By Jessica Schultz
Summer is coming, the weather is getting hotter and most of us have been dreaming of a tropical getaway. Unfortunately for some of us, those beaches are just too far away for us to visit. The Fish in Bemus Point understands and has decided to bring the beach to you. They are hosting a traditional Hawaiian Luau on Sunday, May 29th from 5-7pm. The Villager had a chance to speak with Volcano Choy, owner of huladancers.com, the company that will be putting on the Luau, about how they got started and everything the community can expect from the event.
Villager (V): What motivated you to begin the Luau business and how long have you been doing it?
Volcano Choy (VC): “I began my professional career while still in high school on the Island of Oahu as an instrumentalist joining the Local 677 Musician’s Union in Honolulu as a teenager and have been blessed to be able to make a living for me and my family ever since. As I was touring and performing throughout the USA, the idea came to me to start producing authentic Hawaiian Luaus complete with dancers, food and music etc. as I noticed that there were very few other native Hawaiians especially in the Mid-West and North Eastern part of the States. We found that many people in these states have always wanted to visit Hawaii but felt that the trip was too far or did not have the circumstances to permit them to take such a trip and I thought, why don’t we bring “Hawaii on Location” to them! So, I worked with another Producer from Hawaii in providing authentic Hawaiian Experiences by way of Luau events and we were very much in demand and so I founded HulaDancers.com and we have been doing this full-time for over 20 years now booking and based in Hawaii and also booking in the Midwest-East from our Midwest Base.”
V: You have an upcoming event at The Fish in Bemus Point; could you give us the details of that event?
VC: “Tom Meyers of The Fish already had that same vision of bringing Hawaii to his patrons and the community at Bemus Point, all he needed was the components of an authentic Luau experience, namely the Performers and Cuisine. And so, he did a web search and found us at HulaDancers.com. When we spoke, we found that we were on the same page with regards producing and presenting unforgettable and authentic Hawaiian Luau experiences for the public. He had the beautiful venue and setting in “The Fish” at Bemus Point and we would bring “Hawaii on Location”! So, he signed us to a series of dates throughout this Summer Season and also heading into the Fall. (The event dates are: May 29, July 2, July 23, August 13 and September 14. All shows are from 5-7pm.)
V: What type of entertainment can be expected?
VC: “Anyone who attends will be treated to a fun and authentic Luau evening, being greeted upon arrival by our friendly native Hawaiian performers in our traditional expression of hospitality with a colorful silk flower lei immediately putting them in the luau spirit while our ukulele player is strolling throughout the guest’s arrival area and as they mingle and enjoy a tropical cocktail will hear some of our Island music in the background. They are then invited to sit down and enjoy our “Ono” (Delicious) Island Luau Buffet! As they wind down from dining and enjoying their after-dinner cocktails, the piercing and haunting blow of the conch shell is performed catching everyone’s attention and signaling the start of a wonderful and exciting Hula Show as we take all of them on an island journey by way of our music and dance. As we share our culture, we make sure that everything is geared towards having fun and just “Hanging Loose” as we say in our Islands. We are very interactive with the guests engaging them in hula lessons, sharing with them our Hawaiian Pidgin that we speak in the islands and just having a great time with everyone as we do in Hawaii! (Please visit our website at: HulaDancers.com/gallery to view videos and photos of our Luau Events.)
V: Is there a set Hawaiian menu?
VC: “We are privileged to have a chef who is native Hawaiian also and comes from the same island as I do who will be preparing our local island favorites such as: Kalua Pork (pulled pork seasoned and smoked Hawaiian style); Huli Huli Chicken (which is BBQ Chicken but with our own secret Island sauce); Island style Fried rice just to name a few accompanied by some other “Ono”(Delicious) Island favorites!”
V: Do you have any other events upcoming?
VC: “Yes, we are actually already booked up throughout the summer for mostly Private Luau Events such as Backyard Ohana (Family) reunions; Corporate Events; Festivals; Vacation and Travel Resorts at beautiful locations like this one at Bemus Point, NY that is coming up this Sunday the 29th! Our Seasonal Tour in the Midwest continues through to the end of Fall and then we make the escape back to Hawaii escaping the cold!! We are returning in the Spring for a whole new season! In fact, we all just got here to our Midwest Base just a couple of weeks ago and have already started our tours last week with corporate Luau events in Virginia Beach and Detroit.”
V: Anything else to add?
VC: “Please, if you have not yet had the opportunity to visit our beautiful islands or perhaps you have visited it once in the past, come out to this beautiful venue in Bemus Point on Sunday, May 29th and experience or relive an authentic Hawaiian experience for the whole Ohana (Family) one of which you will not forget and all of this without having to have sat on a 12-hour flight nor having to have adjusted to the 6-hour time difference and needless to say, without having to have paid the costly R/T airfare! E Komo Mai! (All of you just come!)
Thank you, Volcano, for taking the time to speak with us and for sharing your joy of the islands with us here in the Northeast. Thank you to the whole huladancers.com team for all the hard work you do to bring a true Hawaiian experience to your guests and a special thank you to The Fish in Bemus Point for hosting this great event for the community to enjoy!!