It’s always a colorful, vibrant evening when the Aloha O Ka Hula dancers entertain at various clubs around The Villages, in Orlando and even in Hawaii. Nearly 30 nifty dancers with many bright island costume changes offer a mesmerizing show.
But Monday night at Bridgeport Rec Center, the evening was extra special for the leaders of the troupe, Violet & Bill Ray. They chose the Asian-American Club’s monthly meeting to celebrate their twelfth wedding anniversary. Dancer and vocalist, Roseanne, accompanied a tribute to the happy couple.
The Rays, who lived for several years in Hawaii, teach Hawaiian hula and other Polynesian dancing in The Villages, and as emcee, Bill is quite a storyteller. He explains the meaning of the various dances, and ties them in to key events in Hawaiian history.
Club president, Annie Ting, was happy to bring back the Aloha O Ka Hula dancers to the club, and also arranged for salad, Hawaiian style pizza and fresh taro root (poi) for dinner, with a dessert of brownies and pineapple upside-down cake.
