Pau Hana Years, a new day for older Americans, a time for living your host, Bob Barker.

Bob Barker: Hi and welcome to the program for and by the senior citizens of Hawaiʻi.

Today on Pau Hana Years we're celebrating the 75th Birthday of veteran Hawaiian entertainer and hula teacher, Auntie Rose Joshua opening with six of the ladies from her tutu class Singing in Hawaiian Bob Barker: The ladies of the tutu class Auntie rose, do you know the range of their ages?

Rose Joshua: Well yes, they're about 60, start from 65 up to about 78.

BB: Oh, yes.

Do you teach all ages?

RJ: Yes I teach them from five years up.

BB: Five years up.

You don't have any top range, then?

RJ: Well no, I don't have any top range.

BB: Why do, why do older people take up learning the hula?

It's not for a career and dancing certainly.

RJ: Well just for past time and for exercise.

And I know some of them told me that's a very good therapy for them.

BB: Oh, yes, yes.

And of course they get a lot of fun out of it, too.

RJ: Well when they were young they had no time to learn to hula.

But right now they are grandmothers so they want to do something.

BB: Is there any age more difficult to teach than other ages?

RJ: Well, I don't think so.

I can teach any age.

BB: Is it easy to pick up a young child and start them off?

RJ: Yes, mm hm.

BB: Are you are you doing a lot of teaching these days?

RJ: I do.

I start teaching in the mornings sometimes, at 10, and I get through about nine at night.

BB: Oh boy.

That's a full day.

Yes.

How many students do you have?

RJ: Oh, close to about 200 students.

BB: What do you teach ancient or modern or...?

RJ: A little of ancient, modern, and implements.

I also teach men hula and... BB: You teach other native dances too?

RJ: Yes, like Tahitian, Maori.

BB: Now our musicians that are playing for the dancing, could you tell us who they are?

RJ: Yes Well there's Lenaʻala Simonson?

It's Nora Santos, Annie Hu, Wendell Silva.

BB: Oh yes.

Well you know I always like to see a male hula and I understand our next dance is going to be by two of your grandnephews RJ: Yes.

And they are Angel and Jerome.

BB: Angel and Jerome, okay.

Singing in Hawaiian BB: Very good.

Now auntie, the hula was originally danced by males but that sort of died out.

Why is that?

RJ: Well, because the ladies came in in their place.

The young girls during Kalākaua's reign brought in the, the female dancers.

BB: Is there any chance of more men taking it up these days?

RJ: Oh yes.

It's lots of chance of.

In fact, it's more male dancers are learning the hula now.

BB: More, oh.

RJ: Doing the hula now.

BB: Good.

Good.

How many children do you have?

RJ: I have five children BB: Five children, uh huh.

Grandchildren?

RJ: About 22.

BB: About 22, how about great, great grandchildren?

RJ: 20.

BB: Oh, really?

RJ: Maybe more.

BB: Maybe more, you can't keep track?

RJ: More is coming.

BB: When did you start doing the hula?

RJ: Well, I really didn't do the hula, but I used to watch, watch people dance, especially when I was a young girl.

My parents used to do a lot of dancing.

But they wouldn't allow me to do it because I was going to church and I was more with the missionary people.

I couldn't teach, well I couldn't do the hula.

BB: They didn't consider the hula fit then?

RJ: They didn't consider the hula fit to, to do.

BB: Oh I See?

Then when did you start teaching?

RJ: After I was married.

BB: After you were married, uh huh.

Did you always want to be a hula teacher?

RJ: I always did want to be a hula teacher but I was a school teacher to begin with.

BB: How did that happen?

I mean, why didn't you start right in with hula?

RJ: Well I... BB: Was that some more of the parents didn't think it was right?

RJ: Yes, right.

mm hm.

BB: Now this is really a family affair today, now we're going to see three of your granddaughters dance, what are their names?

RJ: That's Cookie, Michelle, and Daryl.

Singing in Hawaiian.

BB: Well, lovely.

Auntie Rose you not only performed and taught, but you produced shows, didn't you?

RJ: Yes.

BB: Way back when?

RJ: Oh, before the war I think it was somewhere around 1939.

BB: Didn't you have, your husband have an orchestra?

RJ: My husband had a group and they call it the Moana Serenaders.

BB: Oh, where were some of the places you entertained back then?

RJ: Well we'd entertained at Waikīkī Sands and also at the, at the different hotels in Waikīkī.. BB: All the old Waikīkī hotels, yeah.

