This year, Sacred Hearts Academy chose the May Day queen differently than in previous years. In previous years, a committee of faculty members would judge applicants. This year, however, applicants performed a hula number in front of the Upper School students and faculty. Students then voted for the applicant of their choice, with senior Anna Casupang receiving the most votes.
Casupang said, “In preparation for May Day, I talked with Kumu Keonilei (Lealiifano) about the theme and chose my song accordingly. I chose to dance to the song ‘Aloha Aku, Aloha Mai’, which means where love is given, love is received.”
Casupang originally learned her dance alone, but later, she worked with her hula teacher to brush up on techniques and make room for improvements.
Every year, the May Day queen is allowed to choose her own dress. This year, Casupang opted to work with her Kumu to find the perfect dress. Together, they elaborated on many details, especially the design and the fabric of the dress. Usually adorned with a crown constructed with flowers, Casupang also thought about the appropriate flowers and hairstyles for her performance.
Preparing for May Day was difficult for Casupang, she said. Outside of school, she is also involved in theater. With the end of the school year approaching, she was busy balancing rehearsals for her upcoming dance showcase with her May Day performance.
Casupang said, “Even though May Day was stressful for me, I am so grateful for the opportunity. Watching the previous May Day queens over the years inspired me to want to audition. I almost didn’t apply because I stopped dancing, but my close family and friends encouraged me. Being able to go on this journey with such a large amount of support has been such a blessing. It reminded me how much I love hula and how big of a role it has played in my life. It allowed me to share a part of myself that had been a part of my life for such a long time.”
“I saw the willingness and bravery of the two senior women who ran for May Day queen and the strong comradery between them,” Lealiifano said. “This was truly a competition but also an opportunity to show their hula to the students, whether they won or not.”
Getting to know Kumu Lealiifano
This year, Lealiifano started at the Academy as the Upper School’s Hawaiian language teacher. She also helped to coordinate this year’s May Day event.
“May Day has become an important part of local Hawaii culture in the last 60 years, and it has become a staple of celebrating Hawaiian culture and studies in schools,” she said.
Before moving to New Zealand with her husband, she helped coordinate May Day performances across the island. Lealiifano also helped with the Academy’s Lower School May Day celebrations in the past.
The same passion for hula and cultural expression that the candidates showcased is something Lealiifano herself has carried since she was young.
As a teenager, Lealiifano danced hula. After graduating high school, Lealiifano formally studied the Hawaiian language in college and continued to pursue Hawaiian education. At first, Lealiifano attended college in the continental United States, but she eventually returned home and graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UH Manoa). She believes that UH Manoa provided her with endless opportunities to pursue her mission in life.
That mission would eventually take her far from home, shaping her path in unexpected but meaningful ways. Lealiifano spent 14 years in New Zealand as a kumu, or teacher, for a halau. Her family was a driving force behind her return to Hawaii once again.
Her decision to return wasn’t just about her career; it was about her children.
Lealiifano realized that being immersed in their homeland was essential for her kids to fully experience and embrace their heritage.
“My children, just like me, are a part of all that I do,” she said. “They do learn their language and culture, but not just from me. I struggled to teach them the depth and complexity of their language and culture on my own (while) living in the diaspora (Aotearoa).”
