Hula School In The Sun.

The Sun At The Source Of Life

Ka lā i ka mauli ola.

Our guiding phrase points to the sun — ka lā — as the source of life, of warmth, of the energy that animates everything that grows. Hula, for us, is one of the ways we feel that warmth and pass it on.

We teach hula as it has always been taught: not as choreography to be memorized, but as a way of moving through the world. Every step has a meaning. Every chant carries a story. Every class begins with oli — a chant asking permission to enter the space of the dance — and ends with mahalo.

We believe that the goodness in each person can be expressed through hula — and that our representation of hula demonstrates our respect for the Hawaiian culture, her people, and a love for all people. With our ʻohana at Hālau Hula I Ka Lā, we strive to live the values and principles of Aloha, sharing the warmth and beauty of Hawaiian culture with the grace of a hula dancer.

Hula is the language of the heart, and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people. — Kalākaua

Kumu Joanne Vicencio is the founder and director of Hālau Hula I Ka Lā Toronto — a Toronto hālau hula dedicated to sharing authentic Hawaiian values and traditions through the art of dance. The Toronto hālau is a sister school to Hālau Hula I Ka Lā in Clovis, California.

In 2015, Kumu Joanne founded AlohaFest Toronto at Mel Lastman Square — the city's free, all-ages celebration of Polynesian culture. The festival marks its tenth year in 2026.

She teaches weekly at VYbE Dance Company in Markham and represents the hālau and festival on Canadian television — CTV, CP24, and Breakfast Television.