The dance program at The Studio Maui has a variety of styles including Jazz, Ballet, Limon, Cunningham, Hortan, Lyrical, West African, East Belly Dance, Soul Motion, and Hula. This program ranges for those serious dancers to beginners. You'll see retired professionals, newbies, and instructors from all over the world to take class from our qualified faculty. Classes range from All levels to Advanced.
Community Events/Performances
Our dancers and instructors are used by several on island companies to perform, Maui OnStage, the Alexander Academy of Performing Arts, Maui Academy of Performing Arts, ProArts, and TNT LLC.. Our Halau performs at many community events, lead by renown Kumu Hula, Mele Namau'u. Dance Director is Master Choreographer Alexander Cardinalli, nationally known for his staging of Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Dancers are used for flash mob events, ballets, musicals, community events, and fundraisers. At The Studio Maui, our dancers are not required to perform, simply to learn, express, and enjoy. Highly developed /advanced and specialized courses allow students to pursue areas of interest that emphasize independence and initiative. Our studio curriculum challenges performing artists in both classical ballet and modern dance and is augmented by courses in ecstatic dance and jazz. In addition to daily technique classes taught by dance department faculty, our guest artists-in-residence program allows students to interface with professionals beyond the Maui community. Some dancers have moved from day to day classes at TSM onto companies throughout the world.
The Dance Department has a reputation for consistently producing new choreography as well as reconstructing works from the past. Our repertory ranges from traditional classical choreography to contemporary new works. Formal and informal studio performances give students opportunities to choreograph and perform throughout the year. Dance courses, including performing and choreographic opportunities, are open to all students. In addition to offering intensive studio training in the performing arts, the Dance Department offers theory courses exploring dance from choreographic, aesthetic, historical, anatomical, cultural, analytical, educational, and therapeutic perspectives. Through our dance curriculum, students learn to observe, analyze, document, synthesize, and integrate both theoretical and applied knowledge in order to prepare students for leadership in the multifaceted world of dance. Students are encouraged to pursue their individual interests through completion of independent studies, community outreach programs, and performances as well as outside the department through interdisciplinary projects, internships, and participation in a variety of abroad experiences.
Our Dance Arts Faculty
Aly Cardinalli - bio page
Marie Bouman- bio page
Mirayah Delamar- bio page
Baba Kauna - bio page
Jody Mountain - bio page
Mele Namau'u - bio page
Una Starbuck - bio page