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Overview
Hula Āfi is an AAPI cultural entertainment group with catering options via Aloha Food Factory that aims to provide unforgettable entertainment and cultural education to our valued audiences.
Guests may enjoy our performances for FREE at our residencies at Kahuna Tiki in North Hollywood and Aloha Food Factory in Alhambra.
We specialize in highly entertaining lū'au shows with dance performances from different Polynesian islands, such as Hawaii, Tahiti, and Samoa.
Our shows combine hilarious "lū'au humor" with Polynesian cultural education as well as exciting fire performances!
A portion of our show proceeds are donated towards animal rescue groups.
39 Reviews
Cassandra and crew kept the guests entertained for sure. Fire torches, sabres and even fire eating! There was a large line of guests waiting to take pictures with the dancers after the show ended with lots of applause!
Polynesian Entertainment
Hula Afi was very professional and was perfect for our yacht club's end of summer Luau! Excellent communication, arrived on time, and even provided free plushies for the kiddos. Their pricing was competetive and I received lots of compliments from guests about their performance. I would highly recommend using Hula Afi!
Hula Dancer
These guys were A+ they engaged with the audience and had everyone laughing while being informative and putting on a quality performance. Huge smiles/compliments all around for them would definitely book again.
Hula Dancer, Costumed Character, Dancer, Educational Entertainment, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment
Wow!! They were absolutely amazing! Everyone had a great time. We were all in awe of their performance. Will probably book in the future!!
Fire Eater, Fire Performer, Polynesian Entertainment
Cassandra and her team were amazing! We not only received entertainment but we also ordered food from their restaurant in Alhambra. They went above and beyond to satisfy our needs. Our luau birthday bash was a hit and people are still raving about it! Highly recommended.
Hula Dancer, Dancer, Fire Dancer, Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment
Cassandra and her dancers did a fantastic job of entertaining our senior residents. She involves the audience and puts on a great experience!
Hula Dancer, Fire Dancer, Fire Eater, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment
HulaAfi team was amazing! They were great and my students loved their show. Their interaction with students and teachers was awesome.Can't wait to have them back!!
Educational Entertainment
The Dancers were wonderful! Very engraving, my guest were so enpressed and surprised their words were what a spectacular event.
Hula Dancer, Fire Dancer, Fire Eater, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment
Cassandra and her co-worker were fabulous. They were amazing before, during and after the party. Sometimes you don't know what to expect, however, their show was exceptional, with funny jokes/banter, audience engaging and topping it all off with fire. Highly recommend them for any type of party looking to have fun!
Asian Entertainment, Children’s Party Entertainment, Comedy Improv Show, Costumed Character, Dance Instructor, Dancer, Educational Entertainment, Fire Dancer, Fire Eater, Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment, Hula Dancer
It’s was incredible our guest and myself loved it 100% would recommend and do it again
Asian Entertainment, Children’s Party Entertainment, Dancer, Educational Entertainment, Fire Dancer, Fire Eater, Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment, Hula Dancer
Fun filled and very entertaining. Comedy and beautiful dancing, perfect mix! We all enjoyed, and some also inquired about renting you guys agai .
Comedy Improv Show, Costumed Character, Educational Entertainment, Fire Eater, Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment
It was awesome having Hula Afi at our school assembly! The performers were professional, fun and engaging. They combined humor with teaching, so students learned about aspects of Hawaiian, Samoan and Tahitian cultures, as they enjoyed the high energy dancing and music of the performers. The kids loved the whole show but, the fire dance performance was definitely the cherry on top! Our students truly loved the experience and we would absolutely recommend Hula Afi!
Polynesian Entertainment
Outstanding performance! The entire show was extremely entertaining for the adults and the kids. The dancer's were very professional and accommodating. I will recommend
this company to everyone.
Comedy Improv Show, Costumed Character, Dancer, Educational Entertainment, Fire Dancer, Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Hula Dancer
We hired Hula Afi for our company’s AAPI celebration and we were very pleased with their services. Their Chinese Lion dance was very fun and entertaining and our guests loved it.
They were responsive, prompt, and attentive.
Thank you Hula Afi
Asian Entertainment
Photos from this event
All my guest love the program, through you were professional, funny and talented. Thanks or a great night of authentic hawaiian culture. We will be calling you again in the future.
Fire Dancer, Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Hula Dancer
Talented and Funny ;)
Fire Dancer, Fire Eater, Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment
Best show ever. Interact with guest and keep interesting and costume changes were awesome. Aside from being amazing. Staff is very professional and definitely do the job 100%. Definitely would recommend for anyone who's looking for a great show. Price is very reasonable.
