Building Momentum and Magic

Fresh off a groundbreaking performance in Washington, D.C., UH Hilo dancers are bringing that national momentum back home. Inside the campus dance studio, they're training under nationally renowned choreographer Mike Esperanza to prepare an original piece for the stage.

Esperanza’s week-long residency was attended by an ensemble of current undergraduates and alumni — spanning majors from environmental science to linguistics — and united by their love for dance.

A Triumph Born in Wyoming

Instructor Kea Kapahua led 16 UH Hilo dancers to the American College Dance Association (ACDA) conference in Wyoming last May to perform Haliʻa Aloha no Kaimū, a deeply personal piece honoring her Kalapana heritage. Out of hundreds of entries, UH Hilo was selected as one of just 30 schools nationwide to advance to the national festival in Washington, D.C.

Esperanza, who served as an adjudicator, was instantly moved. “There was something really spiritual about what we saw,” he recalled. That encounter sparked an ongoing connection with Kapahua — bringing him to UH Hilo as an artist-in-residence, a first of its kind in decades.

Esperanza — an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and artistic director currently based out of New York City — is the first artist in residence at UH Hilo in decades.

“For UH Hilo students to have this opportunity is really special; a lot of larger schools don’t even get to experience a residency to this capacity,” Esperanza noted. Visiting Hawaiʻi for the first time, he already hopes to return. “Teaching in Hilo has been really awesome — almost healing.”

Guest choreographer and artist in residence Mike Esperanza with UH Hilo dance instructor Kea Kapahua.

Real-World Professional Rigor

The week-long residency at the end of August offered students an authentic taste of professional company life. Rehearsals ran fast and demanded total physical commitment. Kapahua even registered as a student herself to train alongside her dancers.

“This is an amazing experience for them because they’re figuring out you have to learn fast, you’re going to be sore, and there’s a lot of dedication that goes into becoming a professional dancer,” explained Kapahua, who danced professionally before returning home and joining UH Hilo in 2002.

Esperanza, who danced for Ariana Grande at the 2024 Met Gala and has performed with her on stage, oversaw several auditions — including a master class — while at UH Hilo.

Inspiration Across Disciplines

For dancers across majors — from performing arts to linguistics and environmental science — the high-intensity training is proving transformative.

“Normally, coming from somewhere as small as Hilo, we’re not really expecting to have big opportunities like this. We all go home with aches and pains, but we make that commitment to come back the next day,” said alumnus Jordan Ancheta, who graduated with a major in performing arts and a minor in dance.

“The fact that he was willing to come all the way here to teach these workshops is priceless,” said senior Kanon Hata, who performed for Esperanza in Wyoming and described the experience as “unforgettable.”

Environmental science and geography double major Hanna Pempengco started dancing “only two years ago” but still earned a spot at ACDA. “What an absolutely exhilarating experience!” she shared, adding that Esperanza challenges everyone while “creating a piece that breathes life between every dancer.”

Experience the Showcase & Support the Future

The residency culminates December 12 at the UH Hilo Performing Arts Center, when the dancers premiere the finished work.

Looking ahead, Kapahua hopes to bring a new cohort of dancers to the next ACDA conference, which requires a two-year ACDA organizational membership. Gifts to the UH Hilo Dance o Hawaiʻi fund help send them back to the national stage.

UH alumni and students are preparing to unveil an eight-minute original piece for UH Hilo’s dance ensemble’s final class performance in December.