Well known for his innovative choreography, Kumu Patrick Makuakāne’s work is grounded in the traditions and fundamentals of hula, and he labors to keep traditional dances intact as they have been for generations. He has also developed a unique style of hula (called hula mua) that uses contemporary music to provide a whole new dimension to the poetry of hula.

Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai’i, Mr. Makuakāne began dancing at the age of 13 and went on to study with some of Hawai’i’s most recognized hula masters, including John Keola Lake and Robert Cazimero.

In 2000, he began intensive traditional studies with hula master Mae Kamāmalu Klein in Hawai’i and, after three years, achieved the recognized status of kumu hula (hula master). This achievement culminated in a traditional ‘ūniki ‘ailolo graduation ceremony and connects Makuakāne to a hula lineage stretching back for generations. His studies were made possible by funding from a prestigious two-year Irvine Fellowship in Dance.

Makuakāne’s current projects include directing and choreographing the first major opera in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language). Kamalehua: The Sheltering Tree, presented by Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre tells the true story of Hawaiian patriot Timoteo Haʻalilio, royal secretary and lifelong friend to Kamehameha III. The opera will premiere in Honolulu at the Neal Blaisdell Center May 1-5, 2026. Makuakāne is also the writer and choreographer for The Epic Tale of Hiʻiaka, a highly anticipated, new musical based on the volcano goddess Pele and her beloved sister, Hiʻiaka which will premier this fall at Leeward Community Theatre.

In passing down the customs of his own hula lineage, Patrick Makuakāne is helping to preserve a dynamic cultural heritage; in experimenting with music, dance, and the cultural zeitgeist, he is crisscrossing between Native tradition and artistic evolution. The surprising result is the subject of the award-winning book; The Natives Are Restless: A San Francisco Dance Master Takes Hula into the Twenty-first Century.