The 28th annual Hula O Na Keiki will be held on Nov. 9-10 at Kaanapali Beach Hotel. Hula students from Hawaii and around the world are invited to compete through interview, dance, chant and costume categories. PHOTO BY AUBREY HORD.

KAANAPALI – The community is invited to celebrate 28 years of keiki kula with Kaanapali Beach Hotel’s annual two-day children’s hula competition, Hula O Na Keiki, on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9-10.

The event has grown over the years from a single-day affair to an entire weekend of Hawaiian arts and music, but the objective has remained the same: to educate children in the ways of their Hawaiian ancestors so that the culture can be carried forward.

Children ages 5-17 will show their aloha spirit and compete in their respective categories for coveted awards and titles.

After months of practice, the competition begins with an interview in front of an esteemed panel of judges, in which the children are required to memorize a chant in the Native Hawaiian language.

Later, in the evening, they will perform one of their kahiko (traditional) and ?auana (modern) style hula.

On the second night, the contestants have the chance to really prove they’ve mastered the hula not only to their halau (hula school) and their kumu (teacher) but to themselves, when they dance one last time for the judges and audience.

Children who have entered in the Palua (couple) Division have the opportunity to dance in tandem.

In conjunction with Hula O Na Keiki, the Hawaiian Festival of Arts and crafts, which takes place throughout the weekend, will feature local artisans and educational sessions, contributing to wider cultural knowledge for all attendees through demonstrations, presentations and workshops.

The event is slated in Kaanapali Beach Hotel’s Kanahele Ballroom on Friday, Nov. 9, from 4 to 9 p.m. and

Saturday, Nov. 10, from 1 to 8 p.m.

For more information, visit www.kbhmaui.com.