion of Hawaiian tradition and cultural innovation. Hula skirts and aloha attire are not required, but you are welcome to get out that Hawaiian shirt, or that vintage mu'umuu‘u, and even to wear flowers in your hair.

The first book of its kind to dig into the rich ethnic dance tradition of Hawaiian hula, The Natives Are Restless is a high-touch volume with stunning photography, archival material, and illustrations that will make hula come alive for any reader. 

The art of hula is thriving in cities all over the country and the world, but it is not always understood. Constance Hale presents the largely untold story of the dance tradition, using the twin keyholes of Kumu Patrick Makuakane (a Hawai‘i-born, San Francisco–based hula master), and his 350-person arts organization (Na Lei Hulu i ka Wekiu). In the background, she weaves the poignant story of an ancient people and the resilience of their culture. In the foreground, she tells the story of an electrifying new form of hula that has emerged from a restless generation of artists like Makuakane. The crisp narrative is complemented by full-color photographs and illustrations. Her love for hula, and her history with the dance, inform Hale’s prose on every level. She makes Makuakane’s exuberant, fierce, sensuous dance style come alive on the page.

Constance Hale is a San Francisco–based journalist and the author of three books on language and literary style, including Sin and Syntax. She has been called “Marion the Librarian on a Harley, or E. B. White on acid.” Her profiles, essays, and articles have appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, Afar, and Honolulu.

Location: 

51 Tamal Vista Blvd
Corte Madera, CA 94925
The Natives Are Restless: A San Francisco Dance Master Takes Hula Into the Twenty-First Century By Constance Hale Cover Image
$40.00
ISBN: 9781943006069
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Sparkpress - October 11th, 2016