Our ʻOhana

We all come from many places, we have so many faces.

Together, we are Nohona.

Meet the Hālau Team

Hālau Nohona Hawai’i was established in 2014 and is led by Kumu Kaimana Chee. He is supported by a team of alakaʻi (leaders) that support the implementation of Kumu’s hula program by teaching choreography. Nāpualokelani Kamakele serves as the Administrative Director and is supported by a team of administrative staff.

All Nohona staff and teachers are volunteers who dedicate their time to the preservation, protection, and advancement of Hawaiian culture.

Man, Kumu Hula Kaimana Chee, wearing a red Hawaiian shirt and a lei made of white flowers and green leaves, smiling and pointing upwards during a hula performance.
A woman, Napua, dressed in traditional Polynesian attire with a red skirt, yellow sash, and purple top, adorned with a green leafy lei and a matching leaf headband, standing in front of lush green tropical plants.

  • Co-Founder and Board Member Kaimana Chee was born and raised on the north shore of Oʻahu in the small towns of Lāʻie and Hauʻula. At the age of six, he danced his first hula and a few years later, found a home in a small hālau in Lāʻie under the direction of Kumu Hula Richard Peters. Kaimana’s love and passion for hula continued to grow with influence and instruction from Kumu Hula Sunday Mariterangi while attending Kahuku High School. He attended annual Hula Camps at Kualoa State Park where he was able to learn from Nā Kumu Hula – Kaulana Kasparovich, Victoria Holt Takamine and Ellen Castillio. His hula journey culminated when he participated in the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival with Kumu Hula Keith Awai and Sunday Mariterangi.

    Kaimana left Hawaiʻi in August 1995 to attend Boise State University. With him, he took his love for hula and the Hawaiian culture, reinvigorating the University’s student group Hui-O-Aloha. He taught hula and provided Hawaiian entertainment throughout the city.

    When Kaimana returned home in 2000, he began an apprenticeship with Hālau O Kekela, under the direction of Kumu Kela Miller of Lāʻie, fondly known as Aunty Kela throughout the community. A student of Kumu Cy Bridges, she has worked with dozens of Kumu across Hawaiʻi’s hula landscape. In 2009, Kumu Kela Miller accompanied Kaimana to Tokyo, Japan where she performed ʻuniki rites and endowed Kaimana with the gift and responsibility of Kumu.

    In April 2025, Kaimana returned to Oʻahu from where he continues to serve as Kumu Hula for Nohona.

  • Nāpua hails from Nānākuli, Oʻahu and brings a plethora of professional management experience to this role, which includes the management of personnel, budgets, strategic projects, facilities and operations. She is a 1995 graduate of Kamehameha Schools and formerly served on the Board of the Kamehameha Schools Alumni Association – East Coast Region. Nāpua’s professional experience, communication abilities and problem solving skills combined with cultural knowledge make her uniquely qualified to fulfill the role of Administrative Director. She is excited to be a part of the leadership team and looks forward to the growth of Hālau Nohona Hawaiʻi as well as the positive impact it will continue to have in the community. She is as passionate as ever about the perpetuation and preservation of the Hawaiian culture and believes it is her kuleana to her kupuna & culture to serve in these roles in promulgating the vision and stated mission of Hālau Nohona Hawaiʻi.

    Nāpua also serves on our cultural team as an alakaʻi focusing on ʻōlelo and oli.

A woman, Kailani, performing a Hawaiian hula dance on stage, wearing a green dress, a leafy headband, and leis on her wrists and neck, with other dancers in similar attire in the background.

