The Grit and Grace of Hula

Behind the grace and the sway there is grit, athleticism, and a knee-breaking, blister-inducing effort to leave everything you have on the dance floor.

Every year, the best compete at the Merrie Monarch Festival, the world’s most prestigious hula competition. Kayli Ka’iulani Carr, who is in her last year of eligibility for the contest, is trying to win the festival’s solo competition, Miss Aloha Hula. Does she have what it takes?