We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dawn Mahealani Douglas. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dawn Mahealani below.
Dawn Mahealani, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
I love this question as someone who has been on a lifelong journey to find my place in this world and where I feel I belong. I remember being as young as 6-years-old and classmates questioning my cultural background, because no one was sure or could pin it down just by looking at me. I have talked openly about being adopted and searching for my roots through genealogy recently. It has played an important part in my career as a cultural practitioner and how I ended up in the Polynesian performing arts. Different cultures have always fascinated me in the search for who I might be, and I began studying cultural dances with Latin dances in both the social dancing and competitive ballroom dancing styles. An injury led me to try hula dancing on a trip to Hawaii, and I immediately felt at home in a kumu’s (master hula teacher) home on the island of Oahu and kept going back multiple times a year to progress in Hawaiian and other Polynesian performing arts.
It was not until a few years ago, that I learned through DNA testing of my Maori roots (indigenous people of New Zealand). Then research into my family tree with names I was given years ago by a biological relative I met led to the names of my Scottish ancestors who migrated to Aotearoa (New Zealand) in the 1800s. Even more recently, I found out I am related to Princess Kaiulani, the last heir of the Hawaiian Kingdom through the same Scottish line. I have always been a believer that we carry traits and desires of our ancestors, and this is what led me to hula dancing and the other Polynesian performing arts that I have learned and perpetuated including Tahitian and Maori dance.
I have still found that people are inquisitive about my background regarding what I do as living almost 10 years into it. Because I’ve been questioned about it all my life, it does not phase me much anymore. I am confident that I have found my home in more ways than one in what I do, and I was always meant for this. I also know it is the curiosity of people that allows cultural practitioners like me to be successful. People want to see the beauty of other cultures on display and learn more about them. As cultural practitioners we have a kuleana (responsibility) to balance the entertainment aspect with an educational component. What my company does well is emphasize the differences between the different Polynesian cultures as we do not take any shortcuts when it comes to wearing the authentic costumes and displaying the best dances of each, and we are representing a part of the world that does not have much representation where we live in the Deep South.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
As a cultural practitioner and performer, I started my own company called Mahealani’s Polynesian Entertainment in 2017. I have been in the entertainment business since I was child, modeling, acting, and dancing. When I began studying hula and other Polynesian performing arts, many people inquired about entertainment for their Hawaiian luau-themed events in the Atlanta area, so I knew there was demand for an authentic presentation. I began dancing and soon recruited others to join me, offering the training needed and putting together a show in the manner I learned in Hawaii. We take guests on a journey of the South Pacific through the songs and dances of Hawaii, Tahiti, Aotearoa New Zealand, and Samoa. We are the only authentic and professional Polynesian entertainment company in the states of Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Since we offer a specialized genre of entertainment, it is important to be highly skilled in the dance styles we perform. I have acquired a body of knowledge over the years from my kumu (master hula teacher) and other cultural practitioners in my travels, which I pass on to my student performers in various routines for practice and shows. Of course, our dance styles are also unique as cultural practices, which means there is more involved than just dance steps. Learning the history, language, costuming, and instruments accompanies learning the dances. Our dances tell the stories of our ancestors, gods and goddesses, kings and queens, and everyday life. Each choreography is telling one of those stories. Each costume piece also has a meaning to what is being presented.
As an entertainer, it also pays to have business skills! If you want to make a full-time living with your art, you must know and utilize skills from marketing and communications daily. My bachelor’s degree is in marketing, so I have always known the importance of developing a brand image that I want to present to the world and what I want people to remember about my company. I also know the different channels to use to get the message out and bring in new customers in addition to maintaining relationships with past customers. I think an understanding of psychology also goes hand and hand with marketing, and I have a master’s degree in psychology. I never thought about how that degree would be utilized in entertainment until I got into the day-to-day business activities, and now I see how it helps me to communicate and meet the needs of different customers.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
My parents encouraged me early on that I could be and accomplish whatever I set my mind on. It did not matter how far-fetched it sounded, and being a Polynesian dancer is not something anyone would have thought of where I grew up. I also learned perseverance–that you may crash and burn sometimes, but you get up and keep trying until you get it right. These are qualities that are essential to being successful in any career. Most importantly, as a Christian, I always seek God’s will for my life and give thanks for His direction and blessing. That’s how I know I’m always on the right path.
Contact Info:
- Website: dawnmahealani.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/dawndouglas1
- Facebook: facebook.com/dawndouglastalent
- Twitter: twitter.com/dawndouglas10
- Youtube: youtube.com/dawndouglas