RJ: And we performed a whole lot with the Navy down at Kāneʻohe.

BB: Yeah, uh uh.

Now you brought some pictures along would you tell me what these are?

Now, what is this?

RJ: This is a picture and my husband is the manager of this group.

And these are all old time entertainers.

BB: And this is a 1939 It says here.

RJ: Yes, well this is the Ah Sing group with my husband is the manager.

BB: Are you in this picture?

RJ: No, I'm not in this one.

BB: Oh, you're not in that picture.

And here, now these your cellophane skirts aren't they?

RJ: Oh, yes.

Well, my cousin, myself, Mrs. Hyatt and myself were the first one that originated the cellophane hula skirt.

BB: Oh, you were?

RJ: Yes.

BB: Who are the girls here?

Are some of your dancers?

RJ: Well, this is Leilani Ah Lum and my three daughters.

BB: Oh, your three daughters.

And then another one.

Are these the daughters again?

RJ: Yes.

Those are my three daughters.

BB: Yes.

Now Hawaiian entertainment was very popular with all the servicemen in World War II wasn't it?

Here, there was so many of them here.

RJ: Yes, they were all around the place here in Honolulu.

BB: And they really enjoyed the Hawaiian shows?

RJ: They really enjoyed it very much and we put on variety shows.

BB: Variety shows, mm hm.

You teach and provide professional dancers for shows.

What shows were some of those that you... RJ: You mean now?

BB: Yes, uh huh, in the past few years.

RJ: Well, we send girls over to Japan to different parts of the world and in China and in New Zealand, and Australia, Hong Kong.

BB: Oh boy, all over.

RJ: Yes.

BB: Now you also produce some daughters who I'm sure learned their dancing from mama and they're going to perform now and they are?

RJ: Blossom and Lorraine.

BB: Two of your daughters, very good.

Singing in Hawaiian.

BB: Beautiful, beautiful, just lovely.

Auntie Rose you've seen the style of the hula change from the early days to the modern.

Do you have any feelings about that change?

Do you favor one or the other?

RJ: Well, I really favor the ancient... BB: You do, mm hmm.

RJ...dancing, Well, I guess with the new way of dancing now, I guess it follows a trend, this generation.

BB: Yes, yes the modernization... RJ: Right.

BB:...of all things.

Now there's a fear that Hawaiian music might disappear from the culture if more isn't done about it.

Do you think there's a danger like that to the hula, also?

That it might disappear?

RJ: I don't think so.

BB: You think the hula will always continue?

RJ: Will always continue.

BB: The, the people favor the hula and the hula is modernized just like some Hawaiian music is modernized.

I mean you take some of the old, old Hawaiian tunes and songs and they bring them up to date, modernize them--do you resent that?

RJ: Well, I'd rather have the old way of doing it.

BB: You'd rather have the old way, rather have the old way of doing it.

But now Auntie Rose you're 75th birthday is a great milestone in your life and we want to wish you many happy returns.

RJ: Thank you.

Thank you very much (Singing) Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday, Auntie Rose.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy Birthday to you... BB: And look here, Auntie.

RJ: Oh that's (Singing) Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday, Auntie Rose.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday, Auntie Rose.

Happy birthday to you.

RJ: Thank you very much.

BB: Well, we tried to make that a little surprise for you, Auntie.

RJ: Oh that's a surprise.

BB: That was not scheduled.

And a nice birthday cake, you think it would blow out those candles?

Or do you have enough breath after the surprise?

RJ: I hope I have enough breath to do it.

BB: Well we'll just let them go they make a nice addition to the program.

Auntie, do you still dance much?

RJ: I teach but I don't dance that... BB: You dance while you're teaching then all the time.

RJ: Oh yes.

BB: So you do, you dance all day long then really don't you, in a that way.

Well, this is your birthday.

So we're going to ask you to perform RJ: Okay.

Singing in Hawaiian BB: oh Auntie Rose Joshua, congratulations on your birthday and our thanks to all who helped celebrate it.

And that's Pau Hana Years for today, Until our next program, this is Bob Barker leaving you with this thought: your birthday as my own is dear to me.

But yours gave most for mine did only lend me to the world your birthday gave to me a friend.

Try to remember when life was so tender that dreams were kept beside your pillow.

Deep in December it's nice to remember the fire of September that made us mellow.

Try to remember...