b'I N T U N E W I T H T H E I S L A N D SMusic and dance tell you as much about the people, culture, and traditions of a place as any guide book ever could. In Hawaii, it is the hula dancers, ukulele and guitar players, and the falsetto singers who reflect the cultural depth and poetic soul of the Hawaiian Islands. At Waikoloa Beach Resort, the beautiful sounds and sights of island-style music and dance are seen and heard every day of the year.Events including the annual Great Waikoloa Ukulele Festival and the Kindy Sproat Falsetto competition have brought together some of the best musicians and singers in the state for performances and workshops, while special concerts throughout the year have included bands such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Chicago, or America. Hula has become beloved around the world. But theres nothing quite likeexperiencingahulaperformanceinitsbirthplaceofHawaii.At Waikoloa Beach Resort, talented local halau regularly showcase their tal-ents, including several keiki troupes.The resort is a nice forum for our youngsters, says Lani Isaacs, executive director of Alohi Polynesian Dance Academy. They study the art of hula during the week, and when they get to perform what they know it is truly an educational experience. The hula is an art . it is not just coordinating hand and foot movements . it is a discipline. What makes the hula different than other dance disciplines is that it is a study of our language, our history, our traditions . our dancers are perpetuating their culture through the hula.As with the dancers, the musicians who have performed at Waikoloa over the years enthusiastically share their music with resort guests. John Keawe, for instance, is a slack key guitar player from Hawi in the North Kohala district of the Big Island who has toured throughout Hawaii and the Mainland U.S., but says he particularly relishes his regular performances at Waikoloa.My songs are very reflective of life on the Big Island, Keawe says. When people hear me singparticularly on songs such as The Big Island . Is My HomeI hope they get just a little better understanding of what a special place the Big Island is.6 4'