About Us

My name is Kekai, and I started dancing with my Kumu Hula Kaui Brown at the age of six in San Diego, California. I danced for many years throughout the great state of California before leaving San Diego to join the Marine Corps after the death of my mother. Once in the Marine Corps, many years would go by before I was able to begin dancing again, but the love of hula never left me. It always remained deep in my heart like an ember, reminding me of all the life lessons it had taught to me. Those lessons are grace, humbleness, light and most importantly, aloha. Today, hula is once again central in my life, and the joy of sharing it with others is something I am so grateful for.

I began to teach hula out of my home as I completed graduate school, only wanting to pass on the traditons and hula lineage that had been passed down to me. There were no plans to begin or start a group, merely to come together and dance. However, over the years, through word of mouth and love of the dance, this simply grew into what we have become today, Kaiholunuie. A blossoming and thriving multicultural group of ladies, young people, and keiki who come together as extended ohana to learn the art of the hula, sharing in the idea of aloha. Today, Kaiholunuie performs all over the state of Connecticut bringing an authentic Polynesian experience to audiences both young and well traveled. 

I am an English teacher by day, teaching eighth grade students a multicultural course that covers both diversity and anti-bias issues.  It is my hope that our young people will be more globally aware of the many beautiful cultures, traditions, values, and belief systems that makes the world a wonderful, and invaluable classroom to explore.