At Wolf Trap, A Night in Hawaii

From the reflective stillness of calm oceans to violent, lava-spewing volcanoes, Hawaii has many landscapes. Saturday evening at Wolf Trap, those landscapes were an integral part of "Face of America: Hawai'i." The program was the the fifth installment in a project that intends to wed performing arts to selected national parks across the nation.

The blending of music and dance with images of forest and beach, volcano and sea -- featuring high-definition video projections, shot by Arlington's Blue Land Media, of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park and Haleakala National Park -- evoked ancient and contemporary Hawaiian culture for the appreciative, sold-out audience.

Exploring Hawaii's multiple faces began with slack-key guitarist Ledward Kaapana's masterful two-finger picking and accomplished fretwork, with subtle hints of bluegrass and jazz. Popular singer Keali'i Reichel, representing contemporary hula culture, was joined by 10 hula dancers from Halau Ke'alaokamaile, who favored voluptuous swaying hips and curving arms. In unison, their elegant hand gestures were synchronized to passages descriptive of Maui's rolling landscape sung in Hawaiian. Keali'i Ceballos, the group's only male dancer, shone in solos with his McDreamy good looks and wavelike rocking motions, hip sways, dips and undulating arms.

The evening's centerpiece was Halau O Kekuhi, a phenomenal hula school and company that spans seven generations on Hawaii's Big Island. Sisters Pualani Kanaka'ole Kanahele and Nalani Kanaka'ole, who are kumu hulas, or hula masters, crafted a powerful Wolf Trap-commissioned world premiere featuring mele oli -- sung and chanted poetry -- along with aiha'a , a forceful ancient dance style joined by drumming.

-- Lisa Traiger