Hula champion Maile Francisco dies aged 45 in Oahu hospital
Maile Emily Francisco, a celebrated Hawaiian hula dancer and 2005 Miss Aloha Hula winner, has died aged 45 at a hospital on Oahu. Her death has drawn tributes from family and friends, while the cause has not been announced.
Francisco began learning hula at four and trained at traditional schools before representing her hālau at the Merrie Monarch Festival. She was a mother of two, and her brother remembered her as a gifted dancer and a deeply beautiful person.
In short
- Hula champion Maile Emily Francisco has died aged 45.
- She won Miss Aloha Hula in 2005.
- Her cause of death has not been released.
Explained simply
Hula is a Hawaiian dance tradition that combines movement, chant and music to tell stories and express cultural knowledge. Dancers often train in a hālau, a school or group led by a kumu hula, a teacher responsible for passing on its practice.
The Merrie Monarch Festival is an annual event in Hawai‘i that brings hālau together for hula competitions and performances. Its Miss Aloha Hula contest recognises an outstanding solo dancer, and winning it can bring national attention within the hula community.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Mystery as Hawaii pageant queen who was famous for her hula dancing dies in hospital aged just 45”.