My name is Katie Whiticar. I humbly write to you in strong support of reinstating Adaptations Dance Theater’s (ADT) funding in 2025. I have been a dancer with Adaptations Dance Theater since 2016 and have directed community youth programs with the company. I grew up in Wailuku, dancing at Maui Academy of Performing Arts (MAPA), where fellow ADT company members, Ali McKeon Pineo, Emily McKeon and Madi McGain grew up dancing as well.
After graduating from Kihei Charter School on Maui, I studied dance at California State University Long Beach where I received my B.A in Dance. Post degree, I continued to work as a dancer in Los Angeles, California. I was torn about the fact that my career kept me away from home. During my time in LA, ADT started a program called Bring it Home where they flew me back home to perform on Maui.
My first Bring it Home (2016) was one of the best experiences. The environment that ADT established was healthy, friendly, and professional, and as an artist that can be hard to come by. The true icing on the cake was that I was dancing in a project that mirrored professional work in LA and I was HOME! Continuing to live in LA, I got asked to do another Bring it Home. Fast forward to the day I realized that I could actually move back home due to the fact that ADT was able to provide professional contemporary dance work on Maui for the first time.
Dear committee, THANK YOU so much for funding ADT’s Bring it Home concert in 2023 and 2024. ADT’s programming truly changed my life and my career. Not only can I find work as a professional dancer on Maui but it has also led me to reconnect with my community in ways I have always dreamed of. Since moving back I have taught at MAPA as an alumni, directed new programs that brought professionals from around the world to teach our upcoming young dance artists here, work with other arts organizations on community projects (i.e. Small Town Big Art), and continue to teach at Momentum Dance Maui where I have directed their competition program and more. Working with young and pre-professional dancers here on the island is a full circle moment. These types of opportunities were not here in my own youth.
I am not the only dance artist that had this dream growing up and who is now able to live it because of ADT’s existence. Please strongly consider continuing to fund ADT. It will make opportunities possible for art to change lives, young artists to have opportunities, and provide more events within our community.
ADT continues to raise the caliber of contemporary dance on Maui bringing opportunities for professional Maui artists and aspiring youth. Their genuine, uplifting, supportive and active energy expands beyond.
Mahalo for your time. Sincerely,
Katie Whiticar
-ADT Dancer, Momentum Dance Maui Teacher, B.A Dance California State University LB
I am writing regarding the 2025 Maui County Budget in support of Adaptations Dance Theater (ADT). I understand that this line item has been taken out of the mayorʻs budget. I humbly request that it be reinstated. I know it is a tough year for Maui, but we need the arts in order to heal from the tragedies and the difficult times. We all appreciate what you have done for ADT in the past. Please reconsider and help us all move to a healthier tomorrow.
Susan Browne
Dear Budget, Finance, and Economic Development Committee,
Thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of Adaptations Dance Theater (ADT). I am humbly asking for our funding for FY 2025 to be reinstated.
My name is Emily McKeon and I was born and raised in the heart of Wailuku. I began dancing at the age of 4, at the Maui Academy of Performing Arts (MAPA) and I spent my summers in between highschool traveling across the country to study with prestigious ballet and contemporary companies in California, Boston, North Carolina, and Salt Lake City, in hopes of one day becoming a professional dancer.
I graduated from the University of California, Irvine having received two degrees in Dance and Education. And currently, I reside in Salt Lake City, Utah, dancing professionally for SALT Contemporary Dance.
I was first welcomed into the ADT community for their inaugural Bring it Home concert during the summer of 2016. I was a rising senior in highschool at the time and was ecstatic to be a part of a new and exciting project on Maui. Little did I know, this small but mighty project would become one of the most influential parts of my upbringing as an aspiring dancer. During the 5 summers I spent with ADT during Bring it Home, I was able to experience the professionalism of company life and performance, as well as challenge my artistry and intellect as a young dancer. Each summer I walked away from the program a more professional, generous, and mature dancer.
Now that I have graduated college and am dancing professionally, I have been able to come back home and perform as a guest dancer with ADT as well as teach masterclasses/workshops for the new generation of aspiring dancers on Maui. This has been some of the most fulfilling work I have done thus far as a dancer. I am now in the position to give back to the young community of dancers who also aspire to dance professionally or in college, and be their support system as they navigate their dance career.
Bring it Home allows young and aspiring dancers, like myself, to learn from and connect with a community of Maui-bred dancers who are pursuing professional careers across the country, as well as gives these dancers a place to come home to, to share their knowledge and passion for dance with a community that raised them. I am so grateful to be a part of the ADT community and am grateful for the role they played in helping me achieve my aspirations in dance.
