Kanoe began her hula training at age 13 with Kumu hula Maiki Aiu Lake. Her first performance was with her Halau when they would perform every Sunday at the Halekulani Hotel. She also performed with the Halau at the Aloha Tower Pier, greeting passengers on arriving ships with leis and hulas.
Kanoe also began modeling training at age 13, and in 1970 when she was 15 years old she won the Miss Teen Hawaii title. She began modeling professionally at this time.
At age 16 she had her first professional dancing job as a cast member of a hula show at Paradise Park in Manoa Valley. She was then asked to join a group of dancers that performed for parties and luaus in the hotels all around Waikiki. (Most likely because she had a driver’s license and owned a car.)
In 1973, Kanoe won the Miss Hawaii title and competed in the Miss America Pageant. She traveled around the world representing the 50th State by sharing her dancing and Hawaiian-style hospitality. After completing her year as Miss Hawaii, she continued to travel and promote Hawaii by joining the Hawaiian Airlines Promotional Team from 1974 to 1978.
In 1977, Kanoe began dancing during the cocktail hours at Halekulani’s “House Without a Key”, performing six nights a week. Also during this time, Kanoe danced as the hula soloist with Keola and Kapono Beamer, two of Hawaii’s top recording artists at the time. The Beamer Brothers’ show was right next door at the Outrigger Hotel’s Main Showroom, so Kanoe would finish her night at the Halekulani, and run along the beach to the Outrigger to start the next show later in the evening.
Kanoe balanced two careers: dancing and modeling. For twenty years she was one of Hawaii’s top models, working in fashion shows, television commercials, and print work.
When the Halekulani Hotel closed for renovations in 1981, Kanoe performed as the featured dancer in the opening “Hawaiian” segment of Andy Bumatai’s Comedy Show at the Monarch Room in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. For two years Kanoe worked with Andy and was able to expand her dancing and theatrical talents.
The Halekulani Hotel re-opened in 1983, and Kanoe was asked to return to the new “House Without a Key”. She has been performing there during the cocktail hours, Monday through Saturday, ever since. Be sure to check her Dance Schedule when you are in Waikiki!
One of the highlights in her career was having the privilege of dancing the national anthem for the September 11th Memorial Ceremonies at the Punchbowl Cemetery of the Pacific in 2002.
