MARISSA DAVID

Aloha Kakou! My name is Marissa David

(also known as Booby).

As a child of an extremely strict and religious Filipino immigrant family, I didn’t have any relatives who danced Hula. I did, however, have a childhood best friend (former AHA dancer “Mangabat”) who danced with Auntie Sybil Pruett. Growing up, I’d follow Mangabat & her Sister to their Hula classes from time to time and would sit on the sidelines a few hours a week to watch them run through Hula/ Tahitan/ Māori routines. While I enjoyed watching them die ( ehem I meant learn ) during practices, perform at shows, and compete at competitions -

I was shy, didn’t think I had what it took to dance, & was too terrified to join their Halau (mainly because Auntie Sybil screamed at them far too much...little did I know...someone in sunglasses screams even more 🤬😆).

Fast forward a few years…after learning a couple “backyard” Ahuroa’s / Kahiko’s for family graduation parties, I surprisingly found myself wanting to learn more formally. Given Auntie Sybil had since retired & moved back home, I ended up at a Halau in South San Francisco in 2002. While I learned a lot in my two short years there, I was unhappy and feeling as if something was missing. Feeling unfulfilled and convinced I probably wouldn’t dance anymore, I resigned.

A month later I accompanied Managabat to watch her train with the Pro Team at the Academy of Hawaiian Arts. Despite not knowing anything about the Academy or Kumu Mark, (the only thing I knew at the time was that Kumz was the one chanting on a CD that I had bought from Jessie’s Sun Jose’s Ia O’e booth), by just simply watching and listening to one Wednesday night Pro Team class was all it took to get drawn in.

Three days later Saturday, May 2004 I enrolled at the Academy.

By July I was asked to come to Wed & start training with the Pro Team. I showed up to their class, a Kako’o handed me a paddle, & as she walked away, she simply said: “keep up”. I lost skin on 3 of my knuckles that night not knowing the skin was a minuscule price to pay for the grueling yet extraordinary Journey I was about to embark on. In this class we not only learned about Tutu Pele, Kamohoali’i, Kauila, but it was also drilled into us that you either sink or swim - keep up or get cut loose. I quickly learned that the sink or swim mentality would not only open so many unexpected Hula opportunities, its proven most instrumental in my continued learning and growth at the Academy. Most importantly its taught me to keep pushing in life - to keep going even when things seem bleak. My upbringing forced me to be tough - life at the Academy, however, instilled in me an entirely HIGHER level of strength & resilience most of us AHA old timers can attest to.

it was also drilled into us that you either sink or swim - keep up or get cut loose.

In a blink of an eye just about almost 20 years of my life at AHA has been jammed packed with practice, Merrie Monarch’s, Japan Tours, practices until 12/1am, cortisone shots, Ho’ike’s, broken toes, in town/out of town shows, sore knees/back, numerous Ia Oe E Ka La’s, Aloha festival’s, more practice, and all other unseen AHA stuff that comes along with the aforementioned. It is now December 2023…and here we are luckily preparing for the 61st Merrie Monarch. I’m grateful & extremely appreciative for another chance to hopefully make the MM line again…I’m quite eager to “beat our last one” [ insert prayer here ]. After all this time, here are a few Academy things I’m certain of: 1) Nothing is certain. 2) You’re never done learning. 3) When you think you’re bending down, bend down more.

If you are interested in learning a style of Hula with a traditional foundation that breaks boundaries, ventures outside of the proverbial box & “makes you want to punch the person next to you”… then I hope to see you at open enrollment January 2024.