Performances rooted in lineage. Kahiko and ʻauana under the direction of Kumu Hula Lehua Kalama-Iaea.
Hālau Hula o Kawaipuna was founded in 2003 by Kumu Hula Lehua Kalama-Iaea, who trained under Kumu Hula Aloha Dalire. The hālau takes its name from a small spring in Mānoa where the kumu's grandmother taught her her first hula as a child.
We perform both kahiko (traditional) and ʻauana (modern) hula at events across the islands. Every performance includes oli (chant) appropriate to the occasion and the place — we kuleana the place name, the family hosting, the moment.
We are not a lūʻau revue. We do not perform abridged or invented choreography for the sake of brevity. What we offer is hula as it is taught in our hālau: deliberately, with intention, with the names of those who came before still in our mouths. We are happy to provide longer or shorter sets but not to rush a single mele.
We perform with live musicians (typically a trio of ʻukulele, guitar, and ipu) included in every booking. Our dancers range in age from 16 to 68. Most events use 6-8 dancers; full hālau performances of 12-25 are available.
Auntie Maile S. · Mānoa
Kumu Lehua wrote a custom oli for my husband's 70th — naming his birthplace, his mother's name, his work as a paniolo on Hawaiʻi Island. We are still talking about it. The whole hālau came. The performance was forty minutes that felt like ten.
Kekoa & Pua L. · Honolulu
We were specific that we did not want a generic 'lūʻau-style' hula at our wedding and the hālau understood immediately. They performed two ʻauana with their own live trio. My grandmother cried. I cried.
Corporate event organizer · Waikīkī
We've worked with a lot of hula performers for corporate welcome events. Hālau Hula o Kawaipuna is in a different category. The kumu spent an hour on the phone with us before the event making sure she understood who was being honored. Our guests were genuinely moved.
These are starting packages. Most vendors will customize for your date, headcount, and the kind of party you're throwing — ask.
30 minutes
Six dancers, three-piece live music, two ʻauana mele appropriate to the family's place of origin. Most-booked for wedding receptions.
45 minutes
Eight dancers, custom oli for the host family, a kahiko and ʻauana set. Often booked for corporate retreats and milestone birthdays.
60 minutes
Twelve to twenty-five dancers, full live music ensemble, narrative program. For full lūʻau or major celebrations.
Booked dates are pulled from the vendor's own calendar. If your date is open, you can request a quote — they'll confirm in their reply. Most events lock in 2–6 months ahead in Hawaiʻi; for May–August dates, sooner is safer.
Restored 1930s plantation hall on the windward side. Six acres, room for 200, sliding-door views of the Koʻolau.
Third-generation North Shore shave ice. Real fruit syrups, fresh from the family stand, brought to your party.
Wedding and event hair + makeup. Five-artist team, on-location, mobile across Oʻahu.