The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s Department of and will debut from April 17–26, a large-scale Balinese shadow puppetry performance that blends tradition with innovation. The show features towering shadow figures, live actors and dancers, and a full gamelan orchestra, an Indonesian ensemble known for its layered, rhythmic sound.

At the center is a love story that has traveled across centuries. The Panji tales, rooted in 13th-century Java and later embraced in Bali, follow a prince and princess separated again and again by misfortune and disguise. Their journey unfolds through “electric shadows,” a modern Balinese style that uses giant screens, dramatic lighting and performers moving both in front of and behind the stage.

“Everything you see on the screen is created live, in the moment,” said co-director Kirstin Pauka, a professor in theatre and dance. “This type of theatre is as complex as shooting a movie, and we do it all in one take.”

The production is co-directed by Balinese master artist I Madé Moja, who returns to Kennedy Theatre after staging two earlier works. The team leans fully into handmade design. No digital projections. No computer effects. Instead, simple materials are transformed into moving shadows, music and motion.

“The level of teamwork required goes far beyond most theatre productions,” Pauka said.

That collaboration stretches across campus and community. The cast includes UH ����ԴDz� students, local performers, and keiki learning the art form. The live music is led by master musician I Madé Widana.

Ticket information

. Performances are scheduled for Friday and Saturday evenings, with a Sunday matinee on April 26. Pre-show talks will be held before select performances.

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Graduate and advanced undergraduate students from across the University of �鶹��ý System and around the world gathered February 12–15, for the (IGSC) at the East-West Center, marking a milestone year for the long-running, student-led event.

Organized entirely by a graduate student team and supported by the , the 2026 conference centered on the theme, “Legacies Through Time: Rethinking the Past, Confronting the Present, Shaping the Future.” Over three days, approximately 140 participants representing more than 25 countries and regions across North America, the Asia-Pacific and Europe, representing more than 65 institutions, transformed the �鶹��ý Imin International Conference Center into a hub of interdisciplinary exchange.

“Planning this conference reminded us that scholarship is not just about individual achievement—it’s about building relationships and creating spaces where emerging scholars feel seen, challenged and supported,” said Xiaoyun Neo, a master’s student in at UH Mānoa and one of the conference’s organizers. “Watching students step into that space with confidence and generosity was the most rewarding part of this milestone year.”

Neo added, “I also echo the sentiment expressed by IGSC co-chairs Tiến Nguyễn Minh (MA, ) and Oliver Lilford (MA, ) that as scholars, artists and practitioners, we do not simply inherit legacies—we negotiate, challenge and reshape them in the present, using them to reinterpret the past or set the course for different, more hopeful futures.”

Nearly 30 themed panels—including paper presentations, poster sessions, a roundtable discussion and an evening session featuring creative projects and films—highlighted the depth and diversity of student scholarship. Topics ranged from intergenerational memory and language preservation to environmental change and artistic expression, reflecting how legacies shape identities, institutions and futures.

For many presenters, the conference offered a first opportunity to share research in a supportive, peer-centered environment. Graduate student moderators guided discussions, facilitated questions and fostered dialogue across disciplines, creating space for feedback and collaborations.

“Besides the intensive three-day conference, this year’s IGSC also curated pre- and post-conference activities supported by our incredible partners and sponsors,” said Minh. “Our participants enjoyed a field trip to the Mānoa Heritage Center; a tour at the East-West Center Art Gallery; a keynote address in honor of the 25th IGSC by renowned scholar, also an alumna of UH Mānoa, Dr. Katerina Teaiwa, sponsored by the Asian American-Pacific Islander, Environmental Humanities and Environmental Justice Initiative; and a play about Joseph Kekuku and his steel guitar invention at the Honolulu Theatre for Youth. These activities not only fostered connections between our participants with local institutions, they also provided opportunities for us to introduce �鶹��ý’s own legacies through diverse and interactive approaches.”

Launched in 2002, the International Graduate Student Conference continues to serve as a meeting place for emerging scholars to test ideas, build networks and experience academic exchange beyond the classroom.

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� has recognized 20 degree programs for exemplary commitment to improving curriculum and student learning through a new faculty-led honor launched this academic year.

