Halau Na Wai Ola hula studio recently moved from Sunnyvale to a bigger studio in Cupertino at 10065 E. Estates Dr.

Kaui Isa-Kahaku, director of the hula school, started learning hula when she was six and began teaching it at 13.

"Hula is not just about girls in grass skirts waving hands and shaking hips," Isa-Kahaku, 30, says. "It's the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people."

Isa-Kahaku is versed in both classic and modern hula and teaches both in her school. But she follows traditional Hawaiian teaching protocols.

Before students enter the studio, they chant to get their kumu (instructor)'s permission. If they don't have pono (the right or correct attitudes), they cannot come in. When students enter the studio, the teacher greets each student in traditional Hawaiian style, touching the student's forehead with her own, sharing their breath and exchanging kisses on the cheek.

For information, call 408.873.9778.