Saturday, November 5, 2022 12 PM to 5 PM Willow Canyon High School 17901 W Lundberg St. Surprise, AZ 85388 Surprise, AZ 85388 Festival Contact: 623-255-8491 Follow Us on YouTube
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Kumu Hula Kalena has been dancing since childhood and has worked with the community through AmeriCorps helping at-risk children and families in need. Major appearances include the International Home Builders Show, Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, Sunday Ann Arbor Artisan's Market, Gilda's Club, Detroit Festival for the Arts, Detroit Princess Riverboat, Fountain Hills Arizona Thanksgiving Day Parade, Susan B. Komen for the Cure, AZ Aloha Festival, and Arizona Exposition & State Fair. Tropical Polynesian Productions is known for their energetic and upbeat dances. Kalena teaches the following dances: Hawaiian (Ancient and Modern), Tahitian, Fijian, Tongan, Maori New Zealand, and Samoan. In addition to dance classes, she conducts Tahitian drumming and Samoan fire and knife dance seminars.  She is also a Knitwear and bead embroidery designer. See Kalena’s designs at Sugarkdesigns.com. Kalena has served as one of the board of directors for the Lau Kanaka No Hawaii Hawaiian Civic Club of Arizona from 2017 to 2019.










Abyssinia is a gifted belly dancer of improvisation. And she is a doctor! She is currently studying to become a serious Polynesian dancer with Kumu Kalena. Abyssina owns Motherland Jams Bellydance.











Napua O' Polynesia of Rhode Island was founded

in 1988 by artistic director Carolyn Castro.

Performing at various events throughout

the New England area, the dancers,

drummers, & musicians bring you on a

cultural tour of the Polynesian Islands of

Hawaii and New Zealand, as well as Tahiti

and the Philippines. Troupe members have

competed three times at the International

Hula Competition in Honolulu, Hawaii.


Our performances include Kahiko (Ancient)

and Modern hula.  Napua O' Polynesia is

based out of the Carriage House Theater

in Providence, RI.





Kaimikahu Hale O Hula I Te Faʻa O Te Mahana. Kumu Kaimi Matthews Valdez, trained in both Hawaiian and Tahitian culture, was born in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi and started dancing at the young age of 3 under the direction of Kumu Hula Master and Composer John Piʻilani Watkins.  When her family moved to California in 1975, she continued dancing with Kumu Hula Naomi Leinaʻala Kalama and then at age of 5 began dancing with Kamo's o awaii, also known as Kamohai's Hula Halau, under the direction of Kumu Hula Joseph Kamohaʻi Kahaulelio.

When Kaimi turned 7, her passion and love for hula grew.  Uncle Joe recognized her knowledge and after ʻuniki (graduation), he decided she should open her own halau.  In 1979 she began teaching hula and Tahitian dance in her garage.  This was the beginning of Kaimikahu Hale O Hula; it was originally based in her hometown of Santa Clara, California, and eventually expanded into the Salinas and Sacramento areas.

In the summer of 1978, Kaimi entered Tahiti Fete in Sacramento where she placed first in her age category and took overall for the Wahine division.  She took the same title in 1979 and 1982.

In 1983, Kaimi moved back to the island of Oʻahu and took a break from teaching and attended Halau under the direction of Kumu Hula Maʻiki ʻAiu Lake and then under Kumu Hula John Keola Lake.  She also learned Tahitian from Tunui Tully.  In 1985 she moved back to California where she returned to teaching her halau again while also continuing to grow and enhance her skills at the same time under the direction of Kumu Hula Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomalu.

In 1996, Kaimi’s family moved to Arizona where she resides and continues to teach hula and Tahitian dance and has been going strong for 20 years.

















D. “Moon” Kahele

Musician, Composer, Recording Artist

Born in Hawaii of Pure-Hawaiian ancestry and the second youngest of nine kids, “Moon” grew up on Oahu in the rugged districts of Kalihi and Waiamanalo. After  his Army and Dept of Justice Law Enforcement career of 25+yrs, Moon made his way to the “Island of Arizona” to see what his future would hold.


In Arizona, he developed his music sound and was in popular demand to perform at private and public functions. In Arizona, Moon created a music catalog of four music CD’s to his credit –A Walk Across The Ocean, Cut Me Some Slack, Ka Hele Kane O Hawaii & Praise Him Island Style V. 2.  Each project was up for nominations with the Hawaii Music Awards and the Na Hoku Hanohano Award HARA Organizations back home in Hawaii.


Now semi-retired, Moon lives in the East Kapolei Hawaiian Homestead on Oahu as he continues to perform “Live Music” events. Moon teaches ZOOM music lessons on the Ukulele and Slack Key Guitar. If anyone is interested, beyond the beginner level, Moon can be reached at moonmusichi@gmail.com.  Ahui Hou.     














 

Attorney Bethanie Mickles presently resides in Lynchburg, VA where she serves as Magistrate Judge of the 24th Judicial District of Virginia and the Artistic Director of World of Dance Performing Arts Company, a dance company that specializes in international dance styles. Bethanie will be presenting an Indian classical Kathak dance, "Tarana".  Kathak dance originates from northern India and is characterized by fast pirouette turns, intricate footwork and precise rhythmic patterns that the dancer articulates by controlling about 100 ankle bells. Tarana is a type of kathak dance in which the beauty of rhythm is explained through various movements, various combinations of rhythmic phrases, and stances. Bethanie has had the honor of performing with her dance company in Jaipur, India as well as at the world-famous Durga Puja Festival in Kolkata, India.

IG: @worldofdancepac

Twitter: @worldofdancepac

Email: worldofdancepac2@gmail.com














Classical Fusion Dance



Tribe City Music by Jonathan Singh



AfroFusion by Nwanneka



Desert Roses by Larisa Lopatko



Devotera