By Charmaine Moniz
Lorraine Kinnamon, founder of Te Hau Nui School of Hula and Tahitian Dance and a master hula teacher whose career in Santa Cruz County began in 1997, left this earth on March 3. She was 66.
For years, she lived in Capitola, but most recently in Aptos.
She was born on Nov. 14, 1957, in Toronto, Canada, where she began her love of dance with ballet classes at the age of 6. It was fortuitous that our German-born parents, Sonja Aiwohi and Hans Krause, moved our family to Kailua, Hawaii in 1968 when Lorraine was 10. Ballet classes were unavailable in Kailua, so my mother signed us all up for hula and Tahitian classes in Kaneohe, Hawaii, with hula teacher Bobbie Butterworth.
Lorraine Kinnamon
This began Lorraine’s love of hula and Tahitian dance, her love of performing, and a deep feeling reverence for Hawaiian culture. Every Sunday, we would perform on the large stage at Ala Moana Shopping Center, draped in fresh plumeria lei picked from our backyard and made with our own hands.
Lorraine was confident, coordinated, and comfortable in her body, which resulted in a lifetime of joyful dancing shared with audiences all over the world.
In high school she joined the Kailua High School Madrigals, a select group of singers and dancers who entertained audiences all over Honolulu with “The Sounds of Young Hawaii,” led by the talented choir director Shigeru Hotoke. Lorraine had the privilege of being chosen to travel around the world two summers to perform in California, Montreal, Canada, Munich, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Bali.
While performing in Germany, her German grandparents proudly sat in the audience to watch their granddaughter entertain them Hawaiian style, something they had never seen!
Back home, Lorraine performed with The Sounds of Young Hawaii at the Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki where they shared the stage with celebrities such as Hilo Hattie, Sol Bright and with Jack Lord in attendance.
Later, Lorraine thoroughly enjoyed the disco era in the lively nightlife of Waikiki where she literally “danced the night away,” winning disco dance contests with her New York trained dance partner.
Lorraine Kinnamon, with husband Ted and her younger sister Charmaine in Kailua, Hawaii.
In 1978, Lorraine moved to Berkeley. There she was motivated to expand her life experiences and was drawn to the activism and excitement of that time and place, while continuing to take dance classes, moving her body to lively African drums, other dance forms, and yoga, which she continued to practice into the last weeks of her life.
In 1986, Lorraine made her way to Santa Cruz to attend UC Santa Cruz, where she earned a degree in environmental studies since her parents discouraged her from pursuing a career in dance.
Her second passion was a deep concern for our precious Mother Earth. She had a strong reverence for nature, all the way back to elementary school when she created a “Pollution Club’’ and wrote a fun theme song to go along with it!
Lorraine also loved to hike, backpack, and adventure into the deep woods away from the hustle and bustle of the modern world.
Her first job after graduation was at Natural Bridges State Park where she worked as a docent educating visitors about our beautiful Monarch butterflies. Later she worked for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, educating visitors to be stewards of our unique ocean ecosystem. She also worked with local nonprofits such as Save Our Shores and the Museum of Art and History. While working, she danced hula with Jacinta McGinnis and Kumu Clark Bolivar.
Lorraine Kinnamon teaching children.
In 1997, Lorraine made the shift to become a hula teacher and began teaching at Capitola Recreation Center. In 2001, she married her beloved husband Ted Kinnamon, who supported her dreams and helped make it possible for Lorraine to commit even more time to teaching hula.
She found her way to the beautiful Mount Madonna campus where she taught elementary dance from 2002 through 2014. There she choreographed hundreds of dances for Ramayana productions, cultural awareness shows and winter concerts.
In 2012 she completed a three-year Uniki training program on the Big Island with expert Kumu Hula Lehua Frank Kawaikapu Hewett. Upon completing this program, she earned the esteemed title of Kumu Hula (master hula teacher).
