Pua Liʻiliʻi: A Pop-Up Performance by Christopher Kaui Morgan
Rooted in ‘Ōlelo No‘eau #1122: Hu‘ea pau ‘ia e ka wai — All scooped up by rushing water. Everything is told, no secrets are kept.
Maui Public Art Corps is proud to announce Pua Liʻiliʻi (small flowers): a new site-responsive performance by Christopher Kaui Morgan—acclaimed Native Hawaiian choreographer, cultural advocate, and arts leader. Inspired by moʻolelo from Hōkū Pavao, Francis Taua, Sean-Joseph Takeo Kahāokalani Choo and William Haʻo shared through Hui Mo‘olelo: Lei Pua ʻAla, Christopher's piece honors resilience, identity, and the courage to be seen.
Hui Mo‘olelo: Lei Pua ʻAla is a new collaborative program of Maui Public Art Corps, Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House / Maui Historical Society, the County of Maui, and the Lei Pua ʻAla: Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi project of the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities that uplifts stories celebrating Hawaiʻi’s history, culture, and sense of place, while fostering greater public understanding and inclusion of queer communities.
2025 Outdoor Pop-Up Performances: June 14 on Market Street at 6:45 pm for Maui Pride 2025 + June 19 at Good Shepherd at 5 pm
Hui Mo‘olelo: Lei Pua ʻAla is a new collaborative program of Maui Public Art Corps, Hale Hōʻikeʻike at the Bailey House / Maui Historical Society, the County of Maui, and the Lei Pua ʻAla: Queer Histories of Hawaiʻi project of the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities that uplifts stories celebrating Hawaiʻi’s history, culture, and sense of place, while fostering greater public understanding and inclusion of queer communities.
2025 Outdoor Pop-Up Performances: June 14 on Market Street at 6:45 pm for Maui Pride 2025 + June 19 at Good Shepherd at 5 pm
Hōkū Pavao, Maui performing artist and arts administrator & Francis Taua
|
Sean-Joseph Takeo Kahāokalani Choo, Kamamo House & William Haʻo, Actor and Director
|
In 2025, these talk-story recordings were captured through our Hui Mo‘olelo: Lei Pua ʻAla program. Professional artists from across the globe have submitted proposals to translate these stories as a work of public art. Upon selection by a community panel, artist Christopher Kaui Morgan entered a period of project development to meet the storytellers, learn more about the context of their story, and infuse the evolving piece with their feedback.
Listen to the stories inspiring this artwork:
Listen to the stories inspiring this artwork:
About
Christopher’s pop-up performance is a deeply personal and place-based exploration of identity, visibility, and self-expression, inspired by the mo‘olelo of Hōkū Pavao, Francis Taua, Sean-Joseph Takeo Kahāokalani Choo, and William Haʻo. These narratives shared through Hui Mo‘olelo: Lei Pua ʻAla serve as the heart of the piece, reflecting stories of resilience, presence, and the nuances of being seen.
Set to original music by TJ Keanu Tario, Christopher has crafted a series of solo dances that unfold across two different Maui locations. Each performance responds directly to its site and the voices of the storytellers, blending hula and contemporary dance to create moments of immersive, public reflection.
A central feature of the performance is a garment designed by celebrated Hawaiian fiber artist Marques Hanalei Marzan. The garment serves as a powerful metaphor for concealment and revelation — moving with the dancer to reflect the tension between hiding and being visible in a shifting cultural landscape.
Drawing from Francis Taua’s poignant observation that he “felt like he was hiding in plain sight,” the project explores how we carry our identities, how we choose to reveal or protect them, and what it means to be truly seen.
Set to original music by TJ Keanu Tario, Christopher has crafted a series of solo dances that unfold across two different Maui locations. Each performance responds directly to its site and the voices of the storytellers, blending hula and contemporary dance to create moments of immersive, public reflection.
A central feature of the performance is a garment designed by celebrated Hawaiian fiber artist Marques Hanalei Marzan. The garment serves as a powerful metaphor for concealment and revelation — moving with the dancer to reflect the tension between hiding and being visible in a shifting cultural landscape.
Drawing from Francis Taua’s poignant observation that he “felt like he was hiding in plain sight,” the project explores how we carry our identities, how we choose to reveal or protect them, and what it means to be truly seen.
|
Artist Bio: Christopher Kaui Morgan is a Native Hawaiian choreographer, administrator, and cultural advocate whose work has been performed in 22 countries across five continents. His choreography weaves together dance, storytelling, original music, and multimedia to explore themes of identity, culture, and social change. Currently touring Pōhaku and Native Intelligence/Innate Intelligence, he is developing N8tive Enough — the final installment of his Native Identity Trilogy (premiering in 2026). In 2025, he founded Wehiwehi, a Honolulu-based gathering of Kanaka Maoli artists exploring indigeneity and contemporary performance. His leadership roles include serving as Vice President of Programming at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center and Executive Artistic Director of Dance Place in Washington, D.C. Recognized by President Biden with a seat on the National Council on the Arts, Christopher is also the Board Chair of Maui-based organization AHAS. |
Community Consultations
Father Moki Hino
|
Jim Doran, Joe Wilson and Lyz Soto
|
Francis Taua, Hōkū Pavao, Sean Choo, William Ha‘o
|
Sissy Lake-Farm
|
Project Timeline
|
|