PELE
OH MY GODDESS!
IONA
CONTEMPORARY DANCE THEATRE
introduces
Oh My Goddess! (Ola Ko'u Akua Wahine!)
IONA Artistic Director/Costume Designer:
Cheryl Flaharty
Lead Seamstress:
Dee Laris
Costume Consultant:
Kini Zamora
with
Severine Busquet, Sarah Hodges,
Elizabeth Maximin, Devaki Robinson
PELE COSTUME DESIGN AND STRUCTURE
Costume Inspiration:
Pele shapeshifting from fiery lava to an old woman. “Madam Pele” often appeared unannounced at funerals or events in Victorian dress, only to disappear like smoke.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Oh My Goddess! (Ola Ko’u Akua Wahine!) is a multi-year project for IONA that aims to impact our local community and re-energize the hospitality industry with the creation of a groundbreaking new work featuring contemporary representations of the four Hawaiian goddesses Pelehonuamea, Hi‘iakaikapoliopele, Namakaokaha’i, and Poli’ahu.
Oh My Goddess! revitalizes the Hawaiian notion of mana wahine, the inherent strength of women, while showcasing Hawaii’s unique connection to the environment–giving ancient stories new life for Hawai’i’s people and those beyond our shore.
Rooted in antiquity but realized as contemporary works of art, the goddess’ costumes will top IONA’s existing collection in their scale, design, and use of materials. They will be brought to life by the IONA dancers at local and visitor events and travel beyond the islands to represent the artists of Hawai’i.
The dancers portraying the goddesses will be mentored in Hula Kahiko and Hawaiian mythology which they will translate into IONA’s signature style of dance with the goal of presenting an expression of these powerful goddesses that is authentic, reverent, highly creative, and contemporary.
The World Premiere of Oh My Goddess! will take place in the Spring of 2023 at a prime location on Oahu. The performances will incorporate original music featuring natural sounds mixed with Hawaiian chant and instrumentation. Post-premiere activities use the production as a platform to empower women and girls and educate our youth through a vibrant re-telling of the stories of four of the most powerful goddesses in Hawai’i’s pantheon.
This project is supported by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts through appropriations from the Legislature of the State of Hawaii or grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.
