Kumu Kawena Hula

I teach hula every week in Tokyo, Urayasu, Abiko and Katase Enoshima. I think my hula lessons haven't changed much since my first start; teaching high school girls at Lutheran High School in 2001 and a small group of ladies at Heeia State Park. Although I have competition experiences with three of my four teachers, and from my own experience as a kumu, competition really hasn't been my main focus for teaching. I find simple joy in just teaching my students hula auana and kahiko. I feel happy to support and teach a few hula teachers here in Japan. I enjoy teaching and singing the hula songs for them during my classes. From hula, we learn how important leo, voice is and how the voice has mana, so my singing or chanting voice in class, I like to think of as a blanket, or kihei which I'd like to wrap around my students and let them feel cared for.