The Hawaiian Goddesses of Fire & Snow

Featuring:
Film Projections by Katia Barricklow

Dancers from Dancers Unlimited, Angie Miller & Sara Thoreson

Wearable Art by Claire Unabia & Matthew James

Oli Chanting by Kris Kato

It will be a night of mythology and exploration! Space is limited, FREE & RSVP required.

MONTHLY THEME: Aloha ‘āina / love of the land

Join us on Governors Island to honor our love for the land and Mother Earth!

All day: Pacific Island Film Festival Presents: National Geographic’s Pristine Seas Installation

All Day: Dancers Unlimited dance videos installation
All Day: Artists in Residency with Genevieve Martinez, Matthew James and Claire Unabia

2-4pm Dance Workshop With Dancers Unlimited

Location: Colonels Row 405B, Governors Island NYC

Featured installation: National Geographic’s Pristine Seas

More artists in gallery: Claire Unabia & Matthew James, Sonja John, Paula Walters Parker, Abril Amparo, Genevieve Martinez

Plan Your Trip

Governors Island is accessible by ferry daily year-round.

• From Manhattan: Ferries operated by the Trust for Governors Island run daily from the Battery Maritime Building, located at 10 South Street in Lower Manhattan. Scroll down for schedules and click the green "Purchase tickets" button to purchase tickets.

• From Brooklyn: Seasonal ferries operated by the Trust for Governors Island run Saturdays, Sundays, and Holiday Mondays from May 24 to September 14, 2025, from two Brooklyn locations: Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park and Red Hook/Atlantic Basin. Scroll down for schedules and click the green "Purchase tickets" button to purchase tickets.

Celebrate PRIDE with us and cultivate a space for dreams, nourishment, and healing.

Featured artists from Pacific Islands: Dan Taulapapa McMullin (Samoa) and Reuben Paterson (Auckland, New Zealand).

More artists in gallery: Claire Unabia & Matthew James (O`ahu / Brooklyn), Sonja John, Tommy Hite (O`ahu), and Paula Walters Parker (Kingston, Jamaica / Brooklyn).

Donation-based workshops include “Braiding Intimacies”- a forever-lei making and genealogical movement workshop with Dancers Unlimited’s director Linda Kuo, traditional Filipinx tattoo drawing with visiting artists from Plush Tattoo (O`ahu / Portland), and Pilates Mat with Dancers Unlimitedʻs company manager, Lian Kizner.

The special donation-based workshops help contribute to our fundraiser to bridge the funding gap for our Governors Island programs due to the recent federal funding cut.

Featured Monthly Partners: Pacific Island Film Festival & Talk Story Collective

Schedule of the day

11am House Opens
12:30pm-2:00pm / Braiding Intimacies / Facilitator: Linda Kuo
4:00pm-6:00pm / Private hours for members & funders / Facilitator: Linda Kuo

Location: Colonels Row 405B, Governors Island NYC

Plan Your Trip

Governors Island is accessible by ferry daily year-round.

• From Manhattan: Ferries operated by the Trust for Governors Island run daily from the Battery Maritime Building, located at 10 South Street in Lower Manhattan. Scroll down for schedules and click the green "Purchase tickets" button to purchase tickets.

• From Brooklyn: Seasonal ferries operated by the Trust for Governors Island run Saturdays, Sundays, and Holiday Mondays from May 24 to September 14, 2025, from two Brooklyn locations: Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park and Red Hook/Atlantic Basin. Scroll down for schedules and click the green "Purchase tickets" button to purchase tickets.

Celebrate PRIDE with us and cultivate a space for dreams, nourishment, and healing.

Featured artists from Pacific Islands: Dan Taulapapa McMullin (Samoa) and Reuben Paterson (Auckland, New Zealand).

More artists in gallery: Claire Unabia & Matthew James (O`ahu / Brooklyn), Sonja John, Tommy Hite (O`ahu), and Paula Walters Parker (Kingston, Jamaica / Brooklyn).

Donation-based workshops include “Braiding Intimacies”- a forever-lei making and genealogical movement workshop with Dancers Unlimited’s director Linda Kuo, traditional Filipinx tattoo drawing with visiting artists from Plush Tattoo (O`ahu / Portland), and Pilates Mat with Dancers Unlimitedʻs company manager, Lian Kizner.

The special donation-based workshops help contribute to our fundraiser to bridge the funding gap for our Governors Island programs due to the recent federal funding cut.

