The Hilo wind picks up in the dark parking lot of Edith Kanaka'ole Stadium, scattering memories and maile leaves.

Trophies for the winners, the thrill of dancing on the coveted stage for the halau members and the joy of watching for thousands in the audience — the 2009 Merrie Monarch hula festival has come to a close, but not without honor for some of Hawai'i's finest kumu hula and their dancers.

The names are familiar. The overall winner of the night was O'Brian Eselu and his halau Ke Kai O Kahiki.

Thursday's Miss Aloha Hula performance set the tone for the festival with each entry honoring language and tradition. On Thursday and Friday nights, there also seemed to be a universal agreement that red and yellow lehua blossoms would be worn by nearly every dancer.

Kumu hula Napua Greig said, "This year we heard the message loud and clear. It was time to take a look back at what hula was to our kupuna, our teachers."

She talked of a time when hula was more spontaneous and free. She said, "We aren't looking as much at precision as we are having our dancers dance how they feel, more like dancers maybe two decades ago."

Saturday night was filled with white satin gowns for the hula 'auana, ladies and men costumed as if they just stepped from a painting of the gala celebrations of the Hawaiian monarchy.

Greig also mentioned what seemed to be an unplanned theme of chant and hula honoring Kamehameha the Great, chants for the ali'i and the procreation hula ma'i. Her kumu, Hokulani Holt, said that when the halau have the same mindset "it is proof that our kupuna are talking to us from afar."

KITV festival co-host Paula Akana echoed Greig's comments, noting that it was so good to see hula and chant that haven't been shared in many years.

"I loved seeing O'Brien Eselu's men doing the hula 'ohelo. That's rare today. It gave all of us an 'Oh wow!' moment," she said, also including her co-host, Kimo Kahoano.

Pre-festival interviews focused on the first appearance of singer, songwriter and kumu hula Keali'i Reichel's halau and the first entry of Tracie and Keawe Lopes' halau.

All three of these kumu prepared their dancers in unique ways. Reichel's focus was language, bringing his dancers to historic places in the heart. The Lopes duo took their entire halau on a catamaran to sail off Ni'ihau and Lehua islands. Akana was along for the ride, and is still amazed at the manta rays and whales that seemed drawn to the sound of the chanting.

Napua Greig said, "Like many dedicated halau, we come to present our hula. The Merrie Monarch audiences are the best in the world. Every person here had to really want to come. They have respect and reverence for what we as a hula community do."

She added that by today, those fans will be planning for Merrie Monarch 2010.

Uncle George Na'ope and festival creator Aunty Dottie Thompson were honored for their insight and years of dedication to hula and to the perpetuation of something no other state can claim — its own language, music and dance revered around the world.