Vicky Holt Takamine Receives Prestigious Gish Prize

Vicky Holt Takamine, an esteemed master teacher of traditional Hawaiian dance, has been honored with the 31st annual Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, as announced by the Gish Prize Trust on Wednesday. This prestigious award, now valued at over $450,000, recognizes a “highly accomplished figure” who has not only “pushed the boundaries of an art form” but has also contributed significantly to social change, paving the way for future generations of artists.

Last year’s recipient was Thelma Golden, the director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem. Holt Takamine’s selection is a testament to her deep commitment to her craft and her activism on behalf of the culture, rights, and natural environment of Indigenous Hawaiians. In a phone interview, she expressed her feelings of being “overwhelmed” and “stunned” by this recognition, stating, “What an honor for my people and my community, for Hawaii, and for the art of hula, which rarely receives this kind of acknowledgment.”

For Holt Takamine, hula transcends mere entertainment for tourists; it serves as a vital means of preserving Indigenous culture. “It’s a form of resistance,” she emphasized, highlighting the importance of her work in safeguarding her heritage.

The selection committee for this year’s Gish Prize unanimously chose Holt Takamine from a diverse pool of finalists representing various fields, including visual and performing arts, literature, and arts administration. Terrance McKnight, the chair of the prize selection committee and a host on WQXR, a classical music station in New York City, remarked, “The recipient of the Gish Prize needs to be both a creator and an instigator — someone who has enhanced beauty in the world and worked to make society more whole. Vicky is highly accomplished and remains an agent of change.” He expressed his honor in presenting the award to Holt Takamine, stating that it helps bring her cultural contributions the recognition they richly deserve.

Holt Takamine hails from a lineage of dancers and political leaders. She began her dance journey at the age of 12 and later pursued her academic interests in Dance Ethnology, earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Hawaii. In 1975, she earned the esteemed title of kumu hula (master teacher) and founded her own Hawaiian dance school, Pua Ali`i `Ilima, two years later. The school’s mission is to preserve and perpetuate Native Hawaiian arts and cultural traditions for future generations.

For over 30 years, she has lectured at various colleges and universities and has served as president of a coalition of traditional practitioners dedicated to protecting Hawaiian customs and traditions since 1997. “This has been my life’s work,” she shared. “I don’t think about it. I just do it. Being recognized in this way feels like validation and credibility. However, I hope this award brings awareness to my people and my culture.”