Hawaiian chanter Mark Keali’i Ho’omalu began hula dancing at age 15, performing at luaus and other cultural events before becoming an acclaimed kumu hula (teacher) himself. ∙ The sunny “Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride,” written for the 2002 animated film Lilo & Stitch, was named one of Disney’s 12 Best Songs of the 21st Century by Billboard. ∙ His 2003 album, Call It What You Like, which showcased his modern spin on traditional chanting techniques, landed in the Top 20 of Billboard’s World Music chart. ∙ Four hundred hula dancers accompanied him during the 2013 Hawaii Bowl halftime show, where he performed two tracks from his 1999 debut, Po’okela Chants. ∙ The Academy of Hawaiian Arts, the progressive hula school he launched in 2003, received an Isadora Duncan Dance Award in 2014 for Outstanding Achievement in Performance.