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    Moanalua Performing Arts Center

    5.0 (1 review)

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    4 years ago

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    Ka Moana Luau

    Ka Moana Luau

    4.4
    (489 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$$$

    Cordero was our server... bravo Cordero, I had to hunt you down to thank you and give you a tip…read moreafter the show! The show was AMAZING and we have seen 25 + luau shows over the past 30 years! Check in fast and efficient! Loved loved loved the interactive activities before dinner! Tip - do the bamboo headband activity first not the flower wrist band as it takes a long time to make the head band and it's great in photos! Don't forget to get a temporary tattoo! Bar service is fast! Most people didn't tip but I did and no acknowledgement so probably won't tip in the future! Celebrity seating is worth it! Host was uber funny and extremely talented! So was every performer and band member!!! Loved the tree climber he was hilarious! Order uber 5 minutes before the fire dance ends and stand in the back and watch! It will save you a lot of money! Bravo Ka Moana Luau!! PS Use less salt on the pulled pork please PSSS - Loved the older fire dance performer who started the fire dance show!!!!!!

    Woof! This experience was a challenge to enjoy, extraordinarily exploitative, and not at all…read moreauthentic. I will preface that I did not purchase these tickets but was given them. I did not do much research ahead of time. I do not go to luaus because I know there are many issues with them being so exploitative, but I absolutely was trying to approach with an open mind. I'm not sure where to start. Uh. I guess I'll go chronologically. The check in lines were incredibly long so they are not very accessible. There was very little information on the accessibility of the space on their website. We got there early but were told they wouldn't start check in for a while and to go find a place to sit and wait. We weren't warned about the line at all. I'm disabled and so we found a place to sit and watched the line grow and grow. By the time check in started, the line had hundreds of people, so we decided to wait hoping the line would move quickly. But after about 20 minutes passed after check in started, the line did not seem to be shortening at all. We talked to a staff member about us being early and not being able to wait in the line due to being disabled and she told us there's nothing they could do about it. I think we ended up waiting over 40 minutes. When we actually finally got to check in, one of the women recognized us and said they should've helped us from the beginning and was very sweet and apologetic. She gave us some extra drink tickets which was a lovely gesture. As you go in, you are greeted with leis and a photo op. We immediately noticed the garb worn by the staff looked like plastic and fast fashion costuming. The photo op felt strange to us and we declined. But we observed the staff going up to people with the printed photos for purchase. It felt quite money grabby. As we entered the area, there's more plastic. A lot of the decor was made of plastic and felt gimmicky. The ground had artificial grass and there was a wall covered in fake foliage for pictures. We went to the bar to grab drinks and the drink tickets offered you very limited options. I got the Mai tais with my drink tickets, which were only 9 oz and I would guess maybe there was half a shot of rum in each. My friend got some of the mocktails, that they had to pay extra for, and the drinks had like a strange aftertaste we couldn't understand from looking at the ingredient list. They did not want any more after that. We then went to grab dinner from the buffet. I'm vegetarian and so my options were limited. The stir fried noodles had a strange aftertaste as well and I couldn't finish them. I only really enjoyed the Hawaiian rolls with lilikoi butter and the fresh pineapple. My friend agreed there were some weird aftertastes in the food. They eat meat, so they definitely enjoyed more of the food than I did, but they also couldn't finish their plate. By the time we had started eating, we noticed all the cultural activities had closed so sadly we could not really partake in any. When the show started, they created fire on stage to light the torches, which was probably our favorite part of the show. It felt the most authentic. Then, there were performances by the same 4 women and 4 men in different garb to represent different cultures of Oceania. Again, the costuming seemed to be made out of plastic/fast fashion materials. Coconut bras made of shiny plastic and even hula skirts made of colorful tinsel. I felt particularly uncomfortable when I saw the performers do the haka dance with painted on moko, or the traditional tattoos of the Māori people. My friend suggested that some of the performers might be Māori, but based on the hesitancies of the dancers to commit making the faces traditionally seen in the haka made us feel like that probably wasn't the case. We felt immense discomfort at the amount of cultural appropriation we were watching throughout the performances. Beyond that, we noticed that all of the dances were incredibly fast-paced, which isn't aligned with what we understand about a lot of these cultural dances. So everything felt sped up to keep the attention from the audience, which means that some of the more technical aspects of the traditional dances were neglected, and to me, they were noticeable. We also noticed that some of the dancers were struggling to catch their breaths towards the end of the show, which seemed to highlight out how unnecessarily fast paced these performances were. It is clear that the dancers worked very hard and they brought incredible energy to their performances, so I do not have anything but wonderful things to say about them. We ended up leaving early because of our discomfort with how exploitative the experience felt. It is clear that the staff and performers work quite hard to run this event. They are the ones that deserve any stars from this review. The immense issues we observed stem from the people who are making decisions to be as extractive and exploitative as possible.

