James Stanley: Teaching Hawaiian Ukulele, Movement, and Culture

James Stanley is a San Diego native who was raised embracing, embodying, and sharing Hawaiian culture and arts. He is the eldest son of Kumu (Hula Teacher) Kathy Heali’i Gore Stanley, the founder of San Diego’s Heali’i’s Polynesian Revue. As such, James was immersed in Polynesian arts and began performing dance and playing the ukulele at a very young age. His love of dance and movement eventually inspired him to earn a BA in kinesiology from CSU Northridge in 2018.

James has performed with many of Hawai’i’s music legends, including HAPA, Na Leo Pilimehana, Amy Hānaiali’i, Makaha Sons, and Kalani Pe’a. Today, James is an alakaʻi (co-leader) and kāne director (men’s director) for Heali’i’s Polynesian Revue. He pours his aloha into nurturing his family’s hālau (Hawaiian dance school) through music, dancing, and traditional practices.

We are proud to have James as a teaching artist for the CWM’s youth education program, World Music in the Schools. James engages over 900 San Diego County school children a week with Hawaiian language and traditions, ukulele, and dancing.

James’ brother, Anthony Kauka Stanley is also a teaching artist for the School’s program. Learn more about Anthony from his profile on our website.