The Excellence in Assessment for Improvement: Hōpoe Assessment Award celebrates programs that demonstrate outstanding, collaborative assessment practices. “Hōpoe” describes the ʻōhiʻa lehua in its fullest, most vibrant bloom—a symbol of programs that have matured and flourished. The award was established in 2025 by the ����ԴDz� Faculty Senate’s Committee on Educational Effectiveness (CEE).

“This award represents the maturity and beauty of programs that have truly blossomed through meaningful assessment,” said Justin Walguarnery, CEE committee chair. “It is a ‘for faculty, by faculty’ initiative that celebrates the hard work of using assessment to make an appreciable difference in the academic experience.”

The inaugural recipients include programs in:

• Anthropology (MA and PhD)
• Asian International Affairs (MA)
• Cinematic Arts (BA)
• Early Childhood Education (MEd)
• Education (PhD)
• Education: Teaching (MEdT)
• Educational Admin (MEd)
• Educational Psychology (MEd and PhD)
• Elementary Education (BEd)
• Library & Information Sciences (MLISC)
• Professional Educational Practice (EdD)
• Secondary Education (BEd)
• Social Work (BSW)
• Sociology (MA)
• Special Education (BEd and MEd)
• Theatre and Dance (BA and BFA)

Faculty-driven review process

Recipients were selected through a rigorous peer-review process led by the Assessment Report Review Committee (ARRC), a group of about 40 faculty members trained jointly by CEE and the UH Assessment and Curriculum Support Center (ACSC). Organizers describe the award as a fully faculty-owned effort that highlights collaboration and shared accountability.

This award represents the maturity and beauty of programs that have truly blossomed through meaningful assessment.
—Justin Walguarney

All UH ����ԴDz� degree programs submit biennial assessment reports outlining student learning outcomes, curriculum development and benchmarks for achievement. These reports are required for accreditation and are publicly available on the ACSC website. From more than 200 undergraduate and graduate programs, 20 were recognized in the award’s inaugural year.

Beginning in fall 2026, every degree program will have the opportunity to self-evaluate using the award criteria, including student learning outcomes, curriculum mapping, evidence of learning, fair and reliable evaluation, use of results and culturally responsive assessment practices. Programs indicating “full bloom” will be automatically nominated for review.

By expanding both self- and peer-nomination pathways, organizers hope to spotlight the collaborative, reflective work strengthening education across campus.

CEE committee members that developed the award are Justin Walguarnery, Nicole Schlaack, Jamie Simpson Steele, Joseph Foukona, Alice Tse, Joanna Philippoff, Emile Loza de Siles, Dan Port, Maya Saffery, Jessica Gasiorek, Aimee Chung, Arby Barone, Ann Sakaguchi, Alohilani Okamura, Monica Esquivel and Yao Hill.

Voices, movement and moments of reflection filled at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� in early February as , a biennial conference brought together scholars, artists and community members for two days of exchange. Hosted by the (ANNO), the conference explored how Indigenous performance sustains knowledge, language and relationships across generations.

The second biennial conference featured panels, workshops and special events that emphasized learning through practice.

Participants took part in everything from hula workshops led by UH ����ԴDz� instructor and Kumu Hula Tracie Kaʻōnohilani Farias Lopes to kapa making, puppet making, carving and a movement-based session by Sami L.A. Akuna that invited reflection on storytelling and the body.

“We hope that the conference delegates engaged in the many offerings of the two-day event and see the importance of Indigenous performance as a site of knowledge production, cultural preservation, and collective imagination,” said Tammy Hailiʻōpua Baker, who co-founded ANNO and is a director of UH ����ԴDz�’s award-winning .

One panel, Aloha ʻĀina Embodied: The Praxis of ʻAha, was conducted entirely in ʻōlelo �鶹��ý. The session featured several kumu, including Kaliko Baker, an associate professor at ; Kaipu Keala, an assistant professor at , Kaulu Luuwai, an attorney with at William S. Richardson School of Law, and Snowbird Bento, kumu hula of Ka Pā Hula O Ka Lei Lehua.

Panelists discussed how is expressed through performance and community practice, reflecting on the ways language and movement inform artistic and community-based work.