Featured Monthly Partners: Pacific Island Film Festival & Talk Story Collective

Schedule of the day

11am House Opens
12:30pm-2:00pm / Braiding Intimacies / Facilitator: Linda Kuo
2:30pm-3:15pm / Traditional Filipinx Tattoo Drawing Workshop / Facilitator: Plush Tattoo
3:15pm-4:00pm / Mat Pilates / Facilitator: Lian Kizner
4:00pm-5:00pm / Poetry Workshop / Facilitator: Dan Taulapapa McMullin
5:00pm-7:30pm / Outdoor picnic, Kanikapila Performances
7:30pm / Film Screening / Host: Pacific Island Film Festival NY

Location: Colonels Row 405B, Governors Island NYC

Plan Your Trip

Governors Island is accessible by ferry daily year-round.

• From Manhattan: Ferries operated by the Trust for Governors Island run daily from the Battery Maritime Building, located at 10 South Street in Lower Manhattan. Scroll down for schedules and click the green "Purchase tickets" button to purchase tickets.

• From Brooklyn: Seasonal ferries operated by the Trust for Governors Island run Saturdays, Sundays, and Holiday Mondays from May 24 to September 14, 2025, from two Brooklyn locations: Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park and Red Hook/Atlantic Basin. Scroll down for schedules and click the green "Purchase tickets" button to purchase tickets.

Join us for our fundraiser at the HeART festival by Downtown Art Center on April 12th! Dance with us for as long as you want, from joining a dance class, boogie-down in line dances, or showing us what you got at the freestyle cypher. Bring your fabulous self and your ‘Ohana to the art festival! Want extra cool points? Get a team together and dress up to rep your style!

Entry: $10 per hour / $40 for all 5 hours *per person. Each participant must register separately.

Donations are 100% tax deductible. All participants receive a free pass to attend a summer open rehearsal, and a free month of DU Mobile app membership.

Learn more about HeART Festival!

Youʻre Invited To Rest & Celebrate With Us!

For the past 15 years, Dancers Unlimited has centered community engagement as a key part of our mission-driven creative process. We are returning dance to its rightful place in healing, collaboration and community building. Authentic moveMEANT storytelling connects us to our roots and identities - we collaboratively move in our healing journeys toward reconnecting with ancestral knowledge and collective growth.

DU IS COMMUNITY.
DU IS IDENTITY.
DU IS RESILIENCE.
DU IS WHERE YOUR STORY MATTERS.

La Nacional, 239 W 14th St, New York, NY 10011

October 27, 2024

6p - 8p
Doors open at 5:30p

The evening features:

immersive activities and performances

hors d'oeuvres

Unlimited sangria & Spanish beer

Community Honoree: Akemi Kochiyama

Anniversary cake candle-lighting celebration

WEʻVE TEAMED UP WITH LA MAMA EXPERIMENTAL THEATER CLUB FOR MONTHLY FREESTYLE STORYTELLING SESSIONS!

Join us to explore enriching storytelling through freestyle movement. Each month this fall, a different spotlight artist/facilitator will share their creative processes that combine freestyle techniques to shift perspectives.

This is a space curated for healing, exploration, and learning - for movers from all different disciplines who are looking to find or refine their artistic voices. We will jam, discover, and share with one another, cultivating unbreakable connections in our practices and community.

October 10
Facilitator: Tatiana Desardouin
47 Great Jones 
7 - 10p

Upcoming Dates
November 14

Join us for another Open Sunday at Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm where Dancers Unlimited will be having a thrift shop donation drive. Make a donation to our campaign and pick your items. This is part of our monthly Edible Tales: MoveMEANT explorations where sustainability and healing are focused. Donʻt forget to check out the open farm and many monthly vendors from the Brooklyn Community!

September 29

Time: Workshop at 12p - 1:30p, Space open 10am - 3pm
Location: Brooklyn Grange Rooftop (Sunset Park), 850 Third Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Facilitators: Linda Kuo & Candice Taylor

Donate to our campaign $20 for 5 items, $40 for 10 items

Edible Tales: The Return is supported by Brooklyn Arts Councilʻs Local Arts Support and Brooklyn Art Fund grants. 

Inspired by Tricia Hersey’s Nap Ministry, we will explore rest as an act of liberation. Join us at Brooklyn Grange to create restorative movement practices that serve in our collective liberation.

This is part of our monthly Edible Tales: MoveMEANT explorations where sustainability and healing are focused. Donʻt forget to check out the open farm and many monthly vendors from the Brooklyn Community!

