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Description
Rainbows of Paradise pageant at the Polynesian Cultural Center is a dance show where different Polynesian cultures are represented by costumed dancers on double hulled canoes. [link]
The High Chief (ali'i nui) and Queen (ali'i wahine) and the rest of the court on the canoe are dressed in gold and red. Ali'i meaning litterally something like venerable; and nui and wahine meaning man and woman. The High chief and his queen wear select red and gold plumage traditonally. The big puffy red and gold standards on the pole called kahili are also made with the red and gold feathers. Don't worry. The birds were snared gave a few feathers and were released.
The dark beads of the Leh are kukui nuts, or candle nuts, which are a sorce of a oil both flamable enough for use as lamp oil and medicinal. They are cooked and pollished to give a black shiny appearance.
No dancing on this canoe. All pomp and circumstance here. The conch shell sounded the begining of the ceremony. Read more at the link above.
Pronunciation tip for Hawaiian. Vowels "a,e,i,o,u" are pronounced "ah,eh,ee,oh,oo" separately and never silent, so 'ali'i wahine' sounds sort of like ahlee-ee waheeneh

Description
Rainbows of Paradise pageant at the Polynesian Cultural Center is a dance show where different Polynesian cultures are represented by costumed dancers on double hulled canoes. [link]
The High Chief (ali'i nui) and Queen (ali'i wahine) and the rest of the court on the canoe are dressed in gold and red. Ali'i meaning litterally something like venerable; and nui and wahine meaning man and woman. The High chief and his queen wear select red and gold plumage traditonally. The big puffy red and gold standards on the pole called kahili are also made with the red and gold feathers. Don't worry. The birds were snared gave a few feathers and were released.
The dark beads of the Leh are kukui nuts, or candle nuts, which are a sorce of a oil both flamable enough for use as lamp oil and medicinal. They are cooked and pollished to give a black shiny appearance.
No dancing on this canoe. All pomp and circumstance here. The conch shell sounded the begining of the ceremony. Read more at the link above.
Pronunciation tip for Hawaiian. Vowels "a,e,i,o,u" are pronounced "ah,eh,ee,oh,oo" separately and never silent, so 'ali'i wahine' sounds sort of like ahlee-ee waheeneh