Celebration and story

The conference concluded with a hoʻolauleʻa, a celebration that combined conversation and creative sharing. Events included a film screening of , directed by Lisette Flanary, professor at UH ����ԴDz� and a preview of a new hana keaka (theatre work) by UH ����ԴDz� Hawaiian theatre graduate student Ikaika Mendez. The production, Lele Wale, reflects on community rebuilding after the Lahaina wildfires, honoring those who were lost, those who survived, and those continuing the work of rebuilding on Maui. Performances run March 4–8 at the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre at Kennedy Theatre.

• Related UH News story: Lahaina’s story lives in new hana keaka production, February 5, 2026

Established in 2022 through the UH ����ԴDz� Provost’s Strategic Investment Initiative, ANNO advances Hawaiian and Indigenous performance through scholarship, curriculum and outreach, supporting ongoing research and creative practice at UH ����ԴDz�.

The University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz� will debut , a new hana keaka (Hawaiian theatre work) that takes audiences on a journey of community rebuilding in the wake of the Lahaina wildfires. The production honors those who were lost, those who survived, and those who still carry the weight of rebuilding on Maui. Performances run March 4–8 in the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre at Kennedy Theatre.

Created by UH ����ԴDz� master of fine arts (MFA) candidate Ikaika Mendez, Lele Wale does not seek to recreate the tragic wildfires. Instead, the work moves through memory, music and movement to create space to remember, grieve and reflect on what comes next for both people and place. For Mendez, a Maui native, Lahaina holds deep personal meaning.

“Although I am from Kanaio, Lahaina became the place where I learned what it meant to be a performer in service to people and place…working at the Feast at Lele Lūʻau at just 15 years old,” said Mendez. “I learned discipline, responsibility and the power of storytelling through music and movement. That experience deeply influenced my path, leading me to pursue education in music, ʻōlelo �鶹��ý (Hawaiian language), and ultimately my MFA in hana keaka.”

Voices of place

Lele is the traditional place name for Lahaina. In ʻōlelo �鶹��ý, lele wale evokes prayer and speaks to motion, as well as the act of releasing. The hana keaka is performed in a combination of ʻōlelo �鶹��ý, �鶹��ý Creole English (Pidgin) and English intertwined with live music, hula and imagery.

“There are experiences, emotions and understandings that cannot be fully expressed in English, so we speak them, sing them and chant them in ʻōlelo �鶹��ý,” said Mendez. “At the same time, Pidgin and English reflect the lived reality of Lahaina today: the sounds of home, work, family and community.”

Ticket information

Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m.

A free post-show Q&A with the director and cast will follow the Friday, March 6th performance for ticket holders.

Content advisories: Covers themes connected to wildfire, loss of life, strong language, haze effects and flashing lights. Questions about tickets or accessibility can be directed to ktbox@hawaii.edu or (808) 956-7655.

A new production is shining a light on the lives and journeys of Filipinos in �鶹��ý. “,” directed by J. Lorenzo Perillo, blends movement, music and history into a fast-moving tribute to identity and community. Performances run through November 23, on the Mainstage at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�.

Perillo serves as co-director of the (CPS) and is also an associate professor in the Department of . He created the show in honor of CPS’s 50th anniversary.

“‘Dancing in the Diaspora’ delves into the interconnected lives of Filipinos maneuvering the waters of belonging and exclusion in �鶹��ý and beyond,” said Perillo.

Stories through dance

The performance moves between hip-hop, street dance, contemporary, Filipino Indigenous styles and ʻori Tahiti (Tahitian dance). Live kulintang (traditional Filipino gong instrument) and Tahitian music set the tone. The dances explore home, identity and the journey of carrying culture across oceans.

for the in-person production at Kennedy Theatre. The production features international and local collaborators such as Mary Chris (Mycs) Villoso, Von Ace Asilo, Angela Sebastian, Ron and Lydia Querian (House of Gongs), Manarii and Nalini Gauthier (Tahiti Mana), Irisgil Viacrusis, Michelle Bisbee, Tyler Kanemori and Evan McCarty.

One of the most meaningful collaborative elements grew out of Villoso’s artist residency at UH ����ԴDz� earlier this year, which included workshops with local high schools such as Maryknoll, Farrington and Waipahu. Building on that work, the production features Farrington High School students who have been rehearsing since September with their teacher Michelle Levine Aquino, a recent UH ����ԴDz� graduate, to perform a piece rooted in Philippine games and street dance. Aquino also contributes an Ilokano chant that helps open the show.

