Halla Pai Huhm

Halla Pai Huhm (; alternately, Halla Huhm, Pai Halla, or Pae Yŏng-ja; 1922–1994) was a Korean-American dancer and the most well-known teacher of Korean dance in Hawaii. She established the Halla Pai Huhm dance studio, and after her death, the Halla Pai Huhm Foundation's Dance Collection was started from her collection of documents, photographs, and recordings. The archival collection was named a U.S. Irreplaceable Dance Treasure in 2001.

Biography

Early life and education Born in Busan, Pai Huhm moved to Japan with four siblings when she was five and was raised by her father's niece, Pai Ku-ja 배구자(裵龜子, 1905년 ~ 2003년.) Pai was a dancer who taught Huhm the foundations of modern, Japanese, and Korean dance. When World War II broke out, she returned to Korea. She studied Korean dance with Han Sung-jin and other masters, and continued her studies even after she immigrated to Hawaii in 1949. Huhm would regularly travel back to Korea as part of her job at a travel agency, and used this time to further her studies.

Honolulu Huhm moved to Hawaii in 1949 to follow her husband, a Korean-American soldier. Huhm first appeared in Honolulu's theater scene during a production of Teahouse of the Autumn Moon at the Honolulu Community Theatre in 1954. The studio's early struggles could also be attributed to local Koreans view that Huhm was "too Japanese" because she spoke fluent Japanese and got along well with members of the Japanese community. She kept the studio afloat using funds from her job at a travel agency. Huhm was the first recipient of the Outstanding Korean in Hawaii award. She also received a cultural medal from the South Korean government in 1980.

The Halla Pai Huhm Foundation was named in her honor, and includes the studio she ran. It also includes an archive of documents and memorabilia Huhm collected. The archival collection was named a U.S. Irreplaceable Dance Treasure in 2001, and received grants to preserve the items in Hawaii's humid climate.

In 2013, Billie Lee made a documentary on Halla's work entitled, "Moving Home: The Legacy of Halla Pai Huhm."

Selected works 1980, Kut, Korean shamanist rituals