Isabella Haleʻala Kaʻili Desha[1] (née Miller; January 16, 1864 – February 28, 1949[2]) was a highly regarded Hawaiian composer, musician and kumu hula[3] during the Kingdom of Hawaii and throughout her life.
She, along with her mother, Kapuailohiawahine Kanuha Miller, herself a notable kumu hula, composer and dancer of her time, would teach the dance in a secret Hawaiian hālau.
[11] The family includes award winning musicians, composers, historians and activists that have perpetuated Hawaiian culture and history for over 100 years.
[12] She was forced to teach the hula in secret due to the puritanical beliefs of the Calvinist missionaries.
[13] During the reign of King David Kalakaua, the formerly banned native dance known as hula was given a mandate from the monarch to be brought back to both the Royal Court and in public display.