Hawaii Tribune-Herald Sunday, March 27, 2016 11 2016 MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL Second time’s a charm? ● Miss Aloha Hula contestant Kayshlyn Keauli‘imailani Victoria De Sa dances during practice at Edith Kanaka‘ole Multi-Purpose Stadium. De Sa, the daughter of Tony and Shelley De Sa, thinks she’ll do even better this time. “I was so young the first time. I turned 19 just before Merrie Monarch,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of time to grow, to mature, to gain confidence. Also, the last time, I was living in Honolulu, so practicing was really hard. I only got to practice once a month with Uncle Johnny, if I was lucky. Other than that, I was in Honolulu practicing with Tasha (Natasha Oda, Miss Aloha Hula 2001) in her backyard, maybe in somebody’s studio. The first time has helped me a lot for this time, but there’s still so much to do until I step up onto the stage.” The physical nature of her dancing is apparent. Taking a break during a rehearsal, De Sa’s forehead was dotted with perspiration despite a chilly By JOHN BURNETT Hawaii Tribune-Herald The Merrie Monarch Festival’s hula competition officially starts Thursday when a dozen young women vie for hula’s most prestigious solo title, Miss Aloha Hula. Three Hawaii Island halau are entered in this year’s competition, but only one, Johnny Lum Ho’s Halau O Ka Ua Kani Lehua, has a wahine representing Moku O Keawe in the solo competition. She’s 22-year-old Kayshlyn Keauli‘imailani Victoria “Auli‘i” De Sa, a senior nursing major at the University of Hawaii at Hilo who works at Hawaiian Style Cafe. A 2011 graduate of Kamehameha Schools-Hawaii, this is her second time competing solo on hula’s biggest stage. The first time was in 2013, the festival’s golden anniversary. It’s also her third time dancing in Lum Ho’s wahine line at Merrie Monarch. Her first time was in 2010, when she watched her sister, Taysha-Lei Kapuauiokalehuamamomaeole De Sa, place second in Miss Aloha Hula. “She’s been dancing with me since she was a child,” Lum Ho said. “The last time I entered the competition and she danced, I got a lot of compliments about her. Many people told me she was their favorite. And I thought she did excellent.” IN THE PHOTO HOLLYN JOHNSON/Tribune-Herald See CHARM Page 12 Hilo’s Kayshlyn De Sa hopes experience will be the di erence in Miss Aloha Hula contest
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