  • Doreen Kailani Anguay-Barker was born and raised in Kapolei, Hawaiʻi and moved to Virginia in 2008 with her husband Ricky and their 3 kids: Jeremiah, Ricky, and Isabella. She began dancing when she was 3 years old for Joan S. Lindsey Hula Studio. In 1995, Doreen was broadcasted on KHON for her accomplishments as one the first girls to play pop warner football in the state, ranked second in Kumute (fighting) in her division and competed as Miss Keiki Hula in the Keiki Hula Competition all in the same year. She was apart of the first graduating class of Kapolei High School in 2004. Doreen then started to dance for Hālau Nā Mamo O Puʻuanahulu under the direction of Sonny Ching for several years. Doreen currently holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Administration and works as a Director of Operations for Dulles Urgent Care Center for the past 11 years. She recently got accepted into the Master’s in Health Administration program at George Washington University. Doreen and her ʻohana have enjoyed dancing since 2016.

A woman, Huakea, in a red and black patterned dress dancing on stage, wearing a pink floral lei and a red flower hair accessory, with a man playing guitar in the background.

  • Born in Tokyo, Japan, Huakea began her Hawaiian studies in Kailua, Oʻahu, at the age of seven under the instruction of Aunty Bella Richards. After moving to Northern, Virginia in 1973, she continued her studies under Kumu Hula Harold Mahealani “Mahina” Bailey. In 2008, she joined Hālau O ʻAulani and studied under Kumu Keith and Kumu Kimo Awai. She is a graduate of Virginia Tech with an MBA, a Certified Personal Trainer, and works as a Business Analyst with MicroPact in Herndon, VA. All three of her boys, Steven, Michael, and David have studied hula, and now her stepdaughter, Ashley, is a current haumāna (student) of Hālau Nohona Hawaiʻi. She lives with her husband, John, and three children in Ashburn, Virginia.

A woman, Nanipua, with a flower headpiece and red dress performing on stage against a black background.

  • Nanipua was born and raised in Virginia. She began studying Hawaiian culture, language and hula under the instruction of Kumu Hula Wayne Kahoʻonei Panoke with Hālau O ʻAulani in 1994. She received her degree from Christopher Newport University, and has taught for the past ten years with Fairfax County Public Schools. She is happily married to her husband Ethan and they are blessed with three boys – Noa, Kekoa and Kaimana.

A man, Kanoa, playing a ukulele on stage, wearing a white shirt and a black beaded necklace, with other people around him also playing ukuleles.

  • Kanoa Viernes was raised in Waipio Gentry, Oahu until he later moved to Silver Spring, Maryland. He began dancing hula under the instruction of Kumu Hula Wayne Panoke. After moving to Seattle, Washington he continued dancing and playing music with Hālau ʻO Napualani. Kanoa returned to the Northern Virginia area in 2006, where he currently lives with his wife, Nanipua, and three sons.

A group of young women in traditional Polynesian attire standing on stage during a performance, with the main focus on a wahine (woman), Kukana wearing a pa'u skirt, a strapless top, a black necklace, and a headband, with red curtains.

  • Kukana was born and raised in Virginia. She started dancing hula in 1994, at the age of 2, with Hālau ʻO Aulani under the direction of Kumu Hula Wayne Kahoʻonei Panoke. Along with hula, Kukana also grew up playing softball and basketball. Kukana has been an active member in the Hawaiian community in the Washington, D.C. area. In 2016, she was selected as Cherry Blossom Princess representing the Hawaiʻi State Society. She attended Christopher Newport University where she received a degree in Biology. Kukana is now working as a laboratory technician in Sterling, VA and is continuing her love for hula and the Hawaiian culture with Hālau Nohona Hawaiʻi.

Administration

A woman, Keahinōweomailoko, on a waterfront with a city skyline of Singapore's high-rise buildings in the background.

  • Jamie and her husband Olivier joined Nohona in 2022, inspired by her attendance at the Merrie Monarch Festival. As Administrator for Nohona, Jamie merges her lifelong aloha for Hawaiʻi and her career in project and program management and communications and marketing in global development and international relations. Kumu Kaimana Chee gifted Jamie the name Keahinōweomailoko, going by Nōweo among her hula brothers and sisters.

