If you attended this year’s Lantern Festival at John Ball Zoo, you might have witnessed captivating performances of traditional Polynesian dances, often seen at luaus in Hawaii.
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The performers belong to Grand Rapids'
Pacific Island Dancers, led by Minnie Morey, who also serves as the executive director of the
West Michigan Asian American Association (WMAAA). Morey is set to offer a free Introduction to Polynesian music and dance lesson with a cultural story in August as part of the Holland Symphony Orchestra’s Music Moves Us series.
The class will take place
Wednesday, Aug. 7, from 9:30-10 a.m. at Holland Farmers Market. It is one of 10 Music Moves Us events in Holland from Aug. 6-10. All events are free and feature a variety of music and dance experiences, from salsa to hip hop to Big Band dance lessons, culminating in the symphony’s “
Music Unites Us – Brazil!” at Kollen Park on Aug. 10.
“We’re excited to partner with Music Moves Us to bring a unique twist to our weekly Market Story Time on August 7," says Kara de Alvare, Marketing Coordinator for Holland Farmers Market. "We love exploring the diverse cultures important to our community at the Market Kids Activities and encouraging children to get up and get active…and Polynesian dance is the perfect opportunity for that!”
In case of rain, the event will move inside the Civic Center.
Dancing and a tropical snack
During the session, Community Action House’s Healthy@Home program will encourage children to build their own tropical fruit salad and learn about healthy eating choices. Located at their Food Club & Opportunity Hub, the Healthy@Home program provides nutrition education for community members, holding hands-on learning and demonstrations to help participants build healthier lifestyles.
“We are glad to partner with Music Moves Us and the West Michigan Asian American Association for this event! We know that healthy bodies and minds lead to healthier outcomes, so we're excited to partner on programming that embraces movement, healthy eating, and the diversity of cultural experiences," says Anna Mendoza, Healthy At Home Program Coordinator, Community Action House.
Founded in 1969, Community Action House (CAH) is a Holland-based nonprofit that’s working to build a community where every neighbor has what they need to thrive. By providing Ottawa and Allegan county families with dignified access to essential needs, resource navigation and connection, and financial empowerment, CAH helps families build toward stability. From fresh, healthy groceries at the Food Club to a meal at the Community Kitchen to workshops through Financial Wellness, Action House aims to ensure that no one in the community has to face challenges alone.
Reaching into Ottawa County
WMAAA, which conducts outreach to Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in Kent County, is now extending its services to neighboring counties, including Ottawa.
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Minnie Morey
“We have bilingual navigators who speak different Asian languages, helping us with outreach,” Morey said. “We have navigators for Cambodian and Vietnamese, and recruiting for a Laotion interpreter which are the larger Asian groups in Ottawa County. Our programs focus on access to health care, assisting Asian groups in navigating the health care system, and helping with enrollment for health coverage, including Medicaid and Medicare. We also provide workshops to educate about health risks and how to improve their health through changes in their lifestyle.”
Morey, born in the Philippines and raised in California, grew up learning Filipino, Hawaiian, and Polynesian dance.
“The community I grew up in California was very diverse, with many Island people,” Morey said, adding that many Filipinos settled in Hawaii after being recruited to work on sugar farms and pineapple orchards. She feels a special connection to Hawaii.
“What I loved about learning Polynesian culture was their history, as the Hawaiian people did not have an alphabet until missionaries arrived in the 1800s,” Morey said. “They developed an alphabet with 13 letters. For centuries, they passed down history through chants. It took a while to write down all the chants and translations.”
The dance lesson will also teach about the “aloha spirit”, emphasizing the island state’s sense of community and respect for elders.
“In the word Aloha, each letter means something in Hawaiian. When put together, it generally means being pleasant, welcoming, and treating people with respect,” Morey said.
The Lakeshore WM is the media sponsor of Music Moves Us.