Nalani Kanakaʻole (born March 19, 1946) is an American Hawaiian kumu hula (hula teacher) at Hālau o Kekuhi, the dance company.[1] The daughter of Edith Kanakaʻole, she leads Hālau o Kekuhi along with her niece Huihui Kanahele-Mossman.[2] In 1993, she and her sister, Pualani Kanakaʻole Kanahele, were jointly named National Heritage Fellows by the National Endowment for the Arts, which recognized them as "Hula Masters".[1]
Nalani Kanakaʻole | |
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| Born | March 19, 1946 Keaukaha, Hilo, Hawaii, United States |
| Occupation | Kumu hula |
| Years active | 1960 – present |
| Children | 1 |
| Mother | Edith Kanakaʻole |
| Relatives |
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Early life and education
editKanakaʻole was raised on homestead lands in Keaukaha, Hilo, Hawaii, in a traditional Hawaiian fashion.[3] She first learned hula from her grandmother, Mary Kekuewa Kanaele Fujii. She was 13 years old when her mother Edith Kanakaʻole started work as a hula teacher, and began teaching hula herself at the age of 14 in 1960. Her family spoke the Hawaiian language at home.[2]
Career
editIn 1985, Kanakaʻole opened Sig Zane Designs alongside her husband, Sig Zane.[4][3]
Personal life
editIn 1982,[4] Kanakaʻole and Sig Zane had a son, Kūhaʻo Zane.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b "Nalani Kanakaʻole & Pualani Kanakaʻole Kanahel". National Endowment for the Arts. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
- ^ a b Gill, Lorin Eleni (2017-11-22). "How These 6 Kumu Preserve Hawai'i's Hula Traditions". Honolulu Magazine. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
- ^ a b "Junior Achievement's 'Business Hall of Fame' to honor Sig Zane, Nalani Kanakaʻole". Hawaii Tribune-Herald. August 22, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
- ^ a b Yamanaka, Katie Young (2020-07-01). "Surf's Up For Sig". MidWeek. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
- ^ Timboy, Marcia (2019-03-01). "Kūha'o Zane: "Hula is the vehicle for my identity to be passed on to me."". Ke Ola Magazine. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
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