Kumu Mark Keali’i Ho’omalu’s Bio:

Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomalu is of Hawaiian ancestry and was born and raised in ʻAiea, Oʻahu. He is the Kumu Hula, founder and Artistic Director of the Academy of Hawaiian Arts -a cultural and educational institution dedicated to sustaining time-honored and contemporary Hawaiian arts. He is also the Director of MKH Productions –a publishing company for his music and dance production projects. 

Mark began dancing hula at the age of 15; a time when women were dancing the contemporary style of ʻauana hula basically dominated the art form. He was fortunate to study under Kumu Hula Darrell ʻIhiʻihilauakea Lupenui, who is credited for the re-introduction of a warrior-style hula in the classical tradition, kahiko. Most notably Mark was part of a time in the contemporary history of hula when the power of men's dances forged a path for them to return to the floor. Mark took his place with the “Men of Waimapuna”, where he trained as aʻolapa (dancer) and hoʻopaʻa (chanter). His training included the study of Hawaiian history and cultural practices. 

In 1979 with his Kumu’s blessing to “go do your best, and do your own,” Mark moved to California, which marked the beginning of his career as a kumu hula. In 2003 Markestablished the Academy of Hawaiian Arts andMKH Productions. Since then, Mark’s work hasgrown in reputation among his peers,and mounting success with national and international shows and tours. Under his leadership, AHA’s is now on its eighth year at Merrie Monarch Hula Festival. 

Among Mark’sother achievements is being nominated for the2002 Annie Award for Music in anAnimated Feature Production for “Lilo and Stitch” and for Best Original Song for “Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride” that he wrote for Disney Pictures’ Academy Award-nominated feature film,“Lilo & Stitch”. 

When asked what inspires and influences his work, Mark will respond with, “Being Hawaiian. Being alive. When I’m chanting, I can hear my heart beating, and I can hear the sound in my body; when I think of wind, you can’t contain it, you don’t stop it, you don’t block it –it just moves. Everything dances. Everything. Ocean dances, the trees dance, the dust dances, and it has this flow to it. And when I’m singing, that’s what comes out. I’ve been criticized that my rhythms, my sound, is not traditional, but it doesn’t sound different to me. It just is what it is.”