Hālau Nā Mamo O Pu‘uanahulu

Wakako Morita resides in Kanagawa, Japan and loves being a housewife because, she says, “I am able to apply what Iʻve learned in hula at home. When dancing hula, I am more open and expressive; it overflows into my personal life with my husband, family and friends.”

While watching the Merrie Monarch Hula festival, Wakako noticed the joy on the dancers faces. Wanting to experience that joy too, Wakako immediately decided that hula was something she wanted to learn. She began dancing hula in 2003, but wanted to learn hula more seriously, so she joined Hālau Nā Mamo O Pu‘uanahulu Iapana when they opened in October 2006. Wakako and 200 others were the first students of HNMOP Japan. “Since I joined the hālau, I have had fun and happy experiences as well as various challenges. It has been an irreplaceable treasure to dance with Kumu Sonny, Kumu Paka and the members of Pu‘uanahulu,” Wakako shared.

During the week, Wakako spends time helping the hālau, so on weekends she cherishes spending time with her family. She is grateful for a loving family that supports her dreams of dancing the hula and being a member of HNMOP. Her favorite songs to dance to are “Aloha No” and “Ka Pilina.” “Ka Pilina” reminds her of the ties that she has to her hula family and the lineage of hula she now comes from.