About Us

Our mission is to empower our people and inspire all generations by preserving and advancing culture, celebrating the arts, and expanding access to education. Building a legacy of strength, identity, and opportunity. 

The Apana ‘ohana is one of Kaua‘i’s most cherished cultural families, known for more than fifty years of sharing the island’s stories, music, and aloha with audiences across the world. Their legacy begins with Aunty Lovey Apana, a revered Kumu Hula who began teaching in 1963 and founded Hula Hālau ‘O Leina‘ala in 1970. On Kaua‘i—an island celebrated for its lush landscapes and deep ancestral ties—Aunty Lovey taught hula as both an art form and a way of staying connected to the land and the people who came before us.

Her hālau nurtured generations of dancers, many of whom continue to teach, perform, and carry forward the values she instilled. Aunty Lovey and her performers appeared at beloved Kaua‘i venues such as Coco Palms, Po‘ipū Beach Hotel, and aboard the SS Independence and Constitution. They were early participants in the Merrie Monarch Festival and the Queen Lili‘uokalani Keiki Hula Competition, helping to shape the standards of modern hula. Through every performance, they shared not just movement, but a sense of place and purpose that reflected the heart of Hawai‘i.

Service to community was central to the Apana family. They taught hula and music in local schools, produced island events, uplifted young performers, and made cultural learning accessible to anyone with the desire to experience it. That commitment—to give freely, to uplift others, and to share joy—remains one of the signature marks of their family.

Today, the legacy continues through Mele Apana, Aunty Lovey’s niece and one of Hawai‘i’s most recognized entertainment personalities. A radio and television figure for more than three and a half decades, Mele grew up in the Apana home of Kapa‘a, where singing, dancing, laughter, and togetherness were part of daily life. A graduate of Kamehameha Schools, she became a leading voice on stations such as KCCN FM100, HAWAIIAN 105 KINE, ISLAND 98.5, and POWER 104.3. Her work spans producing, philanthropy, education, concert promotion, pa‘u riding, and acting—including her recent role as Aunty Lahela in Disney’s “Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.”

Mele often says that “the secret to living is giving,” a belief shaped by her kūpuna and carried into every aspect of her work. That perspective—grounded, grateful, and guided by those who came before—reflects the quiet spirituality that has always been part of the Apana way.

The Apana Legacy Foundation was formed to carry this heritage forward: to protect cultural knowledge, to support the next generation of artists and leaders, and to keep Hawai‘i’s traditions thriving in a modern world. For those who did not grow up in Hawai‘i, the Foundation offers a meaningful introduction to the islands—one that explains why hula is a form of storytelling, why music is an inheritance, and why aloha is a way of showing care for one another.

The Apana legacy is, at its core, a family story. But it is also a reminder that culture lives through people who choose to share it. Through this Foundation, the teachings of Aunty Lovey and the values of her ‘ohana continue to move forward—quietly, steadily, and with the same sense of purpose that guided them for generations.