HILO --- Dancing with a triple-layered ti-leaf skirt in her traditional performance and her grandma's Niihau-shell lei in her modern presentation, a Hawaiian Language Immersion teacher from Maui captured the Miss Aloha Hula title Thursday on the opening night of the 46th annual Merrie Monarch Festival hula competition.
"Hau'oli," or happy, was how a tearful Cherissa Henoheanapuaikawaokele Kane said she felt after receiving prizes of an ipu-heke gourd drum and Hawaiian jewelry.
''I hope I made my grandma proud,'' she said of the late Kamaile Kane, grandmother of herself and of her cousin and kumu hula, Keali'i Reichel.
Representing Halau Ke'alaokamaile in the Wailuku troupe's debut at the storied contest, Henohea Kane also won the $1,000 Office of Hawaiian Affairs Hawaiian-language award.
Five ho'opa'a, or chanters, beat their ipu heke resoundingly for Kane's traditional dance that led her to a score of 1,064 points, 26 points above the runner-up.
