Studio Hiʻilei is a creative space to learn Fusion Bellydance through our online studio. We also offer monthly Lei Poʻo workshops that we host on our family farm in Waimanalo.
Kalae Kaina has been teaching and performing Fusion Bellydance since 2004 in Honolulu. She directs Honolulu's premier Fusion Bellydance Company, Shakti Dance Movement and has graced many local and national stages. The artistry she brings to her craft is evident in her work as a performer, choreographer,& multi-media artist. Fusion Bellydance is an integrative style that blends elements from other dance forms such as contemporary, pop & lock, flamenco, and classical Indian dance, to name a few. This fusion of dance style, also called Transnational Dance, is Kalae's specialty. With over two decades of experience in the arts, Kalae has a wealth of knowledge to share!
The story behind our logo~
This design represents the artist in all of us!
The magic behind this image comes with a story; let's start with the name, Studio Hi'ilei. The name Hi'ilei was given to Kalae by her Hawaiian grandmother, it's translation: To carry, to tend, to cherish a beloved child. Where ever you find space for your "studio", a living room, a field in a park, on a friends patio, a studio is our safe space where we learn, create, and grow. In this safe space we must treat ourselves as Hi'ilei.
The Image of the puhi or eel represents for Kalae personally, facing ones fears. As a child when playing in a tide pool a zebra moray slithered through the sand and kissed her toes. Although she was not afraid in that moment, Kalae's lifetime fear of this beautiful stealth creature remains strong.
The Puhi is holding the moon in the Huna moon phase. Huna means small or hidden as well as horned. Put the two meanings together and we have the hidden horns, which describes the shape of this moon. According the the Hawaiian moon calendar, this is a good time for plants that normally like to hide, like root vegetables. Every idea, every desire, every inspiration seed must first germinate and be nurtured within. Huna, reminds us that time hiding is time well spent.
The wings guiding the eel in this image are those of the Black Witch Moth, or pulelehua. Kalae's grandma would tell her, if you see this moth, someone you know has passed on. Hawaiians believed this moth is the embodiment of a loved one saying their goodbyes. Our ancestors, our loved ones who have passed on, are always with us, popping in now and then to remind us they are supporting us through our fears.
Lastly we come to the ohia lehua. This hardy native tree is one of the first to recolonize on the barren lava fields of Kalapana, Hawaii. This tree is associated with the Hawaiian fire goddess, Madam Pele. We must be resilient and grow in stark landscapes, just like the ohia lehua.