Polynesian Entertainment
The dancers were very involved with the audience and comically great.such a great show and good people.
Dancer, Fire Dancer, Fire Eater, Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Hula Dancer
Photos from this event
Casandra was a pleasure to work with. Received many compliments from guest about performance. Everything turned out beautiful. Will definitely use again.
Steve Mora
Polynesian Entertainment
Dancers were very entertaining they drew the crowd in. We all had a great time.
Hula Dancer
The whole performance was amazing! The performers were on-time, very friendly and super engaging! My family loved it and couldn’t stop talking about the party for days afterwards. The fire performance was unlike anything I’ve seen before.
Fire Dancer, Fire Eater, Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment, Hula Dancer
Casandra and the handsome one were great. My father in law was so happy. The only pictures he smiled in were the ones with the dancers. They were professional and very relax with their audience. I would definitely book them again.
Comedy Improv Show, Fire Eater, Hawaiian Entertainment, Hula Dancer
What an Awesome experience. The group was engaging, very funny and brought you to different islands through their performances. High recommend. Wonderful group.. very nice!
Educational Entertainment, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment, Hula Dancer
Hula Afi was a great surprise for our event guests and they were delighted by the top notch entertainment!
Fire Dancer, Fire Eater, Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment, Hula Dancer
I had the pleasure of meeting the lion dancers personally and they were so personable and professional. Cassandra Liu was my contact and such a great interactive performer. She literally had the guests eating out of her hands or actually vice versa! LOL!
Dancer
We hired Hula Afi for my mom's birthday party. Her dream was to go to Hawaii but she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Cassandra and the rest of the dancers were very kind and understanding of my mom's needs. Their performances were beyond amazing and they made sure to make my mom feel like she really was in Hawaii. I was very fortunate to be able to find such a professional, kind and wonderful group of dancer. Thank you Hula Afi for everything!!!
Arts/Entertainment Speaker, Dancer, Fire Dancer, Fire Eater, Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment, Hula Dancer
they were so wonderful with our residents, they made us laugh, have fun and put on such a great performance. Book them, you won't regret it!
Fire Dancer, Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment
Thank you again for performing for our residents! Not only were u amazing, but u all added humor which I loved. Beautiful hearts u both have. Thank you cassandra, bless you always.
Fire Performer, Hula Dancer
Photos from this event
Residents loved the performers they were on time professional and very entertaining. The performers engage with the residents and made them laugh. Beautiful dances and fun over all. I do recommend them to anyone for a very special event.
Arts/Entertainment Speaker, Dancer, Educational Entertainment, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment, Hula Dancer
Finding ways to stay healthy can be challenging for anyone. For me, I knew that I would need something that would help keep me motivated and my interests engaged -and learning Polynesian dance with Hula Afi has definitely kept me on my toes (in a good way.) At first it was challenging but when I kept practicing the movements, I learned how to better tune in to myself and I've taken a lot of pride in what my body can do. I know that the path to self love and image acceptance isn't the same for everyone and my heart goes out to those that are still searching for it, but if you haven't tried a class like this, I highly recommend that you do -especially if you're looking for something more than just exercise.
I learned that when you take a dance class with Hula Afi, you're not just taught choreography, you get the opportunity to appreciate and learn about a beautiful culture through people who deeply care about it. The in-class support is unreal; everyone is friendly and happy to help. But seriously, don't take my word for it, if you get the chance, I really think you should see for yourself.
Dance Instructor
They were full of energy! Everyone absolutely loved them at my community.
Dancer
From the beginning of the planning to the end of the performance, everything went perfect. Cassandra was so helpful and was very quick to respond and communicate. She made our vision come to life and exceeded all expectations. All performers were so great and interactive with our guests which is what we wanted. Everyone was so please and truly felt like they were immersed in another culture. Will for sure book them again!
Fire Dancer, Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment
We were looking for entertainment for a party at our home. We had seen Hula Afi's show, and we reached out to them about performing at our party.
We are so glad we did! From the outset, Cassandra was organized, courteous, patient, cooperative, encouraging... very professional. She worked with us to offer us a performance within our budget.
Specifically, we requested a 30-40 minute show with both fast and slow Tahitian dances, Hawaiian dance, pu'ili sticks, live drumming, an audience-participation dance, and the Samoan fire knife. We asked for 3 dancers.
By the night of the performance, we had worked out all the logistics, and everything went as planned. They arrived on time and set up quickly.
The performance itself was magical entertainment. One of our guests told us, "We've seen luau shows in Hawaii, but this was better." The dancing was captivating, the music enchanting, the live drumming energizing, the banter engaging and humorous, and the fire show mesmerizing.
