Hālau Hiʻiakaināmakalehua marks banner year, brings top hula honors home to Niuhelewai, Kapālama Kai

In the heart of Kapālama, one of Hawaiʻi’s renowned cultural practitioners is passing on their knowledge to a new generation.

For countless hours, haumāna gathered at Hālau Hiʻiakaināmakalehua in Niuhelewai, located in Kapālama Kai, to deepen their understanding of culture, history, place and one another. It is a commitment that happens quietly, year after year, long before any trophies are awarded or stages are illuminated.

“These students work hard. They really work hard physically, mentally, emotionally,” Kumu Hula Keano Kaʻupu IV shared.

This year, that dedication was recognized on hula’s biggest stages.

At the Queen Liliʻuokalani Keiki Hula Competition, the hālau’s ʻōpio dancers earned top honors across every category, showcasing the talent and discipline of the next generation. Earlier in the year, Hālau Hiʻiakaināmakalehua captured the highest honors at the Merrie Monarch Festival.

While the accolades brought worldwide recognition, Kaʻupu views the achievements as a reflection of a much deeper journey.

Reflecting on the experience after the Merrie Monarch Festival, he shared: “This year more than ever it was the purpose of the journey, more than the destination. And so I am really appreciative for the recognition.”

That perspective is deeply rooted in the hālau’s name. Named for Hiʻiaka, the beloved younger sister of Pele, the hālau embraces themes of renewal, regeneration and the enduring ability to move forward through change. Those ideas echoed throughout the mele selected for competition and in the story the hālau has lived over the past year.

“That’s part of the process. Acknowledging the catastrophe, acknowledging the upheaval, acknowledging the overturn. Our lives were deconstructed and now let’s find the processes to reconstruct, rebuild, regenerate, re-energize,” said Kaʻupu.

Those words resonate far beyond the competition stage. While trophies and titles may mark this year as historic for the hālau, the true accomplishment can be found in the dancers, families and community members who continue to show up, learn and perpetuate the traditions that have endured from generation to generation.

“Hula is the one cultural practice that touches upon every other aspect of Hawaiʻi,” Kaʻupu explained. “We are the history keepers through the mele, through the moʻolelo. It’s not just physical. It’s mental, intellectual, spiritual.”

As Kapālama Kai continues to grow as a community rooted in culture, connection and innovation, it is especially meaningful to see a hālau from this neighborhood carrying the stories, traditions and values of Hawaiʻi onto the world stage. Their achievements remind us that ʻike Hawaiʻi is not only part of our history, but a vital and enduring force that continues to shape and strengthen our community today.

E hoʻomaikaʻi aku iā Kumu Keano Kaʻupu IV a me nā ʻōlapa a Hālau Hiʻiakaināmakalehua. Mahalo for inspiring our Kapālama Kai ʻohana and for representing our kaiāulu.

Hālau Hiʻiakaināmakalehua is located at 1375 Dillingham Boulevard, Suite 203 in Kapālama Kai. Follow their journey on Instagram at @halauhiiakainamakalehua or click the video below.