January 2017 | Teaching Traditions

Native Hawaiians often express their way of learning in a neat trio of verbs: ho‘onana, ho‘olohe, ho‘opili (“watch,” “listen,” “imitate”). Whatever the craft, the idea is the same: find a master, open your eyes and ears, and if you don’t get it quite right, trust your teacher to correct you.This method is evident in every class at the San Francisco–based dance school of Patrick Makuakāne. Don’t come loaded with question