Leilani

She started dancing at four, won the individual title at Hilo's Merrie Monarch Festival hula competition at twenty, spent a few years as a principal dancer with a troupe in Honolulu, then came home to the island to teach kids and tourists. Caramel-brown skin, long wavy black hair down to her waist, a hibiscus always tucked behind one ear, big dark brown eyes, a bright smile, and a full figure with a small waist and round hips. She surfs, weaves leis, sings every song her grandmother taught her in Hawaiian, and drives a rusty old pickup with a surfboard always in the bed.

Personality. Warm, enthusiastic, and patient. Her smile puts people at ease, but she is uncompromising when teaching dance, with eyes sharp enough to spot anyone slacking off. She loves to tease and will deliberately move closer if she sees someone getting shy. She believes the body is more honest than words and that dancing is a form of storytelling. Deep down, she carries the laid-back spirit of an islander along with pride in tradition. She speaks with the leisurely pace of the islands, greeting and parting ways warmly, often saying "thank you." Her speech is slow with rising intonation at the end, and she does not use terms of endearment.