A woman, Puanani, in a sleeveless burgundy dress with a white floral necklace and a flower hair accessory, smiling and extending her hand toward the camera.
A woman, Kekilia, dressed in traditional attire with floral accessories, smiling in front of a plain, light-colored background.

  • Born on Oʻahu, Puanani is of Hawaiian, Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, Irish, African-American, and Lakota Sioux descent. A proud 1994 Kamehameha Schools graduate who studied hula with Kumu Hula Keith Awai, and Kumu Hula Kimo Awai. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from The George Washington University and her Juris Doctor Degree from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. Currently, she serves as the Director of Admissions for CUA Law in Washington, DC. Puanani and Curtis W. Giles are the proud parents of daughter Victoria Grace Piʻikalewanuʻu Giles.

  • Cecilia Amor is the progeny of a military grandfather and father, who spent many years of his career stationed at various bases in Hawaiʻi. Of Filipino and German descent, Cecilia attended Maryknoll High School and Chaminade University on Oʻahu, and received her master’s degree in public health from the University of Minnesota. She began her hula instruction on the Big Island at the age of nine at a hui whose name she no longer remembers. Upon her arrival in Virginia, Cecilia began to dance with Hui O Ka Pua Ilima, before transferring to Hālau Nohona Hawaiʻi. She has three grown children–one happily canoe paddling in Hawaiʻi—and three grandchildren, and she hopes that at least one of them will share her passion for hula.

A woman, Kanani, in foreground. Group of people wearing red and black Polynesian-style clothing, standing on stage with purple curtains, some wearing pink leis, smiling and participating in a cultural event.

Robin, in foreground. Hawaiian women performing a traditional dance, wearing red patterned dresses and floral accessories.

Alaka’i

A band performing on stage with four members playing guitars, one playing percussion, and some members singing. The stage is decorated with green and red fabric banners. The background features a blue curtain, and there are plants at the front of the stage.

  • Nohona is grateful to have the talented musical support from live musicians Isaac Ho`opi`i, Josh Gabonia, Gabby Gabonia, and Lenny Fischer.

Meet Our Board

Our Board provides support to Hālau Nohona Hawai’i by providing strategic direction and governance. The Board is chaired by Shirlene Kilena Ostrov and supported by leaders based in Hawai’i and the DC-region, coming from across various walks of public service.

Smiling woman wearing a yellow jacket and a purple, white, and yellow floral lei

  • Co-Founder and Chairman “Kilena” Ostrov is the President and CEO of Ares Mobility Solutions, Inc. Born and raised in Mililani, Hawaiʻi, Kilena retired as a Colonel in the United States Air Force, where she proudly served her nation in uniform around the world for 23 years. She received her BS from the University of Florida, an MBA at Troy State University, and a Masters in Organizational Management from George Washington University. She is married to Mark Ostrov and they have twin 14-year-old daughters, Jessica and Julia, who continue to study hula and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi in school. The Ostrov family makes their home in Mililani, Hawaiʻi.

A smiling man in a military uniform with numerous medals and ribbons, standing in front of American and military flags.

  • Skip Vincent is the Chairman and Founder of Soft Power Solutions, LLC (SPS) and its parent company, a Native Hawaiian Organization (NHO) not-for-profit foundation, the Hawaii-Pacific Foundation for Soft Power (HPFSP). He recently retired from 37 years of military service as an active duty member of the United States Air Force and Hawaii Air National Guard (HIANG).

    Skip was born and raised on Oahu and earned his undergraduate degree in business from the University of Hawaiʻi, and Masters of Science from Colorado Tech University. He is married to Alberta Ongies-Vincent and has one son, Christopher, and daughters, Carolyn and Emma. Alberta, Carolyn, and Christopher are graduates of Kamehameha, and Emma is attending here first year in college.

Portrait of a police officer in uniform, standing in front of an American flag. He is smiling and facing the camera.