The unique thing about Hula Afi is that in addition to their incredible talent they care deeply about the Polynesian culture and truly enjoy sharing it.
We recommend them wholeheartedly. We will contact them again for our next luau.
Dancer, Fire Dancer, Fire Eater, Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment, Hula Dancer
Cassandra and her guys are awesome! professionals and funny worth every penny you pay for the show!
Fire Dancer, Fire Eater, Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment
Awesome! Is thr first word that comes to mind. Very professional, clear communication, courteous, absolute skilled dancer and she surprised us with a person doing drums! It was a last minute idea of mine (day of) to surprise my boyfriend (the man no one surprises) and he was utterly surprised and days later is still talking about it. Thank you bunches!!!
Dancer, Polynesian Entertainment
My family had a luau and we had a great performance from this duo. They kept us entertained from beginning to end! Many laughs, awesome dances, great music. They made our first night on vacation a great one!
Fire Dancer, Polynesian Entertainment
I went to see them at Aloha Food Factory (I heard the pancakes are good) and then OH LORD that was the best SHOW OF THE YEAR! I was at the edge of my seat the whole time man. THESE ppl are PRO! I went home that night with a bunch of KNOWLEDGE about Polynesian culture that I didn't learn at school! I brought my uncle who is always in a bitter because his truck broke down so and he can literally be the worst audience member but as soon as the music started and dancers came out, he WOKE UP and was ecstatic the whole time then he went home and tried to dance like that in the mirror and activated his sciatica. But he was like MAN can they move! 200/10 highly recommend.
Arts/Entertainment Speaker, Dance Instructor, Dancer, Educational Entertainment, Fire Dancer, Fire Eater, Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment
Hula Āfi Polynesian entertainment put on a wonderful show for my 10 year anniversary party.
They were funny, engaging and Cassandra was an amazing dancer.
My party guests even got to participate in the show. Thank you for a life time of great memories!
Dancer, Fire Dancer, Fire Performer, Hawaiian Entertainment, Polynesian Entertainment, Hula Dancer
Booking Info
Price Range: $400 and up
Gig Length: 10 - 60 minutes
Languages: Chinese, English, Spanish, Samoan
Insurance: $1,000,000 - Commercial general liability and fire performance
What to Expect
Hula Āfi shows are completely customizable to your needs.
You may plan the performance as a surprise, adjust the number of performers, length of show, which islands you would like to be included, book a show with or without fire performances, and even make specific song requests.
Most Hula Āfi shows include live drumming and consist of multiple costume changes with performances from several different islands and can include partner dances and multiple fire performances.
Example general show outline:
- Lei greeting
- MC Introduction
- Opening fast number
- Various numbers consisting of different islands (both fast and slow)
- Audience participation numbers
- Fire performances
- Closing number with the entire cast
- Photo op
Hula Āfi Special Requests:
Special requests are subject to performer/service availability and therefore are not guaranteed.
Please notify Hula Āfi of special requests as early as possible so that we may accommodate the request to the best of our ability.
PLEASE NOTE that some special requests may increase your quote because they require hiring additional talent, time, or resources.
All requests are encouraged to be discussed over a phone call.
Example requests:
- Catering by Aloha Food Factory
- Fire torches
- Fire poi
- Fire eating
- Fire breathing
- Samoan fireknife (single)
- Samoan fireknife (doubles)
- LED Samoan fireknife
- LED poi
- Polynesian themed backdrop rental
- Polynesian themed prop rental
- Lei Greeters (lei not included)
- Lei orders (please request our lei order PDF to view options)
- Audience participation numbers
- Photo op with fire
- Moana character appearance
- Polynesian dance class with Moana
- Polynesian dance class
- Polynesian drumming class
- Samoan fireknife class (no flame; utilizing a beginner-safe practice knife)
- Lei making workshop
- Mermaid (swimming and non-swimming)
- Chinese lion dance
- DJ
- Event photographer
- Event videographer
- Event sign calligraphy
About
About us:
Hula Āfi is a cultural entertainment group founded by Cassandra Liu and Rex Tiumalu and located in Los Angeles, CA.
Our mission is to share Polynesian and East Asian culture through entertainment and to utilize our resources in order to help rescue animals and those in need.
Hula Āfi is a proud supporter of the LGBTQ community, Black Lives Matter, Razom for Ukraine, and The Lilith Fund.
History:
Hula Āfi is Polynesian and Asian American owned!
Rex is of Samoan descent from both Western and American Samoa, and Cassandra is of indigenous Taiwanese descent.