County of Maui Officials,
I extend my heartfelt gratitude for the tremendous support you bestowed upon us by including Bring it Home in last year's budget. It was a true honor to be recognized and included in your vision for our community. I understand the challenging decisions you face in budget allocation, and I write with humility to request the reinstatement of our funding.
Throughout my work with various arts organizations on Maui, including ADT, Alexander Academy of Performing Arts, MAPA, Momentum Dance Maui, and Seabury Hall, I have witnessed the profound impact of arts programs on our youth. It is my passion to advocate for these young artists and provide them with the tools they need to flourish in the arts, whether here on our island or beyond.
The reasons for sustaining funding for Bring it Home within the County of Maui's budget are compelling and far-reaching:
Supporting Local Artists: Bring it Home nurtures Maui-trained artists by providing professional contemporary dance opportunities. Continuing to support this program allows us to showcase and foster local talent.
Boosting the Arts Economy: The arts industry is a significant contributor to our local economy, creating jobs and economic growth. Supporting Bring it Home will further develop this sector, benefitting our entire community.
Community Engagement: Bring it Home performances enrich our community by promoting the arts and offering residents the chance to enjoy live theater experiences. Supporting this program helps cultivate a vibrant contemporary dance community.
Educational Opportunities: Bring it Home offers workshops, intensives, and masterclasses for local students, enhancing their confidence and professionalism in dance. These experiences prepare them for future careers in the arts.
Exposure to Professional Performances: Attending Bring it Home performances exposes young dancers to professional artists, inspiring them to pursue dance as a career and enriching their artistic development.
In summary, maintaining funding for Bring it Home demonstrates the County of Maui's dedication to supporting local talent, boosting our arts economy, enriching our community, engaging residents, and providing invaluable educational experiences for our students.
I express my sincere appreciation for your time and consideration. Your continued support will allow us to sustain and expand the impact of Bring it Home for the benefit of our community.
Mahalo nui loa for your consideration.
With warm regards,
Hallie Hunt
Co-Artistic Director and Co-Founder
Adaptations Dance Theater
Hello, my name is Kathleen McKeon. I have been a dance artist here on Maui for over 40 years
having started my teaching and choreographic career at the Maui Youth Theater which then
evolved into the Maui Academy of Performing Arts. I am presently teaching and choreographing
at Momentum Dance Maui.
My involvement with Bring It Home from its inception has been through my daughters ,Ali
McKeon Pineo and Emily McKeon, who have performed in every Bring It Home concert. It was
gratifying to have my daughters who grew up dancing on Maui, go to college and dance
professionally on the mainland, then come back to Maui to share their talents.
Having been in the dance community for over 40 years on Maui, I have seen many of my
students move away to pursue art and dance. Bring It Home is their avenue to return to the
islands to practice their art in an accepting and collaborative environment. This in itself opens the
door to welcome back many “Maui- bred” youngsters who feel they have to move away to
pursue their art.
Dance and art brings people together for creative purposes. Creativity leads to innovation. Maui
needs innovation and creativity to continue the path to a higher quality of life. The Bring It
Home Concert will do that for the Maui community.
Best regards,
Momentum Dance Maui -Teaching artist/choreographer
Kathleen McKeon M.Ed.
My name is Ali McKeon Pineo and I am the co-artistic director for Adaptations Dance Theater (ADT) and I am writing in strong support of Adaptations Dance Theater being included in the Mayor’s Budget. We are grateful for the county’s support for our Bring it Home programming the past two years and hope to be supported once again this year.
I am a born and raised Wailuku girl who has recently returned back home after 13 years of living in California. I moved off island in 2007 to attend university and to later, dance professionally with a ballet company in the Bay Area. I visited home often, in large part due to the opportunities provided by ADT and their signature Bring it Home vision, which aims to provide a professional dance home to contemporary dancers on Maui and to literally, bring home Maui-bred dancers and choreographers currently pursuing professional dance careers on the mainland. Choreographing new works and performing for the Bring it Home concert has been the highlight of my professional career. Those experiences affirmed my deep yearning to move back home, to be near family, and to continue making art with and for the vibrant, ever-evolving Maui community that raised me.
One year after moving back, I was asked to join the artistic team as co-artistic director, and hope to perpetuate this company’s mission to cultivate a space for high level contemporary dance work on Maui. As ADT comes up on its ten year anniversary, we strive to continue to bring compelling, meaningful dance work and educational programming to the diverse Maui community. We remain grounded in and inspired by our mission to bring Maui dancers home in hopes that someday, they too can envision moving back, knowing their artistic lives will flourish here. Thank you for supporting our work to keep our community in-tact through dancemaking.
