Nā Kumu

Kumu Ka’ea and Kumu Kahelelani are lifetime hula dancers, having had the opportunity to be traditionally trained from birth by their late mother, Sally Kalala Alohikea Toko. Sally was the daughter of Moses Kuʻulei Unauna Toko Alohikea of Waipiʻo Valley, Hawaiʻi and Mary Ka’eamoku Kahoonei of Hāʻena, Kauaʻi. Sally’s father, Moses, was the son of the great Hawaiian composer, entertainer, and Kaua’i state representative Hon. High Chief Alfred Unauna Alohikea (1884-1936) and his first wife, Ohumukini Toko (1885-1905), both of Waipi’o Valley, Hawai’i. Ohumukini was the daughter of Tokujiro Sato, one of the well-known first Japanese immigrants (or Gannenmono) to Hawai’i who arrived in 1868.

Sally gained notoriety as an entertainer on O’ahu and later on Hawai’i island, where she was also part of a cohort of Hulihe’e Palace dancers under the direction of ‘Iolani Luahine. Sally trained her daughters in the traditional manner, and as was customary, she also sent them to other kumu for additional training during their youth. Ultimately, Ka’ea and Kahelelani became students of Kumu Nani Lim Yap and graduates of her award-winning Hālau Hula Nā Lei ʻO Kaholoku.

  • Kumu Ka’ea Lyons-Yglesias

    With a deep passion for the Hawaiian language, culture, and hula, Kaʻea has enriched the lives of keiki as a kumu for over 20 years. Her work spans several Hawaiian Language programs, including Pūnana Leo Hawaiian Language Preschools and Ke Kula ʻO ʻEhunuikaimalino Hawaiian Language Immersion School. She also served as a lecturer and Hawaiian language instructor at Hawaiʻi Community College–Pālamanui, as well as a community language teacher with Haleo.

    In 2011, Kaʻea joined the team at KAPA Hawaiian FM, where she co-hosted the morning show and later served as Content and Brand Manager. Throughout her time at the station, she continued to share her knowledge and passion for Hawaiian language and culture with the wider community. Kaʻea is also the founder of the Kākoʻo I Nā Keiki Program and the Lāhui Project, both of which benefit Big Island keiki.

    Kaʻea has been blessed to travel throughout the world and the continental United States, sharing her aloha through hula. With over 30 years of study, she has graduated as a Kumu Hula from the award-winning hālau Nā Lei ʻO Kaholoku, under the direction of Kumu Hula Nani Lim Yap.

    Committed to lifelong service, Kaʻea currently serves as Vice Principal at Ke Kula ʻO ʻEhunuikaimalino Hawaiian Immersion School. Through education, Hawaiian language, and cultural practice, she continues to strengthen cultural identity and nurture meaningful relationships within the community.

  • Kumu Kahelelani Lyons Alohikea-Smith

    Kahelelani Lyons Alohikea-Smith was born and raised in Kailua-Kona on Hawaiʻi Island and is a kumu hula and co-founder of Hālau Kaʻeaikahelelani. Through hula, Kahelelani serves as a cultural ambassador, traveling internationally and across the US to share Hawaiian culture and ʻike with communities abroad.

    Before dedicating herself fully to being a Kumu Hula, Kahelelani built a successful career in the hospitality industry, serving in leadership roles where she developed and implemented cultural programming for employees and guests, and coordinated numerous events that strengthened connections between the resort and the greater community.

    Kumu Kahelelani has also served as a Commissioner on Hawaiʻi County’s Cultural Resources Commission, helping to protect and preserve historic sites and cultural places on Hawaiʻi Island. She currently serves on the Kona Historical Society Board of Directors.

    Hula is the heartbeat of Kumu Kahelelani’s life. It is not only her passion, but a kuleana and birthright passed down through generations of her mother’s ʻohana. Chanting, music, hula, genealogy, leadership, and philanthropy form the foundation of her ʻohana legacy and continue to be “the source” that guides her and her sister in their work with Hālau Kaʻeaikahelelani today.

    Married to renowned ipu maker, Kalim Smith, Kahelelani can often be found on the farm with her ʻohana, caring for the ʻāina. She enjoys traveling, researching family history, and spending time with her ʻohana in Hawaiʻi and abroad. As a mother to her children, Lilia and Alohikea, a wife, and a kumu hula, Kahelelani strives to live the foundation of ALOHA each and every day.