    Photos
    This is my table.
    This is my table.
    Dinner buffet
    Dinner buffet
    View from the Splash seating

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    View from the Splash seating
    Hawaii MusicWorks

    Hawaii MusicWorks

    4.8
    (16 reviews)
    4.6 mi
    $$

    Highly Recommend Hawaii MusicWorks!…read more When I first inquired about beginner keyboard lessons for my son, I spoke with Aunty Dale. She is incredibly sweet and sets such a positive tone--it's clear from the start how wonderful this place is! My son looks forward to his weekly group keyboard lessons with Mr. Mark. Learning alongside friends makes the sessions fun! He really enjoys getting to choose the songs he learns to play. In my son's words, Mr. Mark is "patient, caring, and nice." It's evident that he truly cares about his students. When my son felt stressed over a school assignment he didn't understand, Mr. Mark actually went out of his way to help him. He was so happy to tell me about it. Happy kid, happy mom--Hawaii Music Works has been a fantastic experience for us!

    After 10 years of keyboard lessons for both of my sons, I can confidently say that Mr. Mark, Ms…read more Kira and Aunty Dale have provided far more than just music education--they have helped shape the young men my sons are becoming. From the very beginning, the lessons were a place where my boys could not only grow musically but also build confidence, express themselves freely (often with a bit of silliness!), and connect with positive adult role models who genuinely care about their well-being. Mr. Mark and Ms. Kira have consistently gone above and beyond--taking an interest in my sons' lives outside of music, encouraging their involvement in concert and marching band, and even supporting them through private school admission processes by authoring recommendations. Aunty Dale has provided consistent communication about scheduling and payment while always offering a welcoming smile to students and families as they walk thru the door. Over the years, Mr. Mark, Ms. Kira and Aunty Dale have celebrated milestones with us, offered guidance during challenging times, and shown a level of dedication that make them an extension of our family. Their presence throughout my sons' childhoods has made a lasting impact--one that goes far beyond notes on a page. If you're looking for instructors who are not only talented musicians and teachers but also compassionate mentors, you will find no better.

    Photos
    Piano Son Son
    Piano Son Son
    First Piano Lesson
    First Piano Lesson
    Hawaii MusicWorks

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    Nix Performing Arts Center

    Nix Performing Arts Center

    4.5
    (14 reviews)
    4.1 mi

    Brought my 5yo daughters here for their first dance lesson and it was wonderful! The owners were…read morehere and were so welcoming and the studio is big and full of fun costumes and was clean and comfortable Their teacher, Ms Jenny, was very fun and sweet but also knew how to keep girls listening Wonderful experience

    This review is a bit tardy, but I am finally coming around to giving some well-deserved praise…read more We found this place through Yelp when we were scouting a dance instructor for our wedding first dance. I have to hand it to my fellow Yelpers for the stellar recommendation; Ed was great. He is clearly passionate about what he does, and he and his wife Juliet are very accommodating. We have very busy schedules, and they rescheduled our sessions multiple times and met us in the evenings after work and even on weekends. We would be exhausted and many times did not even feel like going to dance lessons, but then we would end up having so much fun. Afterwards, we were always glad that we went. At times, it was very stress-relieving and even calming to go in. This is largely due to the fact that Ed and Juliet are such nice people, and they make dancing fun. Just to provide some context, we attended private dance lessons about once a week for a couple of months before our wedding. We had no real prior dancing experience. I usually feel really uncomfortable dancing. But Ed was very patient and went through basic dance steps just to get us more used to things. After we finally picked a first dance song, he practiced everything from the entrance through to the end of the dance. He tailored the moves to us and our song. There were many times that we just changed things so that they just felt more comfortable. We did not get a one-size-fits-all type of dance. That makes it all the more special. Just so you know Ed used to be a dance instructor for, I think, Arthur Murray before he had his own studio, so in going with Ed, you get Arthur Murray instruction but for a much more reasonable price. Due to an injury, he cannot dance as much as he would like to, but he often times would still show us how to do certain dance moves by bringing in Juliet to our dance session. I think Ed is due for a surgery, so he will be up and running again. However, the bottom line is that the best instructor is one who can teach people who do not know how to dance how to dance. And Ed is very good at that.