“If you dig beneath the deep layers of colonization, you find the ways the people of the Pacific are connected through language, food, stories and beliefs,” said Nalini Gauthier. “Dance has been a steady vessel carrying me through this journey of rediscovery and empowerment.”

The production also features a heartfelt dance film showcasing UH’s custodial staff.

Perillo expressed that the staging is deeply connected to �鶹��ý’s social and cultural landscape.

“Filipinos make up one-fourth of �鶹��ý’s population, yet there is a clear lack of Filipino representation in education. Representation matters. It’s critical in strengthening students’ self-worth, identities and success.”

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A student film created at the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa has earned international recognition at the . “Praying Mantis,” written and directed by UH Mānoa student Hulita Drake, was named among the winners of the 2025 festival in the zero budget category.

The film tells the story of a young woman who attends a college costume party dressed as a praying mantis, only to find herself out of place until a chance encounter changes the course of her night. What begins as a seemingly romantic connection unravels into disappointment, sparking a journey of obsession, prayer and unexpected action.

Drake collaborated with fellow UH students Lauren Piehler, who served as cinematographer, and AJ Taylor, who handled sound recording. The production also received support from other classmates, and community members Olivia Vela and Jase Andrews starred in leading roles.

Drake and members of the student team traveled to Auckland, New Zealand, for the festival’s October 7 celebration event. The trip marked an opportunity to showcase their work on an international stage while connecting with filmmakers from across the Pacific.

“Receiving this recognition at the South Pacific International Film Festival is an incredible honor,” said Drake, who earned a BA in and is working on a second bachelor’s degree in digital cinema from the UH Mānoa . “It’s a testament to the creativity, dedication and collaboration of our entire UH Mānoa student team. Being able to share ‘Praying Mantis’ on an international stage and connect with filmmakers from across the Pacific has been an inspiring experience that I will always cherish.”

“Praying Mantis” is currently screening on the film festival circuit and isn’t yet available to the public, but Drake hopes to release it on YouTube in the future.

The South Pacific International Film Festival highlights emerging and independent filmmakers from across the region. This year’s slate featured winners from the U.S., New Zealand, Indonesia and Fiji. “Praying Mantis” was one of three films from the U.S. selected for recognition.

This September, the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�’s and invite audiences into a world where imagination becomes survival. , a Theatre for Young Audiences production directed by MFA candidate Emmanuel Mante, shares the true story of Benjamin, a boy born with hemophilia whose boundless creativity helps him navigate illness, loss, and ultimately, an HIV diagnosis.

“This isn’t just a children’s show—it’s a heartfelt experience for all ages,” said Mante. “It celebrates how the human spirit turns pain into art and illness into beauty. It’s imaginative uplifting, and transformative.”

The production runs September 24–28, at the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre.

While Benjamin’s life is shaped by hospital visits, isolation, and loss, his imagination offers him freedom. He turns to drawing, coloring, and storytelling to express what words cannot. In one poignant scene, he colors with his doctor as the only way to explain his pain.

Imaginative staging

The production’s artistic team help transform the story for the stage. Set designer and theatre major Juliana Damrow uses reconfigurable pieces and everyday objects to reflect how children reshape their world through play. Lighting designer Kelli Finnegan adds expressive colors and projections that mirror Benjamin’s sketches, including the symbolic yellow boat he draws.

The production also weaves in cultural elements. Costumes by Amber Baker feature handwoven Filipino textiles. Choreographers Nani Marcos and Gwen Arbaugh layer movement into the story, while music director Paul Gabriel Cosme provides live accompaniment.

“Each costume is a celebration of Filipino artistry and heritage,” Mante said. “�鶹��ý’s multicultural environment makes this kind of storytelling feel especially resonant.”

Although filled with joy and imagination, The Yellow Boat also faces difficult truths of illness, isolation and loss. Benjamin’s story ends with his passing, portrayed by the cast with care and sensitivity. Families are encouraged to reflect on these themes and join the post-show discussion on Friday, September 26, with the director and cast.

Ticket information

Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m.

Content Advisories: Covers health issues and suffering, such as hemophilia and HIV.

A wooden model of a Kabuki theatre scene, gifted to the University of �鶹��ý in 1939 by Japan’s Shochiku Company, is now on permanent display at UH ����ԴDz�’s . The intricate model, depicting a scene from Kanadehon Chushingura, was celebrated at a reception on August 18, following its restoration.