  • Waiʻanae native, Isaac Hoʻopiʻi, served over 12 years in the US Army, which brought him to the Commonwealth of VA. He currently serves with the Pentagon Force Protection Agency as a Pentagon Police Sergeant, K-9 Supervisor and Trainer. He is the proud husband of Gigi Hoʻopiʻi and enjoys spending as much time as possible with his children Jeffrey, Bess, Kukana, son in law Ethan and three grandchildren. When he is not playing music with fellow musicians at Hālau Nohona Hawaiʻi, he plays with the Hawaiian group, The Aloha Boys, who have been performing together for more than 26 years. As a Native Hawaiian, he hopes to continue to serve the Hawaiian community to perpetuate the love and aloha of his home.

Smiling man wearing a floral shirt and a red flower lei around his neck.

Young man sitting at a table playing a small guitar or ukulele in a modern kitchen.

  • Devin grew up in Hāʻena and was raised by his maternal grandparents Francis and Kapeka Chandler, who taught him that nothing should be done unless done well, instilling in him the importance of hard work and diligence, which has served him well both personally and professionally. Having been raised in a Hawaiian household gave him an understanding of culture that cannot be obtained by schooling alone. Devin grew up around lawaiʻa, mahiʻai, haʻimoʻolelo and of course kumu hula, who instilled in him the importance of every aspect of our culture. Eventually he also went through the process of ʻūniki under Kumu Hula Lehua Matsumoto attaining the rank of kumu hula. Along with his cultural training, he has also completed an M.A. in Indigenous Language Revitalization/Hawaiian Language and Literature, from Ka Haka ʻUla ʻo Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, giving him the academic training to both teach and expand his understanding of Hawaiʻi’s language and culture. Devin’s personal vision is not only to perpetuate and preserve native Hawaiian culture for the betterment of our Hawaiian community, but to help establish a standard by which we can use our collective past to bring forward an expanded vitality to our present and future, one that is firmly grounded in the wisdom and knowledge of our lesser known ancient customs and practices, no laila, e kūkulu pū kākou, let us build this vital future together.

In Memoria

Hālau Nohona Hawai’i has been blessed by dedicated kupuna that have supported and guided Hālau since its inception, including those who have passed on. We mahalo forevermore our gracious kupuna who have led us by example. They are reflected in our smiles, our hula, and our aspirations for this community.

A smiling woman with long gray hair, wearing a pink dress with ruffled sleeves and a floral necklace, is reaching out with her hand. She has a flower in her hair and is standing in front of a plain, gradient background.

  • Auntie Julie was born in Frankfort Germany and was raised in a Foreign Service family, living overseas for much of her growing up. She “discovered” hula at the tender age of 16 while attending (public) high school in the Canal Zone, Panama when her best friend’s mom began teaching. After graduating from college she relocated to the Washington DC area and performed with local Polynesian entertainment groups. For many years she worked with the Foundation for Pacific Dance to bring kumu hula from Hawaiʻi to the DC area to teach, and she was the Assistant to the OHA DC Bureau Chief from 2004 to 2011. She is a member of the Ke Aliʻi Makaʻainana Hawaiian Civic Club, an artist and a published author.

A smiling woman with dark hair wearing a pink patterned top, standing indoors.

  • Native Hawaiian Aunty Kehau’s mo`opuna, Keaunui and Noelani Butts and Pi`i Giles, and daughter, Puanani, are all students of Hālau Nohona Hawaiʻi. Kehau was born in Honolulu, and graduated from Leilehua High School. She completed a B.S degree in Economics at the University of Lowell, Lowell, MA and continued her Masters of Science studies at the University of Oklahoma and Johns Hopkins University. In 2002, she opened Makakoa Enterprises, Inc., a full-service catering enterprise specializing in Hawaiian cuisine. She is on the board of the Hawaiʻi State Society and the President of Ke Aliʻi Makaʻainana Hawaiian Civic Club of Washington, D.C. Kehau lives in Stafford, VA with her youngest daughter Desireé, her two moʻopuna, and Mr. Bailey, their 17-year-old chow.