JESICCA DAUBENMIRE

Hey hey kakou!

Let’s see where to start? Oh yea Aloha I’m Jes, that’s right just 1 “s” because I don’t need the redundancy... but anyways let’s make this fun!

So I have been attempting to be a hula dancer since 2004 (still attempting by the way) and my first cruise ship excursion from San Francisco to Hawaii onboard NCL America’s Pride of Aloha.

While onboard I made friends with the hula dancers and would hangout with them between their shows and workshops. I felt some internal calling to dance, that this is what I’d been missing in my life.

Hula in general is so beautiful to watch, why not aspire to be one of the dancers that brings it to life?

I was fortunate enough to get a job working for NCL America on all 3 of their ships. My first contract was on the Pride of Hawaii, where I tried to transfer to the entertainment department. Unfortunately it wasn’t until I got back to my very first cruise ship, that’s right that good ole Pride of Aloha, that I was able to get on the Cruise Director’s staff. I was a cruise staff hostess and because our ships sailed exclusively throughout Hawaii, we offered a variety of cultural workshops lead by the Hawaiian Ambassador, danced “hapa haole” hulas and even taught passengers simple hulas like the Hukilau. Needless to say I was the most basic of hula dancers (aka not really one), but still getting to participate and share this beautiful cultural expression.

Fast forward to 2016 and my decision to move back home to the Bay. I wanted to continue dancing so needed to find somewhere, when my friend suggested the Academy of Hawaiian Arts. I had seen them at Merrie Monarch the year prior and loved them! So first thought was yea I’m obviously good enough to dance at AHA, just kidding... all the intrusive thoughts flooded in. I was so scared going to open enrollment because this was going to be so much more serious than the other groups I’d danced with before...

I mean come on, they compete in Merrie Monarch!

And, well it's a few years later, I’m a few years older, after unlearning the “bad” hula habits I had from before and trying to make good hula habits now, making it through covid, the halau shutting its doors and me thinking I would never dance again... here I am on this journey to Merrie Monarch. So yea just a little bit about me... maybe a part two is coming?

JESICCA DAUBENMIRE

Hey hey kakou!

While onboard I made friends with the hula dancers and would hangout with them between their shows and workshops. I felt some internal calling to dance, that this is what I’d been missing in my life.

Hula in general is so beautiful to watch, why not aspire to be one of the dancers that brings it to life?

I mean come on, they compete in Merrie Monarch!

Anyways wish me luck, and mahalo nui for reading along.

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