Family-owned and operated

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Originally from the South Pacific island of Guam, Jacinta began dancing as soon as she could walk, starting  in California, Guam, and then Texas. As a young girl, she joined Pacific Heights in Killeen, TX. In 2009, she joined Ka Pa Hula ʻUmoumou of Houston, TX under the direction of Kumu Hula Frank Keliʻ Chang. In 2010, she got invited to compete in her first hula competition in Honolulu at the King Kamehameha Hula Comp, under his direction. Studying under Kumu Keliʻi and the Chang ʻOhana for many years, she was honored to receive his blessings to teach Polynesian dance, and it is now her duty to share the Polynesian culture with others. 

In 2010, she took her first Tahitian workshop with Tiana & Riki Liufau of Nonosina Polynesia, and for many years, she learned from them. Thatʻs when her love for ʻOri Tahiti prevailed. Although she loved to dance all types of Polynesian dance, ʻOri Tahiti has been her heart. Hence, Hiti Mahana was born.

Jacinta is a current student of Moenau Rivera of Poly-Lingual, an online Polynesian language program she became a part of during the pandemic. She was even ranked as one of the top Reo Tahiti students in 2020. 

She continues to lead her pupu ʻori in numerous competitions throughout the East Coast and beyond. In 2022, she had the ultimate opportunity to travel to Tahiti and enter Hiti Mahana in the ʻOri Tahiti Nui competition and Hura Tapairu Manahini. Most importantly, she traveled to the sacred Marae of Taputapuātea in Raʻiātea with Moenau and Porinetia Adventures Cultural Group. 

Today, Jacinta continues to travel back to Tahiti, Hawaiʻi, and her island home of Guam to be connected to the cultures. Immersed in the cultures of Pasefika, she is dedicated to her craft. With her husband and family always by her side, she enjoys sharing her manaʻo with her students and her mana with all she comes in contact with. 

With a very similar background in Polynesian dance as her sister Jacinta, Yasminʻs experience as a seasoned dancer and performer has made her excellent in managing the Polynesian dance school. 

Yasmin started dancing in Hawaiʻi as a young child. As a teen, she danced with Pacific Heights in Killeen, TX, where she was one of the original members and served as a lead  instructor.

In 2010, she also was invited to compete in King Kamehameha under Kumu Keliʻiʻs direction. It was there she learned the true meaning of Aloha.

Yasmin helped Jacinta with the dance group in Texas, before she moved to Florida in 2017. In 2021, after Jacinta and her husband Gabe moved to Florida to be closer, she helped launch Hiti Mahana in Florida. 

In 2022, she also  traveled to Tahiti to compete in Hura Tapairu Manahini, as well as visit Raʻiātea with her cultural group. 

These days, she enjoys watching her daughters grow and now become the front line dancers, but she is always there to guide and support them.

Yasmin is the backbone of Hiti Mahana and we wouldnʻt be here without her today. 

Originally from Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, Lehua first met Jacinta and Yasmin in 2009 in San Antonio, TX at The Texas Folklife Festival where they were performing.  She quickly became enamored with her Polynesian culture and wanted to dive deeper in her studies. 

In 2010, she also had the honor of being invited to compete with Kumu Keliʻi at the 37th Annual King Kamehameha Competition. 

In 2015, both her and Jacinta competed again at E Hula Mau in Long Beach, CA with Kā Pa Hula Nā Pua o Kamaliʻi under the direction of the Chang ʻOhana. 

In 2016, she and her husband Nico, moved to Kansas, then Colorado. In Colorado, she became an instructor for Hālau Kalama. 

In 2021, she and Nico moved to Florida where they met up with Jacinta and Yasmin once again, and  joined forces to help the dance group grow in Florida. 

In 2022, she traveled to Tahiti with her sisters and competed in the Hura Tapairu Manahini, where she custom designed the fresh headpieces for the international stage. She then traveled to Raʻiātea with Porinetia Adventures with an experience of a lifetime to visit the Marae of Taputapuātea. 

Today, she is the owner of Ka Lehua Connections (named after her daughter Anuhea Kalehua), where she designs and creates gorgeous costume pieces for the dancers and musicicans/drummers of Hiti Mahana.