You could have led with the last paragraph and spared us from reading through the rest of that diatribe.
I’d have loved to attend a Merrie Monarch dance festival, but I was never there during that time. I do enjoy watching the videos of the dancing and chanting. My great-aunt/uncle were in Hawaii in the 30s and brought back LPs with Hawaiian singing and chants (the real stuff – not the commercial crap), and my mom had them. I’d listen to them over and over again, and I think they imprinted on my brain. It’s a rhythm I can really sink into.
The adults in the video with the adorable little boy were awesome dancers. So smooth and percussive at the same time. I find it completely hypnotic to watch.