Iwalani's Story

(Photo by Mike Bambi)


Iwalani’s Story

Iwalani Evelyn Rae Walsh Wahinekapu Tseu is a renowned Kumu Hula, a teacher of Hawaiian and Pacific Islands dance, who has instructed generations of girls and women in performance and Hawaiian culture.She began her career as a successful and popular entertainer, circling the globe many times For many years, Iwalani was a featured entertainer in Hawaii and helped to establish hula as a beloved art form around the world.


Iwalani is a two-time cancer survivor, and was first successfully treated in 1984 for ovarian cancer while she was expecting her youngest daughter, Aureana, who today an accomplished hula and Polynesian dancer and Miss Hawaii USA 2009.She has two older daughters of whom she is also very proud: Tatiana, a teacher at The Kamehameha Schools,and Chariya, a businesswoman in Honolulu.

In 2005, Iwalani was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer,stage III,despite keeping up with mammograms and regular breast health checks. The news was devastating to Iwalani, her family and her manyfriends.She began her rigorous treatments that included surgery and radiation therapy.

During her recovery,she began her mission of compassion and peace for all those touched by cancer and devastating disease by creating a special place for retreat and the exchange of information in an environment full of life and nature,away from hospitals and institutions.Iwalani’s healing garden is a place for quiet growth and the creation of happy new memories.