Admirers of kumu hula Patrick Makuakane and San Francisco-based halau Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu’s innovative approach to hula — fused with stagecraft, modern dance elements and storytelling through a Native Hawaiian lens — have long thought of him as a “genius.”

Makuakane’s reputation has now been cemented: he was named a 2023 MacArthur Fellow and “genius grant” recipient on Wednesday. Honolulu-born Makuakane, who studied here with kumu Robert Cazimero and Mae Klein, brought his halau most recently to Oahu for “Mahu,” at Leeward Theatre in March.