About Huraiti Mana

Ha'amana | to empower

Huraiti Mana is a Polynesian dance troupe based in Seattle, Washington led by Ha'api'i Kalei'okalani Onzuka. We seek to empower our diverse students to become huraiti or skilled dancers through challenging lessons in hula of Hawai'i and Ori of Tahiti. Our huraiti also learn the languages and histories of these Pasifika cultures and, in turn, learn more about their own cultural backgrounds and selves. Huraiti Mana is dedicated to creating a welcoming atmosphere infused with laughter, shared stories, and passionate work, perpetuating deeply rooted values of cultural pride, family, and love. Culture is about encouragement and empowerment, and that is what we hope to share with you at Huraiti Mana. "Ei aha roa to 'oe hiro'a. Ia mo'e i e to nuna'a." May you always keep with you, the consciousness and dream of your origin.

Ha'aputu | to gather

Culture is more than the performance of song and dance. It is about the relationships you build leading up to that moment. It's about how we as people interact. How we teach each other, how we listen to each other, and how we learn from each other. Following in the practices of exchange and reciprocation from our indigenous peoples, we welcome all dancers at any experience level and provide a safe place for students to learn various dance forms. Huraiti Mana also strives to develop relationships with nonprofits and organizations dedicated to showcasing, featuring, and supporting our Pacific Islander, Asian-American, and various communities of color. We strive to provide performance opportunities by developing relationships with individuals and organizations throughout Washington whose values we share.

Ha'api'i | to teach, to learn

Aloha mai kākou. 'O Kalei'okalani ko'u inoa. He Kanaka Maoli a Kepanī a Pākē a Pā'ele au. 'O Wai'anae ku'u home hānau e. E noho au i Seattle. O wau ka ha'api'i 'O Huraiti Mana. Kalei'okalani is of Kanaka Maoli, Japanese, Chinese, and Black heritage and was born and raised in Wai'anae, O'ahu. She began dancing at six years old with Lokelani Polynesian Revue in Nānākuli. After her 'uniki, Kalei continued training with Polynesian Dance Troupe Ma'ohi Nui, performing and competing professionally internationally and in island-wide Heiva. She also trained with the Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Campus Hawaiian Ensemble and with Aunty Makalapua of Hālau Hula 'O Mililani of Wai'anae. From her move to Washington in 2009 until 2016, Kalei taught originally choreographed Tahitian, hula, and Samoan dances at Seattle University for the Hui 'O Nani Hawai'i club. In 2016, she began teaching hula as a part of Arts Corps, an organization providing equal opportunity for creative programs in schools with children of predominantly low-income communities of color, engaging them in conversations and practice of community, identity, and racial equality. She also taught with Families of Color Seattle (FŌCS) as a part of the FOCSarts program, providing multi-cultural arts classes for toddlers. With Huraiti Mana, she opens her independent teachings to students of all ages, learning from each and instilling in each significant values of cultural exchange and identity. She considers herself ha'api'i, a word of the Tahitian language meaning both to teach and to learn. As Kalei continues teaching, she learns and gains tenfold, the knowledge of her huraiti, her cultures, and her self. Kalei aspires to continue teaching, studying, and sharing the love of her people.

CONTACT
huraitimana@gmail.com
Seattle, Washington

Founder, Instructor Kalei'okalani Onzuka

Photography by Kyle Kotani