‘Migrations’ takes guests on a cultural journey at Seascape

A new dinner show at Maui Ocean Center’s award-winning Seascape restaurant — featuring an international-themed buffet followed by a multicultural dance performance — will start twice-a-week performances beginning Friday, Aug. 1, in Māʻalaea.
 
The show, titled “Migrations,” highlights cultures that have settled in the Hawaiian Islands. Dances range from traditional Polynesian to Asian, Mexican and European influences. Each dance showcases creativity from the cultures that make Hawaiʻi the melting pot of the Pacific.

“This show has been over 10 years in the making and was created to celebrate the diverse cultures that I grew up with, and that reflect my own mixed heritage,” said Keoni Manuel, who serves as the show’s co-producer, performer (both as a musician and dancer), choreographer and costume designer. “We’ve created a show that uses traditional dance to take guests through the stories of the generations of people who make Hawaiʻi what it is today.”
 
The evening starts at 6 p.m. with a buffet dinner overlooking scenic Māʻalaea Harbor. The menu includes signature dishes from various countries showcased during the dance performances, including poke, sushi, Molokaʻi sweet potato salad, vegetable lumpia, kalbi-style beef, pork enchiladas and an assortment of island-inspired desserts.

“With the invitation to present our production at Seascape came the challenge to weave the story of Māʻalaea into the show,” Manuel said. “We hope guests not only walk away entertained but with a newfound appreciation of Hawaiʻi’s unique multicultural history and Māʻalaea’s place in that history.”
 
The “Migrations” dinner show — blending traditional dance, storytelling and culinary dishes — is one of the many ways Maui Ocean Center is more than an aquarium. Reserve tickets for a Wednesday or Friday evening performance at mauioceancenter.com.

For more than 25 years, Maui Ocean Center has fostered wonder and respect for Hawaiʻi’s marine life. Whether it’s walking through an underwater tunnel next to sharks and rays or coming eye-to-eye with humpback whales in an immersive 3D film experience, Maui Ocean Center seeks to inspire as it brings you below the water’s surface. Maui Ocean Center was named one of the Top 10 aquariums in the nation as part of USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards 2024. Learn more at mauioceancenter.com.