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Hana Entertainment
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Fire Performer
- Travels nationwide
- $300 - $8000
Overview
Our performers are like architects of unforgettable experiences. We share our Polynesian culture through dances from Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Samoa. We bring the flavor of the PCC to your event.
Our circus entertainment features aerialists, acrobatics, mesmerizing fire dancers, belly dancers, burlesque, jugglers, stilt walkers & LED. Fire types: fire poi, staffs, fire fans, swords, hoops & exploding fire torches.
We carry $4 million in insurance & our UT & NV fire licenses are current. We can also safely handle fire indoors.
Together, we'll create memories they'll talk about forever! 🌟🎉
13 Reviews
Payton, my fire performer, was INCREDIBLE. She brought more that half a dozen props to use for her set for my mother's surprise birthday. She owned each one like a BOSS. The wind was really tricky that night, but Payton never lost her flow. Even before the event, she took the time to discuss every detail of her routine with me, right down to hair and wardrobe. Extremely professional - same for Rose, who was my booking contact. She was very communicative and quick to respond. I highly recommend Hana Entertainment. You won't be disappointed.
Fire Dancer
Response from Hana Entertainment:
YES! This is so great to hear! I'm happy Rose took such good care of you & even more happy that Payton brought the Hana HEAT for you! Thank you again, we really appreciate it & Payton is about to get a personal text from me. - Joseph Cancilla
We had hired performers for my grandma’s 80th birthday who last minute cancelled. My mom happened to stumble across Hana Entertainment online and we are very lucky we did. They were absolutely amazing, from the jump the communication was excellent and they were so nice. The performance was spectacular, music was great and it was just absolutely incredible. Honestly, it could not have turned out any better. It was a surprise for my grandma and she loved it. Excellent performance, great people, and amazing vibes. If you are considering booking them, we all 100% recommend you do. Thank you Hana Entertainment for a wonderful experience.
Belly Dancer, Fire Dancer, Fire Eater, Fire Performer
Response from Hana Entertainment:
Awe, thank you so much Elizabeth! We love being the surprise! Everything about that night turned out so well! I think you took care of us as much as we took care of Grandma. The food was so good! We love experiencing food from different cultures than our own. Thank you again for having us!
The performers of Hana Entertainment do not disappoint. Joseph is the height of professionalism and safety, making working with him and our city-owned venue a breeze. Our audience was immediately captivated by his performance, and he held their attention throughout his performance. He brought the magic to our Lu'au themed corporate awards gala, and I have no regrets! Book this team today!
Corporate Entertainment, Fire Dancer, Fire Eater, Hawaiian Entertainment, Hula Dancer, Polynesian Entertainment, Fire Performer
They got the family participating and enjoying the family reunion. It cheered everyone up as our grandma was really sick and ended up going to the hospital while the reunion was going on.
Fire Performer, Hula Dancer
Response from Hana Entertainment:
Sorry to hear about your Grandma Alyssa! I'm so happy we were able to brighten up your day! We sue had a lot of fun with your family!
Great performance for a birthday party. We loved being able to dance along with the personable and talented entertainers!
Fire Dancer, Fire Eater, Hawaiian Entertainment, Hula Dancer, Polynesian Entertainment, Fire Performer
Response from Hana Entertainment:
That was so much fun with you guys! Thank you so much for having us! We'll bring the party any time, just say the word!
They worked well with our needs and didn't give up till we found a fit. The performance was so fun and amazing. Everyone loved it.
Fire Dancer, Fire Eater
Response from Hana Entertainment:
Thank you for the review!! We were happy to accommodate your needs to find exactly what you were looking for! Would do it over again! - Rose
Hana fire show was fantastic! The show was mesmerizing to watch, and had everyone (adults and children alike) spellbound. They were a pleasure to deal with and were so accommodating- even finding special music to fit our Hanukkah party theme. Would highly recommend
Fire Dancer, Fire Eater, Fire Performer
Response from Hana Entertainment:
Chaya! Thank you SO much! That means the world to us. We really enjoyed experiencing your culture! We were speechless & in awe watching the entire evening unfold. We're so happy we could customize the music & the whole vibe to fit exactly what you were looking for. Thank you for trusting us. Thank you for having us. Happy Hanukkah! With love, Joseph & Rose
I booked and paid $900.00 dollars to Hana Entertainment for my father’s 83rd Birthday luau at his assisted living center . I used Gigsald to look for professional entertainment for the event. Rose Wild texted,
“Hello Samantha! This is Rose from Hana Entertainment. Just shooting you a quick message to have a better line of communication regarding your need for entertainment for your birthday party! Would love to work something out that fits within your budget.”
I booked a Ukulele player for the first hour, and two hula dancers from 5:00-5:30 with 15 min of photos post performance for a total of $926.10 (tax). The week before our luau I text Rose to confirm and she replied, Yes! We’re all good to go, and the address of the assisted living facility.
