Andrea is the Kumu Hula (master teacher) for Hālau Hula Ka Pi’o O Ke Ānuenue, as well as Ha'a Hula 'Ohana, the online branch of the hālau, and has been teaching cultural dance over twenty-five years. She has a Masters of Arts degree in Dance and Spirituality and has studied and taught two cultural dance forms - Bharata Natyam, a sacred temple dance style from south India, and Hula, the traditional, cultural dance from the islands of Hawai’i.

 

For the last twenty years, hula has been Kumu Andrea’s primary path and life's inspiration. Her initial training was with Kumu Hula Raylene Haʻaleleʻa Kawaiaeʻa from North Kohala on Hawaiʻi island. Andrea was an ʻolapa in Halau ʻO Haʻalele’a and worked closely with Kumu Raylene in her own journey of becoming a kumu hula until Kumu Raylene’s passing in 2012. This in-depth support and mentoring gave Andrea the foundation needed to form the hālau in 2007. Kumu Andrea continued on her journey with Kumu Hula Sybil Kuʻuipo Pruett and later under the training and guidance of Kumu Hula Keala Ching. In 2014, Andrea became an ‘uniki (graduated) kumu hula under Kumu Raylene and Kumu Keala, and the hula traditions of Halau ʻO Haʻaleleʻa and Na Wai ʻIwi Ola, respectively. She continues deepening in her path as a kumu through her connections with Kumu Sybil, Kumu Keala, and other esteemed cultural practitioners and mentors.

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Kumu Andrea is honored to be a 2023 TAAP award recipient as a master artist (Traditional Artist Apprenticeship Program) and is on the Oregon Culture Keepers Roster.