    Photos
    DanceOlogic
    DanceOlogic
    Nix Performing Arts Center
    Nix Performing Arts Center

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    The Actors Group

    The Actors Group

    4.8
    (49 reviews)
    2.8 mi

    While a student at the University of Hawai'i, one of my most memorable classes was Multimedia. We…read morelearned everything from script writing, stage lighting and props, filming, directing, and editing. So much fun!! So I guess you could say I have a soft heart for those in this industry. Now during my lifetime, I've met a LOT of actors too. You know the kind, that act nice to your face but will gossip behind your back. I don't support those kind of actors LOL This review is about, "The Piano Lesson" the actual 1990 Pulitzer Prize Winner for Drama, and professional stage performance, written by August Wilson in 1987. The scene takes place in 1936 Pittsburgh with a family having a debate over an heirloom piano. This performance was directed by Shervelle Hannah, who does an incredible job portraying Boy Willie. This character is super determined to sell the family heirloom piano, so as to make enough money to buy land from the former slave owner. The entire cast did an outstanding stage performance. Their voices, their body language, all combined with music and lighting made such compelling entertainment. Let's not forget the star, a majestic black piano carved with detail and included their family legacy of portraits. Bravo! This was a phenomenal performance ladies and gentlemen. We absolutely loved watching you on stage! And in case you didn't know, the United States Postal Service honored August Wilson in 2021 with his image on a Black Heritage Forever stamp :)

    Saw "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" this afternoon. As background to the name "Joe Turner", it is not…read moresomeone's name, but a reference to anyone who captured and turned in runaway slaves. The play takes place during the 1910's and it centers around a boarding home run by Bertha and Seth Holly and the people who roomed there. The degree of PTSD for each of them varies, as do the interactions that trigger those emotional and gut wrenching memories. Excellent acting and the perfect intimate venue.

    Photos
    Uncle Vanya runs at TAG until June 18, 2023
    Uncle Vanya runs at TAG until June 18, 2023
    Building Permit handout from today' final performance (it was eye opening for anyone who hasn't dealt with the system)
    Building Permit handout from today' final performance (it was eye opening for anyone who hasn't dealt with the system)
    The stage is not large and the actors made use of all the spaces to indicate different scenes

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    The stage is not large and the actors made use of all the spaces to indicate different scenes
    Akahi Productions

    Akahi Productions

    4.6
    (43 reviews)
    8.2 mi

    We hired David with Akahi Productions for my son's graduation party to provide live band sound and…read moreDJ services (with sound and lighting). After contacting numerous sound companies around Oahu, David with Akahi had the best pricing and options. He was very responsive and always responded to inquiries in a timely manner. Due to unforeseen circumstances, my original emcee had to cancel a few days prior to the event. I contacted David to ask about hiring an emcee and he offered to provide the emcee services at NO ADDITIONAL cost (Awesome)! On the day of the event, David arrived early with ample time to set up. I experienced technical difficulties when trying to set up my slide show, and David went out of his way to help me get the stressful situation resolved even though it was not his responsibility. The sound equipment he used was perfect for the event and I even received compliments from the bands that David did an excellent job providing sound for them. If you are looking to book a sound man for your next event, consider contacting David at Akahi Productions. You will not be disappointed in his service! Mahalo plenty to David and Akahi Productions! I will definitely be using them again for all my future events.

    David Asing was our assigned musician for our wedding ceremony at Turtle Bay. He did not play the…read moreright song for the bride to walk down the aisle to. The bride even asked the camera man to tell him to play the correct song but the exit song was played instead. So disappointed!

    Photos
    Akahi Productions
    Beach Wedding
    Beach Wedding
    Turtle Bay Resort, August 2015

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    Turtle Bay Resort, August 2015
    Shakti Dance Movement

    Shakti Dance Movement

    5.0
    (7 reviews)
    2.4 mi

    Shakti Dance Movement is sister troupe to Devi Dance Company. Both are under the direction of Kalae…read moreKaina, who is a master at her craft. I have watched both troupes perform at Ala Moana Center Stage and at Art Zone for their fundraiser. Beautiful, lovely ladies with wonderful energy, smiles, and dance! You will feel the music and dance surge through you as you watch! I've seen them dance with a number of props, including huge feathered fans and swords! They also dance to to all types of music! A wonderful fusion of music, dance, and visuals! Visit their FB pages for showings: https://www.facebook.com/DeviDanceCo https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shakti-Dance-Movement/295100417886 They are available to perform at private events. I've already made up my mind that they will perform at my wedding!

    Want a great workout while: having fun; listening to some upbeat, workout tunes; exercising…read moreout-of-the-box? Then search no more! This class is AMAZING! Using some traditional yoga moves, they incorporate some fun, funky hip-shaking moves. I'd describe it as a booty-shaking yoga class. The workout is intense - leaving you sweaty, but feeling like you got a great workout in the hour you're there. You'll feel muscles working that you didn't even know existed! The classes are daily - some during the day, others at night - giving everyone a chance to try it. The studio is located in Kaimuki and can fit 20+ in the room. You can bring your own mat or rent one if needed. Sign up before the class if you want to secure a spot or try to come as a walk-in. There are bundle deals for the classes and a punchcard for attending. The first class is discounted, so you should at least try it! Hope to see you there!

    Photos
    Jazzwall Photography
    Jazzwall Photography
    Photo by Joe Marquez
    Photo by Joe Marquez
    Shakti Dance Movement

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    Moanalua Performing Arts Center - theater - Updated June 2026

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