When I was fifteen, my grandmother gave me permission to experience being in a halau. That was my beginning with Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett. It was incredible to belong to his halau. The mana within the halau was very strong and you could feel the spirit permeate the air. The students had so much aloha for each other and they were so willing to spend extra time to help you learn.

I was never one of his best students. I know that I did not get enough of all he had to offer. He has so much knowledge of the culture: his whole lifestyle lives the culture. This is probably the greatest lesson I have learned from him. Becoming a kumu hula doesn't mean you just teach hula. Becoming and being a kumu hula dictates your whole lifestyle. It dictates the way you think, your action, and your view on life. All of these things are interrelated. I danced with Frank for about three years and it was he who gave me the name I use today, Kahakuleilehua.After moving to town however it just became too difficult to continue commuting to He'eia on the bus with all my hula implements and my other interests started playing more of an important role in my life. I guess that I did not have the dedication, discipline, and desire strong enough to continue.

After about a year and a half I started with Lahela Ka'aihue. It was Lahela who truly taught me to love the hula 'auana. She is such a beautiful dancer. I could sit for hours and watch her dance. The style of dancing that we do, especially the men's auana, is really Lahela.

As I got older, I realized the importance of teaching hula. In 1986 Moses Crabb asked me to take over his class at Paki Park because he was concentrating on his kumu hula training with Robert Cazimero. I started teaching a group of kupuna and ten years later I'm still at Paki Park. Some of the kupuna in my class today are the same ladies from that original class.