Sincerely, Ali McKeon Pineo Co-Artistic Director, Adaptations Dance Theater
My name is Katie Whiticar. I humbly write to you in strong support of reinstating Adaptations Dance Theater’s (ADT) funding in 2025. I have been a dancer with Adaptations Dance Theater since 2016 and have directed community youth programs with the company. I grew up in Wailuku, dancing at Maui Academy of Performing Arts (MAPA), where fellow ADT company members, Ali McKeon Pineo, Emily McKeon and Madi McGain grew up dancing as well.
After graduating from Kihei Charter School on Maui, I studied dance at California State University Long Beach where I received my B.A in Dance. Post degree, I continued to work as a dancer in Los Angeles, California. I was torn about the fact that my career kept me away from home. During my time in LA, ADT started a program called Bring it Home where they flew me back home to perform on Maui.
My first Bring it Home (2016) was one of the best experiences. The environment that ADT established was healthy, friendly, and professional, and as an artist that can be hard to come by. The true icing on the cake was that I was dancing in a project that mirrored professional work in LA and I was HOME! Continuing to live in LA, I got asked to do another Bring it Home. Fast forward to the day I realized that I could actually move back home due to the fact that ADT was able to provide professional contemporary dance work on Maui for the first time.
Dear committee, THANK YOU so much for funding ADT’s Bring it Home concert in 2023 and 2024. ADT’s programming truly changed my life and my career. Not only can I find work as a professional dancer on Maui but it has also led me to reconnect with my community in ways I have always dreamed of. Since moving back I have taught at MAPA as an alumni, directed new programs that brought professionals from around the world to teach our upcoming young dance artists here, work with other arts organizations on community projects (i.e. Small Town Big Art), and continue to teach at Momentum Dance Maui where I have directed their competition program and more. Working with young and pre-professional dancers here on the island is a full circle moment. These types of opportunities were not here in my own youth.
I am not the only dance artist that had this dream growing up and who is now able to live it because of ADT’s existence. Please strongly consider continuing to fund ADT. It will make opportunities possible for art to change lives, young artists to have opportunities, and provide more events within our community.
ADT continues to raise the caliber of contemporary dance on Maui bringing opportunities for professional Maui artists and aspiring youth. Their genuine, uplifting, supportive and active energy expands beyond.
Mahalo for your time. Sincerely,
Katie Whiticar
-ADT Dancer, Momentum Dance Maui Teacher, B.A Dance California State University LB
I am writing regarding the 2025 Maui County Budget in support of Adaptations Dance Theater (ADT). I understand that this line item has been taken out of the mayorʻs budget. I humbly request that it be reinstated. I know it is a tough year for Maui, but we need the arts in order to heal from the tragedies and the difficult times. We all appreciate what you have done for ADT in the past. Please reconsider and help us all move to a healthier tomorrow.
Susan Browne
Dear Budget, Finance, and Economic Development Committee,
Thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of Adaptations Dance Theater (ADT). I am humbly asking for our funding for FY 2025 to be reinstated.
My name is Emily McKeon and I was born and raised in the heart of Wailuku. I began dancing at the age of 4, at the Maui Academy of Performing Arts (MAPA) and I spent my summers in between highschool traveling across the country to study with prestigious ballet and contemporary companies in California, Boston, North Carolina, and Salt Lake City, in hopes of one day becoming a professional dancer.
I graduated from the University of California, Irvine having received two degrees in Dance and Education. And currently, I reside in Salt Lake City, Utah, dancing professionally for SALT Contemporary Dance.
I was first welcomed into the ADT community for their inaugural Bring it Home concert during the summer of 2016. I was a rising senior in highschool at the time and was ecstatic to be a part of a new and exciting project on Maui. Little did I know, this small but mighty project would become one of the most influential parts of my upbringing as an aspiring dancer. During the 5 summers I spent with ADT during Bring it Home, I was able to experience the professionalism of company life and performance, as well as challenge my artistry and intellect as a young dancer. Each summer I walked away from the program a more professional, generous, and mature dancer.
Now that I have graduated college and am dancing professionally, I have been able to come back home and perform as a guest dancer with ADT as well as teach masterclasses/workshops for the new generation of aspiring dancers on Maui. This has been some of the most fulfilling work I have done thus far as a dancer. I am now in the position to give back to the young community of dancers who also aspire to dance professionally or in college, and be their support system as they navigate their dance career.
Bring it Home allows young and aspiring dancers, like myself, to learn from and connect with a community of Maui-bred dancers who are pursuing professional careers across the country, as well as gives these dancers a place to come home to, to share their knowledge and passion for dance with a community that raised them. I am so grateful to be a part of the ADT community and am grateful for the role they played in helping me achieve my aspirations in dance.