August 25th

Time: Workshop at 12p - 1:30p, Space open 10am - 3pm
Location: Brooklyn Grange Rooftop (Sunset Park), 850 Third Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Facilitators: Linda Kuo & Candice Taylor
Price: FREE w/ RSVP

Upcoming Dates

September 25
October 20

Edible Tales: The Return is supported by Brooklyn Arts Councilʻs Local Arts Support and Brooklyn Art Fund grants. 

WEʻVE TEAMED UP WITH LA MAMA EXPERIMENTAL THEATER CLUB FOR MONTHLY FREESTYLE STORYTELLING SESSIONS!

Join us to explore enriching storytelling through freestyle movement. Each month this spring and fall, a different spotlight artist/facilitator will share their creative processes that combine freestyle techniques to shift perspectives.

This is a space curated for healing, exploration, and learning - for movers from all different disciplines who are looking to find or refine their artistic voices. We will jam, discover, and share with one another, cultivating unbreakable connections in our practices and community.

An artist from the sessions will be selected to create work with Dancers Unlimited for our 15th Anniversary Season this Fall, including a weeklong paid residency at La Mama.

DATES/TIMES:

Every 2nd Thursday of the month

MARCH 14 - 7-10p

Facilitator: Cocomotion

DJ/Music: Kingsley Ibeneche

APRIL 11 - 7-10p

Facilitator: Quilan (Cue)

DJ/Music: Kingsley Ibeneche

MAY 9 - 7-10p

Facilitator: Candice Taylor

DJ/Music: DJ PhoolishRoc

JUNE 13 - 7-10p

Facilitator: Klassic

DJ/Music: DJ PhoolishRoc

FEE: $10 each pre-registration; $20 at the door

September, October, November dates TBA

As a part of our Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture (FestPAC) Offering, weʻre excited to present a collaborative open rehearsal with Bulareyaung Dance Company (BDC) for an inter-cultural experience, sharing our creative processes that are rooted in our island homes.

BDC was founded in 2015 in Taitung by Bulareyaung Pagarlava, an indigenous choreographer from the Paiwan tribe in Taiwan. Creation of dance pieces and dancer training are accomplished by working in the mountains and singing old chants by the waterside. Dancers develop unique body movements and vocabulary by delving into their indigenous heritage and culture through regular field trips. 

Since its founding, the company has presented several productions, including La Song (2015), Qaciljay (2016), Colors (2016), Stay That Way (2017), Luna (2018), #Yes or No (2019), Not Afraid of the Sun and Rain (2021), Rustling, Whirring (2022), and tiaen tiamen Episode 1(2023). Stay That Way won the Taishin Performing Arts Award in 2017, and Luna further won the coveted Taishin Arts Award Annual Grand Prize in 2018. It is the first performing troupe to be awarded in two consecutive years. The Company has been invited to various performances, and has also toured to Canada, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, Beijing, and Hong Kong.

NO DANCE EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. ALL AGES WELCOME. Traditional arts & cultural practitioners, and ʻĀina workers are warmly welcomed.

$: Please donate directly to Lāhainā Strong or Nā ʻĀinkane O Maui to support continued relief and rebuilding effort for Maui fire victims - present your donation receipt to check-into the open rehearsal.

WEʻVE TEAMED UP WITH LA MAMA EXPERIMENTAL THEATER CLUB FOR MONTHLY FREESTYLE STORYTELLING SESSIONS!

Join us to explore enriching storytelling through freestyle movement. Each month this spring and fall, a different spotlight artist/facilitator will share their creative processes that combine freestyle techniques to shift perspectives.

This is a space curated for healing, exploration, and learning - for movers from all different disciplines who are looking to find or refine their artistic voices. We will jam, discover, and share with one another, cultivating unbreakable connections in our practices and community.

An artist from the sessions will be selected to create work with Dancers Unlimited for our 15th Anniversary Season this Fall, including a weeklong paid residency at La Mama.

DATES/TIMES:

Every 2nd Thursday of the month

MARCH 14 - 7-10p

Facilitator: Cocomotion

DJ/Music: Kingsley Ibeneche

APRIL 11 - 7-10p

Facilitator: Quilan (Cue)

DJ/Music: Kingsley Ibeneche

MAY 9 - 7-10p

Facilitator: Candice Taylor

DJ/Music: DJ PhoolishRoc

JUNE 13 - 7-10p

Facilitator: Klassic

DJ/Music: DJ PhoolishRoc

FEE: $10 each pre-registration; $20 at the door

September, October, November dates TBA

The Science & Sustainability Festival at Bishop Museum is a day of programming exploring the Museum's collections, research, and work with community partners, with a focus on biodiversity, conservation, and sustainability. We invite you to join us as we explore the connectivity between science, culture, and a sustainable future. 