The gift was originally secured by Gregg Sinclair, founding director of UH’s Oriental Institute, to promote cultural awareness. Built by Kabuki-za Theatre master carpenter Genjiro Hasegawa under the direction of Shochiku founder Takejiro Otani, the model represents a long-standing bond between UH and Japan.

“This beautiful model was made and gifted to us, along with a Kabuki actor doll, with the promise of perpetual display on campus in summer 1939,” said Mitsutaka Nakamura, Japan studies librarian at Hamilton Library. “This combination of the Kabuki theater model, case and stand symbolizes our enduring bond between Shochiku and UH, and Japan and �鶹��ý as well.”

The model has been displayed and stored in various places over the years, but time took its toll. With support from UH’s Department of Theatre and Dance, artist Meg Hanna-Tominaga restored the piece, which now sits on a handcrafted monkey pod stand and is protected by an acrylic case.

Related UH News story: Rare kabuki master class hits �鶹��ý

Shochiku honorary chair Nobuyoshi Otani praised UH for keeping its promise of preservation: “We hope that you will continue to protect the display as a testament to the cultural exchange fostered by our predecessors.”

Kabuki master Ichikawa Monnosuke VIII also joined the celebration, praising UH students’ dedication during a Kabuki workshop and showcase.

“For the next 100, 200, 300 years, I hope that Kabuki here at the University of �鶹��ý will continue,” he said. “Let’s keep doing this!”

When Mary Jo Freshley arrived in �鶹��ý in the early 1960s, she intended to build her career in physical education. Instead, she found herself drawn into the world of Korean dance where she would spend the rest of her life preserving, teaching and sharing.

Freshley, who was born and raised in Ohio and turns 91 in September, moved to �鶹��ý to teach at Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, where she worked for more than 30 years.

Her first steps with dance began in 1962, at the University of �鶹��ý at ����ԴDz�, when she enrolled in a summer class, taught by pioneering Korean dancer Halla Pai Huhm.

“Learning from Halla Huhm was sometimes stressful, sometimes not,” Freshley said. “But overall, the one thing I admired the most about her was that she always wanted to learn more.”

After joining the studio and years of extensive training, Freshley was formally recognized as an instructor in 1975, and given the Korean name Pai Myung-sa.

When Halla Huhm passed away in 1994, Freshley became the director of the studio, guiding her students through new eras of ever-modernizing and changing dance styles.

She and her students will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the studio with a concert in September.

Bringing Korean dance to the ‘Bows

In 1998, Freshley took her talents and passion for teaching outside of the dance studio and into the classroom.

She started off as an instructor with the UH ����ԴDz� and then to the , where she continues to teach introductory and upper-level Korean dance classes.

Freshley said while teaching at UH ����ԴDz� is much different than teaching at her studio, it’s just as fulfilling.

“Some students just take my class because they need the one credit,” Freshley said. “But, then they suddenly discover there’s more than one way to move your body and learn so much, and that’s the part I enjoy.”

A lifetime of teaching

Teaching wasn’t always her calling—she just wanted to be able to move around and stay active, so when she discovered the career of a P.E. teacher, she knew it was the job for her.

“In college, I realized I could major in physical education and still run around and have fun and do all those activities, and even get paid to do it. So I decided then and there that would be it,” Freshley said.

Regardless of her motivations to pursue teaching, her passion and wealth of knowledge resonated and continues to resonate with all her students.

“I always feel safe with Mary Jo and I know her studio will always be a safe place where I can be comfortable while I’m learning from the best of the best,” said Cynthia Lee, a student of Freshley for over 20 years.

Leaving her mark

Freshley now looks to the future as she and her students soon celebrate the 75th anniversary of the studio she’s been with for over 60 years.

“I’m not the most logical person to be teaching Korean dance—I’m from Ohio,” Freshley said. “But I want my students and everyone to know that I love what I do and I’m passionate about it, so that’s the legacy I hope to leave.”

The Halla Pai Huhm Korean Dance Studio’s 75th anniversary concert is on September 6, 2025 at 4 p.m. at the Kaimuki High School Performing Arts Center. Learn more and purchase tickets at the website: .

—By Grant Nakasone