Sincerely,
Emily McKeon
County of Maui Officials,
I extend my heartfelt gratitude for the tremendous support you bestowed upon us by including Bring it Home in last year's budget. It was a true honor to be recognized and included in your vision for our community. I understand the challenging decisions you face in budget allocation, and I write with humility to request the reinstatement of our funding.
Throughout my work with various arts organizations on Maui, including ADT, Alexander Academy of Performing Arts, MAPA, Momentum Dance Maui, and Seabury Hall, I have witnessed the profound impact of arts programs on our youth. It is my passion to advocate for these young artists and provide them with the tools they need to flourish in the arts, whether here on our island or beyond.
The reasons for sustaining funding for Bring it Home within the County of Maui's budget are compelling and far-reaching:
Supporting Local Artists: Bring it Home nurtures Maui-trained artists by providing professional contemporary dance opportunities. Continuing to support this program allows us to showcase and foster local talent.
Boosting the Arts Economy: The arts industry is a significant contributor to our local economy, creating jobs and economic growth. Supporting Bring it Home will further develop this sector, benefitting our entire community.
Community Engagement: Bring it Home performances enrich our community by promoting the arts and offering residents the chance to enjoy live theater experiences. Supporting this program helps cultivate a vibrant contemporary dance community.
Educational Opportunities: Bring it Home offers workshops, intensives, and masterclasses for local students, enhancing their confidence and professionalism in dance. These experiences prepare them for future careers in the arts.
Exposure to Professional Performances: Attending Bring it Home performances exposes young dancers to professional artists, inspiring them to pursue dance as a career and enriching their artistic development.
In summary, maintaining funding for Bring it Home demonstrates the County of Maui's dedication to supporting local talent, boosting our arts economy, enriching our community, engaging residents, and providing invaluable educational experiences for our students.
I express my sincere appreciation for your time and consideration. Your continued support will allow us to sustain and expand the impact of Bring it Home for the benefit of our community.
Mahalo nui loa for your consideration.
With warm regards,
Hallie Hunt
Co-Artistic Director and Co-Founder
Adaptations Dance Theater
To whom it may concern:
Hello, my name is Kathleen McKeon. I have been a dance artist here on Maui for over 40 years
having started my teaching and choreographic career at the Maui Youth Theater which then
evolved into the Maui Academy of Performing Arts. I am presently teaching and choreographing
at Momentum Dance Maui.
My involvement with Bring It Home from its inception has been through my daughters ,Ali
McKeon Pineo and Emily McKeon, who have performed in every Bring It Home concert. It was
gratifying to have my daughters who grew up dancing on Maui, go to college and dance
professionally on the mainland, then come back to Maui to share their talents.
Having been in the dance community for over 40 years on Maui, I have seen many of my
students move away to pursue art and dance. Bring It Home is their avenue to return to the
islands to practice their art in an accepting and collaborative environment. This in itself opens the
door to welcome back many “Maui- bred” youngsters who feel they have to move away to
pursue their art.
Dance and art brings people together for creative purposes. Creativity leads to innovation. Maui
needs innovation and creativity to continue the path to a higher quality of life. The Bring It
Home Concert will do that for the Maui community.
Best regards,
Momentum Dance Maui -Teaching artist/choreographer
Kathleen McKeon M.Ed.
My name is Ali McKeon Pineo and I am the co-artistic director for Adaptations Dance Theater (ADT) and I am writing in strong support of Adaptations Dance Theater being included in the Mayor’s Budget. We are grateful for the county’s support for our Bring it Home programming the past two years and hope to be supported once again this year.
I am a born and raised Wailuku girl who has recently returned back home after 13 years of living in California. I moved off island in 2007 to attend university and to later, dance professionally with a ballet company in the Bay Area. I visited home often, in large part due to the opportunities provided by ADT and their signature Bring it Home vision, which aims to provide a professional dance home to contemporary dancers on Maui and to literally, bring home Maui-bred dancers and choreographers currently pursuing professional dance careers on the mainland. Choreographing new works and performing for the Bring it Home concert has been the highlight of my professional career. Those experiences affirmed my deep yearning to move back home, to be near family, and to continue making art with and for the vibrant, ever-evolving Maui community that raised me.
One year after moving back, I was asked to join the artistic team as co-artistic director, and hope to perpetuate this company’s mission to cultivate a space for high level contemporary dance work on Maui. As ADT comes up on its ten year anniversary, we strive to continue to bring compelling, meaningful dance work and educational programming to the diverse Maui community. We remain grounded in and inspired by our mission to bring Maui dancers home in hopes that someday, they too can envision moving back, knowing their artistic lives will flourish here. Thank you for supporting our work to keep our community in-tact through dancemaking.
Sincerely, Ali McKeon Pineo Co-Artistic Director, Adaptations Dance Theater