An 8-year-old from Kapolei is tearing up the Internet with hip-hop dance moves that earned her a recent appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
The popular talk-show host invited Kea Peahu- Kupihea — known as Kea PK— and her celebrity choreographer Matt Steffanina to perform Jan. 14 after the pair made a video that went viral with 2 million views in one day.
“It was so fun being on the show,” she said. “I really want to do it again.”
Kea chatted with De- Generes about her love for dance and dogs before performing to Drake’s “Hotline Bling.”
Kea (her name is short for Kealolaniokahoaka) has been dancing since she was 3-1/2 years old, starting with tap and ballet. A year later she was watching hip-hop dance on TV and knew that’s what she wanted to do. She started taking classes at Hypersquad Dance Company in Waipahu, known for turning out some of Hawaii’s top hip-hop dancers.
Her moms, Sanoi Peahu and Kuulei Kupihea, offered Kea their full support in pursuing her passion, so much so that Peahu moved with her daughter to Hollywood in August to be available for auditions and jobs while Kupihea stayed in Hawaii to manage their flooring business. The family reunites about once a month for brief visits.
“I miss my friends,” said Kea. “I text them and call and do FaceTime, but I don’t get to see them much.”
Her first professional dance job was playing a Lost Boy in Lythgoe Family Productions’ “Peter Pan and Tinker Bell” in December. The company, which stages Broadway-style musicals for children, is run by Kris Lythgoe, daughter of “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance” producer Nigel Lythgoe. Kea is currently in Mexico working on a dance production.
When she is home, Kea is a third-grader at the SofaSoGood Preparatory Learning Center in Kapolei. She’s very much like most girls her age, with a bedroom filled with Barbie dolls and medals from soccer, football and other sports. When in Hollywood, she is home-schooled.
Kea’s grandmother Anna Peahu said that although she didn’t want to see her granddaughter run off to Hollywood, she’s happy the family took a leap of faith and that Kea is getting opportunities to shine.
“I love watching her dance,” she said. “I’m her biggest fan.”
Find Kea’s YouTube channel at bit.ly/1Upsu0B.