ALOHA !

Whether you need a single Hula girl to perform a 1-hour show for your small, private backyard luau, or you need a 3-hour full Polynesian Revue with a cast of hundred for a city luau, or you need any possible combination in between, you have just arrived on the shores of paradise.  Welcome!

As one of the largest Hawaiian entertainment companies on the mainland and one with a long-term, leading track-record, the Barefoot Hawaiian specializes in making your Hawaiian event a success, whether it be your first or your 100th.

Being the Midwest's leading provider of entertainment for small luaus, each year we perform hundreds of one-hula-girl shows for small private parties and small corporate events.  Discover as most do that live Hawaiian entertainment is affordable and well within reach.  If you're in or near the greater Chicago region and have that last minute need, we can often provide one or two person shows with same or next day service. 

For slightly larger needs, each year we also provide hundreds of performances with 2 to 5 entertainers.  Let us prepare the perfect package for your event.  Your schedule is our schedule. 

Have a beautiful lei greeter welcome guests as they arrive, Scottie the Parrot mingle with guests or keep the children busy during cocktails and appetizers, a solo musician perform before and during dinner, and dancers put on a full Hawaiian show after, concluding it all with the spectacular fire knife performance.

The ideal small entertainment package created to your requirements and budget is just a phone call away.  If you need something larger, we know no limit.

More information about our expert service and performers are provided on the rest of this page.  We are ready to hear from you.

Mahalo!

THE PERFORMANCE

42 Professional Hula Dancers, 42 Professional Tahitian Dancers, and 12 Professional Samoan Fire-Knife Dancers is just a sampling of the talent in our Performing Arts Company.  

We perform all the various forms of Polynesian, Hawaiian, and Tahitian dance as well as the specialty dances of neighboring islands.  Our 18-member team of girls that perform the mystifying  Maori Poi Balls of New Zealand, is just one other example.

Every one of our professionals is trained to perform from solo to a member of a full cast show.  No show is too big or too small.

And that covers only our all-professional team.  Available for most public shows are another 85 dancers that comprise our cast of non-professionals.

These include 30 adult females (Mohala) and 55 children (Keiki) ranging in age from 3 to 15 years. These up-and-coming stars of next generation professionals are nothing less than entertaining.

How is it we perform the majority of luau and Hawaiian shows in the Midwest?  The performance by our dancers is just the beginning ...

THE MUSIC

For 26 years, the Barefoot Hawaiian has had its own band.  Today our band is a 5-member team of  musicians multi-talented in both instrumentation and vocals.  The band specializes in the melodic Hawaiian hula rhythms and features the enchanting female vocals of the beautiful Kapela.

For the fast pace Oteas of Tahiti our 10-member Tahitian drum team provides the accompaniment for our dancers. We have been performing Tahitian drums for the same 26 years, and we teach the technique in our own school.

For the more intimate setting and mood, none comes better than solo artist Lopaka Young.  With his ukulele and with relaxed delivery, Lopaka performs the nostalgic and Hawaiian romantic tunes of Don Ho, Elvis Presley, and many others.  Performing for 59 years – 30 in the Chicago area – Lopaka is considered by local purists the finest male Hawaiian voice in the Midwest.

For the younger crowd demanding a more contemporary sound, solo artist Jonathan Carreira gets the pulse going and everyone singing.  His strong ukulele and well-carried vocals will bring up the energy level in any setting.  Jonathan's  proficiency with 8 musical instruments combined with his vocal delivery in 6 different South Pacific languages, makes him one of the Midwest's most versatile and overall talented Hawaiian artists.

Our musicians do not require a stationary stage or platform or even need to be near a source of electricity.  We have performed in many parades on floats where we provide our mobile electronic equipment and electricity.   Wherever you are having the party, our musicians can be there too.

Smaller performances are done to CD music, and whether your show is small or large, we provide all our own equipment as needed.  This includes quality systems, speakers, and electronics.

Kapela provides the enchanting female vocals of our band

Members of the Barefoot Hawaiian Band

Soloist Jonathan Carreira (left) and Soloist Lopaka Young (right)

Barefoot Hawaiian performs drumming at a local community show

The Interaction

Scottie, Chicago's most loveable parrot, can provide the most interactive part of any show.  His job is to mingle with guests, put smiles on their faces, and create those photographic moments and memories that last a lifetime.

Scottie the Parrot SM is a third-party option for any Barefoot Hawaiian show.  Click here for more information.

Our lei greeters provide early interaction by welcoming your guests and getting them into the Hawaiian mood the moment they arrive.

Then during the show, guests of honor, your staff, or willing volunteers are invited to join us on stage for a quick hula lesson and to show all the rest that fun and laughter truly is the best medicine.

It is important to us that you do more than watch a show; for it's a better one when your guests participate in it.

The Extras

With scores of professional performers expert in the Hawaiian dance arts, a band, a drum team, solo musician, tropical parrot, and lei greeters, one may wonder what else can there be.  Well, there is much more.

We have more added-value items, options, and extras than we can list.

We have our own show emcee, who not only runs the show but explains some history and trivia associated with the various performances.

As for performance variety, we refuse to be second to anyone.  In costuming alone, our performers may make as many as 7 costume changes in just one show.  Nearly all costumes are custom made by hand to traditional styles.

In addition to modern traditional Hawaiian and Tahitian costuming, we also honor, upon request, specific costuming requirements all the way to ultra-conservative with minimal skin exposure.  Our performance will be equally like-minded.  The Barefoot Hawaiian, respects the traditions of all cultures, beliefs, societies, age groups, and settings.