Join Dancers Unlimited and explore how moʻolelo (story) can be the foundation of knowledge for a sustainable future through dance workshops and establishing a community moʻolelo archive. 

Reduced admission – $5 kamaʻaina and military

DU Booth Activities (45 minutes each): 
10:30 Building A Moʻolelo Archive 
1:30 Mo'olelo & Creative MoveMEANT with Dancers Unlimited 

Art activities / story archive & collection and dance film screening throughout

Join our dancers at the next HEART of Honolulu Art Street Festival - a family friendly art festival. Artists and arts organizations transforming Nuuanu Avenue in Chinatown into a pedestrian heaven where everyone can experience and enjoy the HEART of the Chinatown Arts District, including art, live music, food, creative local vendors, performances and more.

HEART is an acronym that stands for Heritage, Entertainment, Arts & Culture, Restaurants, and Theatre & Performing Arts. Together, these elements make up the core of the vibrant creative community that exists in the Bethel and Nuʻuanu Avenue district, between King Street and Beretania Avenue.

WHATʻS DU DOING:  Our company dancers Nicole Maileen Woo and Keala Fung will be selling their original art work and handmade lauhala jewelry! Expect some movement, fun, and lots of laughter.

LOCATION: Nuʻuanu Ave in Chinatown, by Marks Garage and Downtown Art Center

WEʻVE TEAMED UP WITH LA MAMA EXPERIMENTAL THEATER CLUB FOR MONTHLY FREESTYLE STORYTELLING SESSIONS!

Join us to explore enriching storytelling through freestyle movement. Each month this spring and fall, a different spotlight artist/facilitator will share their creative processes that combine freestyle techniques to shift perspectives.

This is a space curated for healing, exploration, and learning - for movers from all different disciplines who are looking to find or refine their artistic voices. We will jam, discover, and share with one another, cultivating unbreakable connections in our practices and community.

An artist from the sessions will be selected to create work with Dancers Unlimited for our 15th Anniversary Season this Fall, including a weeklong paid residency at La Mama.

DATES/TIMES:

Every 2nd Thursday of the month

MARCH 14 - 7-10p

Facilitator: Cocomotion

DJ/Music: Kingsley Ibeneche

APRIL 11 - 7-10p

Facilitator: Quilan (Cue)

DJ/Music: Kingsley Ibeneche

MAY 9 - 7-10p

Facilitator: Candice Taylor

DJ/Music: DJ PhoolishRoc

JUNE 13 - 7-10p

Facilitator: Klassic

DJ/Music: DJ PhoolishRoc

FEE: $10 each pre-registration; $20 at the door

September, October, November dates TBA

WEʻVE TEAMED UP WITH LA MAMA EXPERIMENTAL THEATER CLUB FOR MONTHLY FREESTYLE STORYTELLING SESSIONS!

Join us to explore enriching storytelling through freestyle movement. Each month this spring and fall, a different spotlight artist/facilitator will share their creative processes that combine freestyle techniques to shift perspectives.

This is a space curated for healing, exploration, and learning - for movers from all different disciplines who are looking to find or refine their artistic voices. We will jam, discover, and share with one another, cultivating unbreakable connections in our practices and community.

An artist from the sessions will be selected to create work with Dancers Unlimited for our 15th Anniversary Season this Fall, including a weeklong paid residency at La Mama.

DATES/TIMES:

Every 2nd Thursday of the month

MARCH 14 - 7-10p

Facilitator: Cocomotion

DJ/Music: Kingsley Ibeneche

APRIL 11 - 7-10p

Facilitator: Quilan (Cue)

DJ/Music: Kingsley Ibeneche

MAY 9 - 7-10p*

DUNYC-10 Open Style MoveMEANT BATTLE

DJ/Music: DJ PhoolishRoc

Judge: TBA

*The May event will be a battle - celebrating Dancerʻs Unlimitedʻs 10-year anniversary in the NYC dance community. Battle entry fee will be the same as the regular session fee. Speculators admitted for FREE with pre-registration.

JUNE 13 - 7-10p

Facilitator: TBA

DJ/Music: DJ PhoolishRoc

FEE: $10 each pre-registration; $20 at the door

September, October, November dates TBA

ABOUT MANAFest Gala

Dancers Unlimited is turning 14 years old, and we canʻt wait to celebrate with you!

From our humble beginning as a free community youth dance program on Furlough Fridays, to touring internationally in China, and now a bi-coastal nonprofit 501(c)3 in Hawaiʻi and NYC, we do it all because OF OUR COMMUNITY - YOU.