Rex's parents were some of the first Polynesian dancers to perform at Walt Disney World's Polynesian Village Resort and Seaworld Orlando.
They have trained Rex in Polynesian dance since he was four years old and supported him through numerous Samoan fireknife championships, most notably, his three world championship titles.
Cassandra is a Polynesian culture practitioner with several years of experience training with competitive Polynesian dance schools in the Hawaiian hula and 'ori Tahiti genres.
Residencies:
Cassandra can be found performing at the Hula Āfi residency shows at Kahuna Tiki in North Hollywood on Sundays, and occasionally at Aloha Food Factory in Alhambra.
Both shows are free to view and clients are encouraged to attend the shows and take advantage of the opportunity to meet Hula Āfi performers in person!
Cultural education:
It is Hula Āfi's top priority to educate both audience members and performers on the exploitation of Polynesian culture in order to decrease cultural appropriation and increase cultural education.
All Hula Āfi performers attend a minimum of several months of classes in Polynesian culture and dance training before being allowed to perform for private clients.
In order to avoid the common occurrence of hiring performers with general dance background and teaching them Polynesian dance choreography, Hula Āfi performers are taught the following:
- History and cultural significance of several Polynesian islands and their respective dances
- Greetings and basic words in Hawaiian, Tahitian, Samoan, and Tongan
- Cultural etiquette and practices of Eastern and Western Polynesia
Fire Safety:
Hula Āfi is one of very few Polynesian entertainment companies in Southern California that holds specialty insurance for fire performances.
This insurance covers all Hula Āfi fire performers and assistants, as well as clients, audience members, and venues.
Hula Āfi will always include a trained fire safety professional with their fire performer(s) to ensure a safe and stress-free performance for everyone involved.
Accessible entertainment:
Hula Āfi provides discounted performances for certain non-profit organizations, schools, and causes and will always do their best to create accessible entertainment (ASL interpreters, special lighting/sound needs, etc.)
Additional Booking Notes
STAGING:
Hula Āfi has plenty of experience adjusting to small and/or unique performance spaces.
It is preferable to send photos and videos of the performance space prior to the day of service so that a safe performance may be prepared.
Please keep in mind that Hula Āfi performers will be barefoot, so barefoot-friendly surfaces are recommended.
If a safe surface cannot be provided, Hula Āfi will provide their own safe surface upon request.
Hula Āfi also provides Polynesian themed backdrops and props for rental upon request.
LIGHTING:
Hula Āfi is able to provide stage lighting, no outlet needed.
Usually, lighting is not required for Hula Āfi performances.
If lighting is needed, Hula Āfi will provide lighting free of charge.
SOUND:
Hula Āfi supplies bluetooth speakers and microphones free of charge, no outlet needed.
Live Polynesian drumming is often included in Hula Āfi performances.
FIRE PERFORMANCE AND LIABILITY INSURANCE:
Hula Āfi's insurance policy and/or certificates will be provided upon request.
Please understand that certificates are venue-specific, so an address must be provided to Hula Āfi first, and certificate requests can take 2 business days to process through the insurance agency.
Please take this into consideration if there is a time-sensitive performance request.
DEPOSIT:
Hula Āfi requires a non-refundable deposit in order to book services.
The deposit amount varies depending on the total cost of the performance.
In the event of an emergency, clients are more than welcome to reschedule their performance as long as Hula Āfi is notified ASAP.
OVERTIME:
Hula Āfi charges an overtime fee of an additional $25 per performer, per half hour that they are needed past the performance time period after it has been confirmed and performers are physically on-site.
Hula Āfi allots a half hour "grace period" before charging the overtime rate, and will always notify clients prior to entering the overtime rate.
For example, if on the day of the performance, Hula Āfi performers are on-site and scheduled to start at 7pm, the client may push the performance back to 7:30pm at no extra charge.
If the client wishes to start the performance even later, for example, 8pm, the client will be charged an additional $25 per performer for overtime.
CULTURAL APPROPRIATION AND SAFETY POLICY:
Hula Āfi does not tolerate cultural appropriation and will do their best to educate clients on how to avoid contributing to the exploitation of Polynesian culture.
If Hula Āfi performers notice something culturally problematic at an event, they will do their best to kindly notify the client and help make necessary adjustments.
If Hula Āfi performers are being harassed, disrespected, or feel unsafe in any manner, they will again, notify the client and aim to resolve the issue.
If Hula Āfi performers continue to feel uncomfortable or unsafe after conscious efforts to resolve the issue with the client, Hula Āfi performers reserve the right to refuse service and leave venue premises without issuing a refund.