‘Hula is my church’: how Patrick Makuakāne is reinvigorating Hawaii’s traditional dance

Winner of the MacArthur ‘genius’ grant in 2023 has forged his own style in San Francisco while often subverting stereotypes of hula itself

For Patrick Makuakāne, hula isn’t just a way to preserve his Native Hawaiian heritage. It’s also a way to create something new.

As the visionary leader of the San Francisco-based hula school and dance company Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu since 1985, Makuakāne has forged his own style of hula that blends traditional movements and chants with contemporary music, costumes and themes such as colonialism, sovereignty and gender fluidity – while often subverting stereotypes about hula itself.

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