Name/Title
Ioane Ukeke Hula Dance TroupeDescription
Ione Ukeke Hula Dance Troupe
This photo shows kumu hula ʻIoane Hohopa (later ʻŪkēkē) (c. 1833-1903) with hula dancers.
ʻIoane ʻŪkēkē, born ʻIoane Hohopa (c. 1830s – May 1, 1903), was a kumu hula (master or teacher of hula) and musical performer who organized hula performance during the Hawaiian Kingdom. He organized hula troupes for the court of King Kalākaua and accompanied his group's dances with the ʻūkēkē, a traditional Hawaiian string instrument, which gave him his nickname John or ʻIoane ʻŪkēkē. He was known for his flamboyant way of dress and dubbed the Hawaiian Dandy or Hawaiian Beau Brummel by the local English-language press.
ʻIoane was a Hawaiian chanter and kumu hula, or master teacher, of hula who headed his own troupe of hula dancers, which included his wife and sister-in-law. He was noted for modernizing elements of the dance and accompanying his group's performance with music from his ʻūkēkē, a traditional Hawaiian string instrument, often described as a jew's harp. His skill at the ʻūkēkē gave him his nickname John or ʻIoane ʻŪkēkē.[4][5][6] His patrons included King Kalākaua and Princess Keʻelikōlani while "prominent people that wanted to entertain, besides court circles, would feel that things were amiss without the dandy and his jew’s-harp".[3][7]
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hawaiiancovers@gmail.comCreate Date
April 5, 2025Update Date
April 5, 2025