How about a New Zealand Warrior with full face-paint and garment greeting your guests with the traditional New Zealand warrior welcome?  We have him too.

When needed, we have our own area and spot-lighting.  Our performers are never in the dark such that you can't see them.

Go first-rate with real flower leis flown in fresh from Hawaii.  We can also equip your entire staff or luau hosting team with matching Aloha shirts from Hawaii in the sizes you need.

What many consider special requests, we do routinely.  

The Reputation

From Harpo Studios right here in Chicago to the Government of China for a show in Shanghai, the Barefoot Hawaiian has been selected by and performed for more fortune 500 companies, global corporations, and international organizations than any other Hawaiian Performing Arts company in the Midwest.

We have performed for half-time shows in sporting events, televised parades, and state fairs.  Our dancers have been the selected dance performers for top Hawaiian musical artists.

The Barefoot Hawaiian has had uncounted television appearances and interviews and has been photographed for and written about in countless newspaper articles.

Barefoot Hawaiian performers have competed in televised dance contests and world competitions.  We have world-placing champions and titlists in our cast.

You receive the same performance that earned this reputation. First-rate is not optional.

The Value

We are committed to providing you the best value in luau, Hawaiian, and Polynesian entertainment.

When you consider our years in business, experience, professionalism, variety, extras, and options, you receive the most for your money from a Barefoot Hawaiian show.

That value goes beyond a first-rate performance.   Everyone who orders entertainment from us, also receives a 25% discount for merchandise in our Hawaiian Shop.  Buy your aloha shirts, múumúus, grass skirts, lies, etc. and save even more.

We are also fully insured, and although we have never faced a single claim, you can rest easy that you and your guests are covered in the event of an unforeseen circumstance.

With everything we offer, you also save time.

THE SHOW

In the final analysis, it all must work and work well together; otherwise, it will appear as a bunch of individual dancers simply thrown together.

To ensure your total satisfaction with the entire performance, Barefoot Hawaiian shows are carefully scripted, directed. and produced, just as you would expect in any fine entertainment.

Each performance and act in the show is a choreographed dance routine synchronized to carefully selected and performed music. Our dance company is comprised of not just dancers, but dance teams, leaders, team directors, and choreographers. Nothing is left to chance when we take the stage.

Moreover, to keep the variety fresh, we completely redo the production every year for our general performance shows.  Each year receives new dance routines, new choreography,  new production numbers, and new music (except for retaining the highly requested favorites).  In short, it's a new show every year.

For 2010 we are presenting ...

"Over the Hawaiian Rainbow"

Our shows in previous years have been ...

2009

"Voyage Through the South Pacific"

2008

"Islands in Time — 25 Years of Aloha"

2007

"Rhapsodies of the South Pacific"

2006

"This Side of Paradise"

2005

"Love is Reflected in Love" 

Even more show options ...

Then, to offer you even more variety, we have specialty shows such as our restaurant and lounge performance offerings that are available to restaurants, lounges, nightclubs, and other similar venues.

You will see our Hanalei and Voyage Through Polynesia shows performed every weekend to house capacity at and customized for the Tiki Terrace restaurant located in Des Plaines, Illinois – visit our Event Schedule page for more details.  In the same fashion, we can customize a show specific to your needs for your establishment as well.  Call us today for more information.

 Finally, we offer other specialty show packages such as our famous Klub Kane Revue, a dignified and respectable all-male performance that is certain to thrill.  Learn more about this show on our Seasonal and Packages page.

THE PROFESSIONALISM

Our goal is the achievement of perfection, our creed is to remain true to the arts, and our promise to you is one of dignity and professionalism.

 Only our Professional Division dancers perform the private shows.  Each is a top-flight dancer and performer.  Many of them are in our competition team, which competes each year against other professionals from around the world at the Tahiti Fete World Competition in San Jose and at the World Fire-Knife Competition in Oahu, HI.

Every one of the professionals must maintain a highly rigorous and demanding training schedule, not only to maintain their certification as a Barefoot Hawaiian professional performer, but to improve their skills as well.  And because we have our own school, we are certain that they do just that. They are not just dancers, they are athletes.

In addition, you will always be guaranteed a totally dignified performance.  At no point will any of our performers ever reduce themselves to something less by a cheap or sleazy gimmick in their routine.  In fact, these are one of the few requests we must deny.

So whether we are performing for your church social or for your bachelor or bachelorette party, you will be assured a dignified and totally professional performance of true and authentic artistry.

THE SERVICE

Even with a reputation that spans oceans, the Barefoot Hawaiian remains a modest, family-owned business that places customer service first.

We cater to your needs and do the show you desire.  Want high energy?  Nostalgic?  Relaxed and easy?  Tell us.

Have a special occasion such as an anniversary requiring a performance or dedication to a very significant song?  Consider it done.  With more than 30 years in entertainment, we have experience with just about every request imaginable.  You will not simply hear a "yes" from us, but can relax in knowing that the result will be as you dreamed it would be.

So whether you want one hula-girl to perform for your backyard luau or need a full-cast Polynesian show to entertain a hundred-thousand visitors to your state fair, you will always receive world-class professionalism with the highest in personalized service and attention.  It all comes with a smile.

For Entertainment Inquiries and Bookings call
(847) 699-7336
Our General Office Hours are
Tuesday through Saturday
10:00 AM — 3:00 PM
After Hours:
Select extension #1 for our 24-hour,
7-days/week Entertainment Hotline