Meet the Hālau

Hālau Kaʻeaikahelelani is a living tradition rooted in lineage, land, and learning. What they share through hula, language, and cultural practice has been carried forward through generations.

Nā Kumu

Kumu Kaʻea Lyons-Yglesias

Kaʻea has devoted over 20 years to nurturing keiki through Hawaiian language, culture, and hula. Her work has spanned Pūnana Leo preschools, Ke Kula ʻO ʻEhunuikaimalino Hawaiian Immersion School, and Hawaiʻi Community College at Pālamanui.

With more than 30 years of study, she graduated as Kumu Hula under the guidance of Kumu Hula Nani Lim Yap of the award-winning Hālau Nā Lei ʻO Kaholoku. She also founded the Kākoʻo I Nā Keiki Program and the Lāhui Project, both serving Big Island keiki.

Today, Kaʻea serves as Vice Principal at ʻEhunuikaimalino, continuing to strengthen cultural identity through education, language, and meaningful relationships in the community.

Kumu Kahelelani Lyons Alohikea-Smith

Born and raised in Kailua-Kona, Kahelelani is a kumu hula and co-founder of Hālau Kaʻeaikahelelani. Through hula, she serves as a cultural ambassador, sharing Hawaiian culture and ʻike with communities across the world.

Before dedicating herself fully to the hālau, Kahelelani worked in the hospitality industry, developing cultural programming and strengthening connections between the visitor industry and local communities. She has also served as a Commissioner on Hawaiʻi County's Cultural Resources Commission and sits on the Kona Historical Society Board of Directors.

For Kahelelani, hula is a kuleana and birthright passed through generations of her mother's ʻohana. Chanting, music, genealogy, and stewardship of the ʻāina remain the foundation that guides her work today.

Learn more about the kumu and the traditions they carry forward.

Watch Our Story

Articles and Community Recognition

For those who wish to learn more, these writings offer additional context.

Hawaiian Culture School Project

A profile from The Cultural Conservancy on the hālau's land stewardship and traditional farming practices.

Paʻa ke Kahua, Hākaʻi ʻia na Kūpuna

A Cultural Survival Quarterly feature on Indigenous business grounded in ancestral knowledge.

Grounded in Tradition, Guided by Ancestors

How Hālau Kaʻeaikahelelani navigates uncertain times while remaining rooted in cultural practice.

All photos by Dino Morrow Photography.