Two hours before our party Rose texted ,
“Hey! We actually have another emergency that was unexpected. Please call Joseph asap. The holidays got performers sick or not being punctual and reliable right now I guess unfortunately…”
We had one performer show up to the event with her 3 children 6, 9, and 11. The poor kids did not want to be there dancing for strangers. Our family cheered for them and tried to make the awkward situation better but these kids are not professional performers.
I requested a refund from Joesph for the two no show performers. Mr.Cancilla felt very threatened by my request and “he don’t play that”. Seriously, this business owner sent me a full page email of inaccuracies about performance discounts, 3 children equaling one adult, and how he needed a win/win. The best is he ended his emotional full page email with….
“I'm willing to send you a reasonable refund of $300 for one performer. Do you accept this offer or do I need to call my attorney first thing in the morning tomorrow over a few hundred dollars?????”
I immediately filed a dispute with Visa. I’ve sent them a copy of all text messages, our contract, and the email between myself and Mr. Cancilla. The few hundred dollars is worth it when bad business people no show the event you paid them for and then try and bully you into letting them keep the money because they are delusional about what professional/ professionalism
is and you have paid them for services you never received. Can’t make this stuff up….
Hawaiian Entertainment, Hula Dancer
Response from Hana Entertainment:
So now you're going from threatening me in e-mails, being demanding & giving me specific date deadlines for your refund that I already agreed to over the phone, to creating reviews with false information, carefully chosen pieces of our communication on our online profile to hurt us? My business mentor was right. It's the 80/20 rule. 20% of clients that pay the least, create 80% of the problems consume all of our time & expect way more than what they're paying for & try hard to talk our price down. Pareto Principle.
On the contract it says "custom show package" - that means 'discounted.' The text message from Rose very clearly shows that we'd work within your budget, so you got a $1200 package for $900. On our website, it clearly states that musicians are only included in our large package. Rose went out of her way to ask me to bend on this for you & I said yes. When your Ukulele player woke up that morning & tested positive for COVID & your other adult dancer who didn't make it back in town in time due to her plane, we went the distance to find a replacement that entire morning & afternoon. You AGREED on the phone, so I sent my own kids who have been performing with us for 2 years to go the extra mile for you. They love dancing, but they're not polished. Everyone raves about them, especially at a senior home, so it made sense to me. I wish I would have not sent them & had Tara (the other owner of the business BTW) go & perform a few numbers for your family or just cancel completely & refund the entire amount, which I would have preferred, but you AGREED to the solution... and for the mere $50 in profit, none of this headache is worth it.
I would have been willing to meet in the middle, but you clearly changed the narrative on me & broke your word. It's always better to talk about it without being disrespectful, without the threats & come to me to have a normal, adult conversation about it... and yes, find a win/win.
Good luck with karma,
Joseph Cancilla
We were grateful for Joseph's flexibility to our schedule on such short notice. He did a great job and the birthday girl loved it!
Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Hula Dancer
Response from Hana Entertainment:
Paul! Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. I was happy that I could make my schedule work with a same day request. Had so much fun entertaining & teaching your family & friends!
They were fun, professional, and created a great environment for our event. I would hire them back anytime.
Fire Performer, Hula Dancer, Polynesian Entertainment
Response from Hana Entertainment:
Mahalo Dominic! We love to exceed expectations! Thank you so much! We're definitely looking forward to doing more shows for your Country Club!
We threw a Hawaiian themed party for our 8 yr. old son and wanted him to remember it forever, so what better than a Fire Knife Dancer!! We were SO impressed with Joseph and his professionalism and his ability to speak to the level of twenty 8-year olds. Some of our best impressions:
Communication responses were prompt.
He (Joseph) was on-time (even 20 min early.)
Friendly and great with kids (teaching them the Haka & Hula)
Making the birthday child feel special (through participation).
Payment was easy (online)
Helped make our child's birthday one he won't forget.
Easy to talk to and feel comfortable having him in my home and backyard.
The price was right for our budget.
We asked our son what his most favorite thing about his birthday was and it was, 1st, the fire and knife dancers, and 2nd, the presents! (usually it would be the reverse;)
Thanks to Toa Afi Fire Knife Dancers for a job very well done!
Polynesian Entertainment
Response from Hana Entertainment:
Thank you so much Brian! It was a pleasure working with you & your family to make the big day special! Looking forward to many more to come!
Either shave the hair on the back of your neck or get ready to have stand on end. The level of energy that these dancers bring to the stage is crazy awesome! 5 star fro sure!
Polynesian Entertainment
I am so glad I discovered GiG Salad I had a Luau party for my company and needed a fire dancer / entertainer and I found Te Moana he was the best performer I've ever seen and was so kind and understand, he was willing to go the extra mile to make my event special by taking picture with the guest, resident and families everyone loved him and I would hire him again for the next event if anyone is having party or event I would tell to hire him that's how perfect he was thank you Te Moana and GIGSALAD.