Shortly thereafter, she came full circle, and accomplished what her parents had discouraged her from doing. Lorraine opened her own Hula Halau (hula school): Te Hau Nui School of Hula and Tahitian Dance on Soquel Avenue, finally turning her passion for dance into a successful career.
In 2020, COVID required her to close those doors but she continued to teach hula outdoors and eventually found a new home at Pleasure Point Dance studio on Portola Drive.
Lorraine was an accomplished entertainer, inspired by her mentor Shigero Hotoke.
In her 27 years of teaching in Santa Cruz, she led us in four fabulous “Hoike” productions (hula recitals). Te Hau Nui School of Hula and Tahitian dance entertained large audiences at the Pacific Cultural Center, Rio Theatre, Aptos Theater and Cabrillo College Crocker Theater. She collaborated with many of our beloved local musicians as well as well-known musicians from Hawaii. Te Hau Nui was blessed to share the stage with Taj Mahal, Eddie Kamai, Henry Kapona, Keola Beamer, Hapa, Steven Inglis, John Cruz, Walt Keale, George Kahumoku, Playing For Change, and more!
Lorraine was a gifted Kumu Hula, an exceptionally graceful dancer, a creative and fun choreographer, composer, singer, chanter, poet and comedian. Truly a multi-talented woman and a treasured community member.
She was deeply spiritual and a wisdom-seeker. She followed many well-respected spiritual leaders, teachers, writers and poets. She valued meaningful connections, mindfulness, kindness, diversity, inclusion and bridging cultures with music and dance. She was highly respected and held in high esteem by all who knew her and had the blessing of working with her.
Stricken by ovarian cancer, Lorraine fought a courageous fight for 10 months.
During those intense last months of her life, Te Hau Nui carried on, holding her close to our hearts as we prayed for miracles. Amazingly, she rallied and was able to re-enter life for a few months when she appeared to be in remission, and was able to visit her precious home of Kailua, Hawaii, one last time with Ted.
Blessed were those precious days and moments of reconnecting with her Halau, and appearing as the master of ceremonies once again for a hula performance at our favorite community event, the Capitola Art and Wine Festival.
She celebrated her 66th birthday in a delightful sacred hula circle with her hula halau students where tender words, love and appreciation were expressed by all. We celebrated the holiday season with our annual Holiday Hula event and our favorite Santa Claus, Vince Tuzzi, as guest to surprise our precious keiki (children).
Te Hau Nui School of Hula and Tahitian Dance is stronger and more deeply connected than ever! We are a united group of women and families committed to continuing to dance hula together because we love it, we love each other and we need to support each other through our grief. We are all so grateful to Lorraine for this gift and our many treasured memories. She has left us this treasured legacy.
Find Te Hau Nui School of Hula and Tahitian Dance at its new home for classes at the 418 Project at 155 River St. South, Santa Cruz. See: https://www.the418project.org/
Lorraine was my beloved older sister. I can’t imagine my life without her.
Rest in peace, my beloved sister. You will be missed beyond measure. We will carry on and make you proud! Your teachings informed who we are because you lived your truth with great integrity and embodied grace. You were a bright light that now shines from the heavens upon us.
Lorraine is survived by her husband Ted Kinnamon of Ashland OR, sister Charmaine Moniz of Santa Cruz, brother Ralph Krause of Hilo, Hawaii, nephew Kasay Moniz of Seattle, WA, nieces Lia Moniz of Ogden, Utah, Meli Murray of Poulsbo, WA and Emalie Moniz of Culver City, CA.
In the words of poet David Whyte, who Lorraine loved, “Joy is the meeting place of deep intentionality…. Joy is the sheer privilege of being in the presence of a mountain, a sky, or a well-loved familiar face. I was here and you were here and together we made a world.”
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TOP PHOTO: Lorraine Kinnamon on stage with Playing for Change with niece Emalie Konia Moniz center and sister Charmaine Moniz.