Our Story
We continue to celebrate learning together!
Hoaloha Polynesian Dance Group is a Michigan based group which started over 15 years ago with instructor Melanee Hirvela and with hula sisters sharing a passion for Hawaiian dance and seeking to learn traditional dances of Hawaii and the other Pacific Islands. The group has grown since then with students from 6 years old to adult. Today they perform beautiful dances of the Polynesian Islands with the focus on Hawaiian hula. Melanee Hirvela, Masako Ritch, and Akane Applegate are the dance instructors and artistic directors of the group. They currently train as a ho’opa’a (chanter) with Dr. Amy Ku‘uleialoha Stillman at Great Lakes Hula Academy. Dr. Amy Stillman teaches courses on American Studies, ethnomusicology, and hula at the University of Michigan. Hoaloha haumana (students) also receive guidance on hula from Dr. Amy Stillman as of spring 2019. Hoaloha’s goal is to share aloha by performing in communities across Michigan. Hoaloha dancers energize events in Michigan by sharing stories of the people of the Polynesian Islands through music and dance. They hope that their audience will have a better understanding and greater appreciation of the beauty of Polynesian culture.
