24-05-2025
Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Kamokunani Hula Hālau founder shares Aloha spirit via dance
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — Johnette Kamokunani Palumbo uses Polynesian dance to make people feel like ohana or family.
'Because it is my culture, I'm very proud. And what I love about it is I'm able to share with everyone,' she said.
Palumbo is the founder of Kamokunani Hula Hālau which stands for Kamokunani's dance school. She offers Polynesian dance classes from Hawai'i, Tahiti and more.
'We do Māori, which is New Zealand as well. So Māori, Tahitian, Cook Island and Hawaii, which also we do modern and Kahiko, which are the ancient dances as well,' she said.
Palumbo was born in Hawai'i the same year it became the 50th state of the United she was six, Palumbo's family came to the continental U.S. when they moved to then visited Hawai'i every other year, keeping her connected to her Polynesian heritage.
'And because my mom started me at age four back then it was great. As I was going into my teenage years I was like really I gotta go to Hawai'i again,' Palumbo said. 'I didn't appreciate it until I was older of course. Then I was able to realize that I wanted to do this for most of my life and share it with others.'
Palumbo opened her dance school in 2008. There was a period of a six-year sabbatical but she came back in 2023. From Palumbo's mom to her grandchildren, hula is an important part of their heritage.
'When my mom does come down, we do have a four-generational dance. And it's fabulous. She's 93 years old,' she said. 'What's amazing is after all the show everybody's crying seeing my mom dance. She's old hula. Where old hula is this and new hula is this, very soft.'
Palumbo said her students become ohana. She wants everyone to take a class to experience the ohana and aloha spirits.
'As you can see we have very mixed nationalities. And I want all nationalities to come and try it,' she said. 'Because it's fun and we love each other and we give to each other and we give the Aloha spirit to one another.'
To find a class for you at Kamokunani Hula Hālau click here.
See how Breanna Rittman did taking a dance class here:
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