Polynesian Entertainment
Response from Hana Entertainment:
It's was an awesome event and we're looking forward to working with you again!:)
Booking Info
Price Range: $300 - $8000
Gig Length: 30 - 240 minutes
Languages: English, Spanish
Insurance: $4,000,000 - $4 million insurance coverage
What to Expect
Experience the captivating essence of Hawaiian, Tahitian, Maori (including the powerful Haka and mesmerizing Fire Poi), and Samoan (featuring the traditional Fire-Knife Dance) cultural performances. Our Luau shows range from 30 - 60 minutes & include a lot of audience participation!
We feature 3 Luau style packages on our website along with 3 different sizes of Circus style shows. Our packages are a great place to start & we can customize from there. We also have dozens of specialty & sideshow acts that can be used for background ambiance for your event. Best place to see video examples is our website or our YouTube channel.
Our Fire Walk begins with a blazing bon fire that gradually transforms into scorching hot coals. It's an invitation for your audience to confront their fears, master their mental head game, and elevate their confidence to new heights.
About
Experience the magic of Hana Entertainment! We're here to turn your events into unforgettable adventures with our Polynesian & circus-style entertainment!
Our dynamic performers are like architects of unforgettable experiences. We share our Polynesian culture through performances that'll whisk you away to the tropical rhythms & graceful dances of Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Samoa. You'll be captivated by our talented dancers, bringing the spirit of Polynesia to life! We've been told many times how well we bring the Polynesian Cultural Center to your event! Our Luau style shows are always a lot of fun for the whole family!
Our circus-style entertainment is a wild ride, featuring gravity-defying aerialists, mesmerizing fire dancers, and jaw-dropping jugglers & LED performers. It's a sensory extravaganza that'll leave you breathless!
Our fire acts are next level, with fire poi, long & short staffs, swords, Fire-Knife and hoops that'll set your event on fire, only in the good way though. We do carry $4 million in insurance & keep our fire license current in Utah & Nevada annually.
We're not just about entertainment; we're all about creating full-blown, senses-tingling experiences. From choosing the perfect venue to nailing the décor, catering, drinks & entertainment, we've got the whole vibe covered. We want every detail to become your unforgettable adventure. Let's create together & bring your vision to life!
Don't just take our word for it – check out our website - you'll find videos, photos, and a whole lot of raving reviews. Join us on a journey of pure discovery, where the possibilities are as endless as your imagination. Together, we'll create memories they'll talk about forever!
History, Background & Founders
The founders of Hana Entertainment, Joseph Cancilla, Tara Cancilla & Lineah Yapias officially started the company in Utah in 2017. It started out as a passion for dancing & for their Polynesian heritage when they were young & for wanting their own kids to grow up in their culture. Joseph & Lineah have been Polynesian dancing since they were 3 years old. Joseph first started spinning the Samoan Fire-Knife when he was 12 years old! Tara Cancilla has been training in jazz, ballet & hip hop since she was little as well. She has performed with the Utah Jazz, the NFL, Disneyland, Freedom Blast, Stadium of Fire & they used to travel & perform on Cruise ships all growing up. She is also a specialized Choreographer. We recently added Rose Wild to our management team who comes with another 21 years of experience in creating large ballet productions & is a versatile aerial, acrobatic & fire performer with wildly creative ideas with her choreography work.
Additional Booking Notes
Our minimum space that we need for one dancer is about 10x10 feet. We can bring in lighting & fog machines to increase production value. We have our own sound system & microphone for up to 400 people... anything beyond that & a larger sound system will need to be rented, or a DJ with sound equipment. A raised stage is always nice for larger audiences. Spotlights are okay for our non-fire performers.
Services Offered
Team
| Rose Wild | Assistant Director / Aerial, Acro, Fire, Burlesque, Hula, Tahitian |
| Tara Cancilla | Assistant Director / Hula, Tahitian, Fire Fans, Long Staff, Jazz |
| Joseph Cancilla | Executive Director / Hula, Tahitian, Samoan Fire-Knife, Fire Poi, AcroFire |
| Melody | Polynesian Dancer, Fire Poi |
| Michelle | Belly Dancer, Palm Torches, Fire Torches, Hip Hop |
| Danny | Dragon Staff, Isolation Staffs, Lycopodium Staff |
| Lineah | Hula, Tahitian, Fire Poi, Dance Instructor |
| Autumn | Aerial Hammock, Aerial Lyra, Lollipop Pole |
| Mandi | Multi-Prop Aerialist, Fire Performer |
| Eva | Aerialist, Acrobatics, Stilt Walking, Fire Performer |
| Venus | Belly Dance, Fire Performer |
| Tyler | Long Staff, Rope Dart, Meteor Dart, Fire Poi |
| Arielle | Aerial, Acrobatics, Fire, Dance |
| Natalie | Aerial, Acrobatics, Fire, Dance, Fire Safety |
| Ederson | Long Staff, Short Staff, Fire Safety |
Setup Requirements
Sound system
Camping Coleman fuel
Microphone
Small Propane for Fire Bubbles
Wet Towel
Fire Blanket
Fire Extinguishers
Aerial Rig
X Pole
Lollipop X Pole
Aerial Hammock
Aerial Silks
Aerial Lyra
Aerial Spiral
Lycopodium Powder