The Aquiles Serdán open-air theater was the stage where the Polynesian dance studio Kalani Kalákaua, from Sayula, Jalisco, presented a spectacular show as part of the celebrations of the 104th Anniversary as a municipality and 54th as a city of Puerto Vallarta., in an event organized by the Vallarta Institute of Culture.
All the dances that they presented had a common denominator, the smile and joy of their members who danced dressed in colorful costumes, showing the choreographies developed with synchrony and grace, through a performance carried out on two levels, the theater stage and under the quarry arches of the boardwalk.
On behalf of the municipal president, Luis Alberto Michel Rodríguez, the director of Tourism and Economic Development, José Ludvig Estrada Virgen, recognized the participation of this group in the activities for the double anniversary of our port, giving them an award on behalf of the people of Vallarta.
“There is no doubt that the wealth of a people is found in its people and its identity is sustained through its culture, a culture that passes and is enriched from generation to generation through its art in all its forms and expressions; my total recognition to the dance group for recreating in such a precise and respectful way the dance of another people, reminding us that there are no borders. It is an honor for Puerto Vallarta to receive them in this emblematic theater and to be able to appreciate the discipline and dynamism of these young worthy representatives of dance in our state”, he pointed out.
The enthusiastic participation of the young dancers infected the public, which was also invited to be part of the show, recreating the steps of the Hawaiian dance, which was greatly appreciated by the attendees.
The Kalani Kalákaua Polynesian dance academy began activities in November 2003 as a workshop at the Sayula House of Culture, under the leadership of teacher Gabriela Sandoval Ramos, who in 2006 built her own facilities. In 2007, it was selected as one of the top ten Polynesian dance groups. The ballet is named in memory of King David Kalakahua who was the last male ruler of Hawaii who returned his identity and culture to his people, reviving the hula dance.