The MANAfest Gala celebrates a joyous and successful year of working, dancing and learning together with our community. From Brooklyn to Queens, our community has filled us with so much joy and mana (spiritual energy).

The event is part of our MANAfest campaign: raising $50K for 2024 programming. Your support is crucial for the sustainability of our programs.

TICKETS:

$25 The Basics- food & non-alcoholic beverages; alcohol is available for purchase

$50 General Admission - includes 2 alcoholic drink tickets & food

$75 Premium - includes an OPEN BAR, food & gift bag

$80 Gala + Performance Bundle - includes Premium Gala admission & Nov 19th Edible Tales: Ho’okupu <The Offering> performance (THIS IS THE BEST VALUE)

The MANAfest Gala features:

1. Pre-Gala Hula & Oli (Hawaiian chanting) workshop

2. Food and Drinks

3. Hula Workshop with Kumu ʻAuliʻi Aweau

4. Silent Auction

5. Plant Sale

6. Musical performances by Nathalie Noboa and Keilana

7. A Toast to our Community Advancement Heroes

The 2023-2024 Campaign “MANAfest” is a dedication for our own empowerment through artistic exploration, spiritual practices and community collaboration. It is also an INVITATION for YOU, our community, to be a part of this empowering journey.

ABOUT THE HŌʻIKE

Participants from our Edible Tales: Hoʻokupu monthly Hawaiian cultural immersion program share their learning and original performances to honor our connections with each other and the ʻāina.

Attendees are welcome to arrive half an hour early to participate in the interactive dance installations happening during the Hoʻolauleʻa portion of the evening.

TICKETS:

Pay what you can: $10, $20, $30 - seats not guaranteed

*Our MANAFest: Hoʻolauleʻa fundraiser event is 4pm-6pm right before the Hōʻike. Each hoʻolauleʻa ticket includes complimentary admission to the Hōʻike. Please consider purchasing the BUNDLE ticket for maximized fun (and ʻono kine grinds)!

ABOUT EDIBLE TALES: HOʻOKUPU

Edible Tales: Hoʻokupu centers Native Hawaiian wisdom and turn stories about food and ʻāina into community-centered dance exploration, actions and solutions. Our 2023 theme Ho`okupu (to offer, to sprout), explores the reciprocal relationship between giving and receiving, our interconnectedness to each other, and shared pathways to build community resilience and collaboration.

Guided by Kumu Hula ʻAuliʻi Aweau, the 6-month transformative journey features hands-on work on the farm and fishponds, and Hawaiian cultural activies including Hula, oli, kuahu building, lauhala and ʻawa planting.

Mahalo nui loa to our funders and venues

Edible Tales: Hoʻokupu is made possible by funding support from National Endowment for the Humanities, Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities, and The Puffin Foundation.

Venues: Papahana Kuaola, Lūluku Farms, Waikalua Loko I`a, the Fukumitsu ohana, and Page Academy of Dance

ABOUT THE HOʻOLAULEʻA

Dancers Unlimited is turning 14, and we canʻt wait to celebrate with you!

From our humble beginning as a free community youth dance program on Furlough Fridays, to touring internationally in China, and now a bi-coastal nonprofit 501(c)3 in Hawaiʻi and NYC, we do it all because OF OUR COMMUNITY - YOU.

The Hoʻolauleʻa celebrates a joyous and successful year of working, dancing and learning together with our community. From mauka to makai, our community has filled us with so much joy and mana.

The event is also a part of our MANAfest campaign: raising $50K for 2024 programming. Your support is crucial for the sustainability of our programs.

The Hoʻolauleʻa features:

1. A MANAfest circle: building shared vision

2. Pupu & Beverages

3. Silent Auction

4. Immersive Dance Installations

5. Special performance by Noelani Love

TICKETS:

TABLE PURCHASE (limit 10 tables): $480 (seats 8; all VIP benefits + guaranteed seats together with discounted ticket price per person). → OUR BEST DEAL! GET A TABLE WITH FRIENDS/ʻOHANA FOR SAVINGS & MORE FUN!

VIP: $80 (preferred seating + gift bag)

General Admission: $50 (open seating)

All ticket types include complimentary admission to the Edible Tales: Hoʻokupu Hōʻike, which follows immediately after the Hoʻolauleʻa:

6:15pm-7:30pm Edible Tales: Hoʻokupu Hōʻike (included in the Hoʻolauleʻa admission)

ABOUT THE HŌʻIKE

Participants from our Edible Tales: Hoʻokupu monthly Hawaiian cultural immersion program share their learning and original performnaces to honor our connections with each other and the ʻāina.