Hālau Nā Mamo O Pu‘uanahulu

Chisato Mitsuii, of Kamakura City, Kanagawa, works at her family’s business. In 1994, a friend recommended hula as something fun to learn so Chisato started taking hula lessons from Keiko Terabe, a hula teacher who had taken many of Kumu Hula Sonny Ching’s workshops. After attending one of Kumu Sonnyʻs workshops herself, Chisato “was anxious to dance with Hālau Nā Mamo O Pu‘uanahulu even if it meant moving to Honolulu.”

Chisato believed that hula would lead her in the right direction in her life. So in 2004, Chisato resigned from her job, left Japan to study abroad and joined HNMOP. Besides feeling excited and exhilarated by dancing hula, Chisato was fascinated by the lessons hula had filled her life with. She shared that “hālau doesnʻt only teach hula, students can grow as a person. Hula has enriched my soul and lifted my spirit. It has taught me to be humble and thankful.”

By the time her study abroad period came to an end, Chisato knew that HNMOP would soon open in Japan. She returned to Japan and took the Kumusʻ workshops until the Japan Hālau opened. Chisato has been active in the hālau since its opening in 2006. “When Iʻm dancing hula, I feel warm and full of love and extremely happy. I also have an irreplaceable bond with my peers and I am happiest when I’m spending time with them.”