Dance
Dance is a way to make sense of the world. It provides structure and discipline and encourages curiosity about the world. It is a means for learning about oneself and other people. It nourishes the body and mind.
Māhealani’s dance journey began in Washington, DC. She was a student at the Bernice Hammond School of Dance, where she studied ballet and tap dance. This at the time was one of two dance schools which accepted African American students.
As a student of the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Māhealani studied multiple world forms on her way to degrees in Dance Ethnology and Pacific Islands Studies.
After moving to California she became a student of Kumu Joseph Kamoha’i Kahā’ulelio (Uncle Joe). Uncle Joe granted permission for her to study and perform ʻori Tahiti (Tahitian Dance) under Uncle Buddy Carson.
Upon receiving Uncle Joe’s blessing, she began to teach. She became an Adjunct Professor, teaching at multiple college campuses in the Bay Area, as well as her own classes. Advanced students became members of her first group, Hui Pā Hula ʻo Leiānuenue.
Upon the dissolution of Leiānuenue, Māhealani studied multiple culturally specific dance forms, including dances of the Caribbean, Middle Eastern dance, and North Indian classical dance (under the instruction of the late kathak master Pandit Chitresh Das).
I am blessed to have had dance as a constant companion. It has made it possible for me to meet and learn about people in ways that would never have happened otherwise. It provides the opportunity to be a positive influence on the lives of other people. Dance, like music and food, are cultural expressions that bring people together. May we have more of this in the world.
Awards & Honors
2026
2026
2019
City of Berkeley Proclamation
2018
Arts for a Better Bay Area
2015
Berkeley Hawaiian Music Festival
2008
Hawaiʻi Music Award