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Our "Kumu" & Director, Renee "Kaawai" Ontai Ah Yo, started dancing hula at the age of 4 years. As she gained proficiency in Polynesian Dance, she progressed to the professional stage with performances in Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe, and Hawaii. Here & throughout the San Francisco Bay Area she continued delighting audiences with her lovely & energetic dance style for several decades.
After a 2 year hiatus, she decided to return to sharing her culture through song and dance. In 1996, she started her own Halau. By gathering together friends and family, she formed The Island Paradise Dancers. Before the passing of her late Kumu Hula Leinaala Alesna in January 2000, the name Na Hawaii O Kaleponi was passed on to Kaawai. She felt truly blessed by this honor & proud to carry on her Kumu's legacy but felt it should be rightfully given back to her family members.
In doing so, our name developed to represent what we have become... A Strong Hula Family of Kaawai. Therefore, we are proudly:
Our Ohana (family) is made up of 105+ members & growing. Our Halau offers not only Hula and Tahitian dance instruction, but also Maori/Haka & Tahitian Drumming taught by our lead drummer, Marcel Quiroz. We are available to entertain at luaus, weddings, birthday parties, corporate events or any other celebration or special occasion.
Our Halau is located at 4220 Commercial Drive, Suite #5, Tracy, CA
(209)839-2205
To contact us, please send an E-Mail message to Renee at
paradise1@neteze.com for class and entertainment information.