Photography by Judith Martinez (Creativo Photography)
Glenda has over 30 years of dance experience training, teaching, and performing Internationally. At a young age (due to her Dad being in the U.S. Army) she trained with many Hālau (Hula Schools) across the Country as well as overseas in Europe. Her first exposture to hula was at after Church gatherings & potluck in Fort Benning, GA. Her mom loved dance and music and persuaded her to learn. From GA the military life brought the family to Osterholz- Bremerhaven (Northern Germany). In Germany 6-8th grade was mixed with the high school. There she met families that came from dance groups back home and they taught everyone their culture. What started as small performances on base became multiple performances all over Europe. After 4 years in Germany her Dad was stationed in Fort Meade, MD and there she was taught by Kumu Kas Nakamura (‘Ilima Hula Studios). Kumu Kas was a student from Kumu Louisa Kaleiki and her younger sister Luka Kaleiki, renowned Kumu Hula (hula teachers) in Hawai’i who founded the ‘Ilima Hula Studio in 1956. In Glenda’s junior of high school her Dad was stationed to Killeen, TX where she danced and performed under Kumu Edwin Maunakea JR.
While her Family moved to Hawai’i, Glenda went to College at Florida International University in Miami, FL. At 18 years old she worked at the famous Molokaʻi Bar at The Mai-Kai Polynesian Restarurant in Fort Lauderdale, FL until there was an opening in the show. In 1999, she started dancing in the Mai-Kai show under the direction of Mireille Thornton who brought many amazing talents to the restaurant to help in the show which changed every year. Among them were Lorenzo of Les Grands Ballet and Carlos and Maire Tuia. For 12 years The Mai-Kai introduced Glenda to legends of the Polynesian Dance Community. These talents have moved on to persue successful careers in music and dance (her daughter Nai’a now works at the Mai-Kai show). In South Florida Glenda also performed at various resorts, timeshares, and hotel. She became a certified Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer and taught Polynesian Dance Aerobics at several gyms in the Fort Lauderdale area.
The U.S. Airforce brought Glenda and her daughter Nai’a to Aurora, CO in 2007 where she married her high school sweetheart. She started teaching dance classes starting with 3 students and today there are about 100 students. With appearances at local events like L&L Hawaiian BBQ, Colorado Dragon Boat, and Cherry Blossom Festival the group continued to grow each year. Today her instructors teach Tahitian, Hula, Spinning, and Tahitian Drumming. Many of the students she has mentored have gone on to teaching their own classes and becoming Professional Polynesian dancers that perform for Kalama Polynesian Dancers/Polynesian Party Planners INC. Her award winning students have also won competitions in ‘Ori Tahiti, Hula, Siva Afi, and Tahitian drumming.
On August 31, 2011 Glenda and her team of dancers, instructors, and families founded Hālau Kalama 501c3 Nonprofit Organization. This Nonprofit has two main fundraisers every year which is the Holiday Showcase and Lei Day Celebration. All of the proceeds of this Nonprofit go to running Hālau Kalama Dance Studio which is home to Polynesian dance, events, and workshops to educate and promote Polynesian dance, music, and culture.
Prior to Covid, Glenda was already teaching Polynesian Dance online. Many of her clients online were from places such as London, Russia, and Ireland. So, it was an easy transition to be one of the first instructors to help create an online platform with other cultural/world dancers and her long time friend Sadie. Sadie’s platform Raqs Online offers professional prerecorded online classes that anyone from anywhere in the world can take. Teaching with Raqs Online opened up doors to teach retreats abroad like Costa Rica.
“Our focus is on training new generations of dancers and being able to continue to perform. For us this is not just a hobby… but a lifestyle that we can pass down to our children.” - Glenda
While her Family moved to Hawai’i, Glenda went to College at Florida International University in Miami, FL. At 18 years old she worked at the famous Molokaʻi Bar at The Mai-Kai Polynesian Restarurant in Fort Lauderdale, FL until there was an opening in the show. In 1999, she started dancing in the Mai-Kai show under the direction of Mireille Thornton who brought many amazing talents to the restaurant to help in the show which changed every year. Among them were Lorenzo of Les Grands Ballet and Carlos and Maire Tuia. For 12 years The Mai-Kai introduced Glenda to legends of the Polynesian Dance Community. These talents have moved on to persue successful careers in music and dance (her daughter Nai’a now works at the Mai-Kai show). In South Florida Glenda also performed at various resorts, timeshares, and hotel. She became a certified Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer and taught Polynesian Dance Aerobics at several gyms in the Fort Lauderdale area.
The U.S. Airforce brought Glenda and her daughter Nai’a to Aurora, CO in 2007 where she married her high school sweetheart. She started teaching dance classes starting with 3 students and today there are about 100 students. With appearances at local events like L&L Hawaiian BBQ, Colorado Dragon Boat, and Cherry Blossom Festival the group continued to grow each year. Today her instructors teach Tahitian, Hula, Spinning, and Tahitian Drumming. Many of the students she has mentored have gone on to teaching their own classes and becoming Professional Polynesian dancers that perform for Kalama Polynesian Dancers/Polynesian Party Planners INC. Her award winning students have also won competitions in ‘Ori Tahiti, Hula, Siva Afi, and Tahitian drumming.
On August 31, 2011 Glenda and her team of dancers, instructors, and families founded Hālau Kalama 501c3 Nonprofit Organization. This Nonprofit has two main fundraisers every year which is the Holiday Showcase and Lei Day Celebration. All of the proceeds of this Nonprofit go to running Hālau Kalama Dance Studio which is home to Polynesian dance, events, and workshops to educate and promote Polynesian dance, music, and culture.
Prior to Covid, Glenda was already teaching Polynesian Dance online. Many of her clients online were from places such as London, Russia, and Ireland. So, it was an easy transition to be one of the first instructors to help create an online platform with other cultural/world dancers and her long time friend Sadie. Sadie’s platform Raqs Online offers professional prerecorded online classes that anyone from anywhere in the world can take. Teaching with Raqs Online opened up doors to teach retreats abroad like Costa Rica.
“Our focus is on training new generations of dancers and being able to continue to perform. For us this is not just a hobby… but a lifestyle that we can pass down to our children.” - Glenda
