HILO, Hawai'i — The members of O'Brian Eselu's Ke Kai O Kahiki hula halau escorted their kumu to the stage over and over again, as did the dancers of Sonny Ching's Halau Na Mamo O Pu'uanahulu, as each kumu received multiple awards for the 46th annual Merrie Monarch Festival. 

Eselu smiled during Saturday night's awards ceremony and said, "Wonderful, just wonderful," each time he walked up the ramp to receive more honors.

The two kumu, along with other winners Rae Foseca, Mapuana de Silva, Chinky Mahoe and Kaui'onalani Kamana'o and Kunewa Mook, nodded and smiled as the awards procession stretched past midnight. Fonseca, a favorite Big Island kumu, said his award honored the late, great kumu, Darrell Lupinui.

"He was admired by everyone in the hula world," Fonseca said.

The stories of the 2009 Merrie Monarch-winning halau are woven together like a fine lauhala mat. Overall winner Eselu once presented Tracie Farias as a winning Miss Aloha Hula. This year, Tracie Farias Lopes returned to the festival with her own halau, garnering a fifth-place award for her Miss Aloha Hula contestant and a third place in the wahine 'awana category. She was Hawaiian language teacher for the 2009 Miss Aloha Hula, presented by Keali'i Reichel.

Receiving an award in the wahine 'auana division, Maui kumu Napua Greig described the 2009 festival as "a search for hula that our kupuna, our grandmothers, would recognize. I think they are watching, being proud."

OVERALL

1. Ke Kai O Kahiki, O'Brian Eselu, Wai'anae

2. Hālau Nā Mamo O Pu'uanahulu, William Kahakuleilehua Hanau'u "Sonny" Ching, Honolulu

KĀNE OVERALL

1. Ke Kai O Kahiki, O'Brian Eselu, Wai'anae

2. Hālau Nā Mamo O Pu'uanahulu, William Kahakuleilehua Hanau'u "Sonny" Ching, Honolulu

3. Kawaili'ulā, Chinky Mahoe, Kailua, O'ahu

KĀNE 'AUANA

1. Hālau Nā Mamo O Pu'uanahulu, William Kahakuleilehua Hanau'u "Sonny" Ching, Honolulu

2. Ke Kai O Kahiki, O'Brian Eselu, Wai'anae

3. Kawaili'ulā, Chinky Mahoe, Kailua, O'ahu

4. Hālau Ka Liko Pua O Kalaniākea, Kapua Dalire-Moe, Kāne'ohe

KĀNE KAHIKO

1. Ke Kai O Kahiki, O'Brian Eselu, Wai'anae

2. Hālau Na Mamo O Pu'uanahulu, William Kahakuleilehua Hanau'u "Sonny" Ching, Honolulu

3. Kawaili'ula, Chinky Mahoe, Kailua, O'ahu

4. Hālau Hula 'O Kahikilaulani, Rae Fonseca, Hilo

WĀHINE OVERALL

1. Hālau Na Mamo O Pu'uanahulu, William Kahakuleilehua Hanau'u "Sonny" Ching, Honolulu

2. Hula Hālau 'O Kamuela, Kau'ionālani Kamana'o and Kunewa Mook, Waimānalo and Kalihi, O'ahu

3. Hālau Hula 'O Kahikilaulani, Rae Fonseca, Hilo

WĀHINE 'AUANA

1. Hula Hālau 'O Kamuela, Kau'ionālani Kamana'o and Kunewa Mook, Waimānalo and Kalihi, O'ahu

2. Hālau Na Mamo O Pu'uanahulu, William Kahakuleilehua Hanau'u "Sonny" Ching, Honolulu

3. Ka La'ōnohi Mai O Ha'eha'e, Tracie and Keawe Lopes, Kalihi

4. Hālau Ke'alaokamaile, Keali'i Reichel, Maui

5. Hālau Nā Lei Kaumaka O Uka, Nāpua Greig and Kahulu Maluo-Huber, Kula, Maui

WĀHINE KAHIKO

1. Hālau Na Mamo O Pu'uanahulu, William Kahakuleilehua Hanau'u "Sonny" Ching, Honolulu

2. Hālau Hula 'O Kahikilaulani, Rae Fonseca, Hilo

3. Hālau Mōhala'Ilima, Māpuana de Silva, Ka'ōhao (Lanakai), O'ahu

4. Hula Hālau 'O Kamuela, Kau'ionālani Kamana'o and Kunewa Mook, Waimānalo and Kalihi, O'ahu

5. Hālau Nā Lei O Kaholokū, Leialoha Lim Amina and Nani Lim Yap, Kohala, Hawai'i