The women of ancient Hawai'i — oracles, warriors, dragon goddesses and priestesses of sacred ceremonies — come forward in "Daughters of Haumea," a production by San Francisco kumu hula Patrick Makuakane.

Based on the 2006 Ka Palapala Po'okela Award-winning book of the same name by Lucia Tarallo Jensen and Natalie Mahina Jen-sen, the piece features 35 halau dancers plus four guest artists.

Makuakane, founder of the halau Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu, has created a style he calls "hula mua" ("mua" meaning ahead, front, foremost), which blends traditional hula movements with non-Hawaiian music. It also incorporates some movements and ideas from modern dance.

He has often stated that his goals are twofold — to perpetuate his culture through dance while, at the same time, entertaining and educating people about Hawai'i's culture and history.

The stumbling block for many comes with Makuakane's concept of entertaining. His lavish, full-length productions involve story lines, elaborate costumes and sets, theatrical lighting and a mixture of Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian music.

Interviewed by phone from his home in San Francisco, Makuakane called the latter "progressive house music" and described it as music with " ... deep bass lines and a melancholic edge to it. It parallels the earthiness of our traditional music."

Despite his reputation as a hula rebel, Makuakane's roots in Hawai'i and its culture go deep. Born and raised here, he started studying hula in high school. After a year, he began serious training with Robert Cazimero and soon joined his halau. His dance career was aborted, however, when he moved to San Francisco to go to college.

There he met other Hawaiians who, learning of his background in hula, begged him to teach classes. Since then, his school has grown to 250 students. Makuakane still conducts all classes himself, despite a busy rehearsal and performance schedule.

Julie Mau, a veteran of the halau and its general manager, recalled the early days in a phone interview. Having grown up in Makaha, Mau had been aware of hula but hadn't explored it fully until she moved to San Francisco to attend college.

"I wanted to find the Hawaiian community in San Francisco, so I called Patrick. We started out as a loose-knit halau."

Now, 17 years after joining the halau, Mau balances her life between her work as a firefighter, her duties as the group's manager, and dancing. She feels that thanks to Makuakane, she discovered her Hawaiian roots and a true appreciation for hula in San Francisco.

Perhaps Makuakane's most fervent admirer is author Lucia Tarallo Jensen. "He is challenging himself to bring forth hula into the 21st century," she said in an interview from her Hilo home. "But he would never be able to do what he does without being firmly planted in its roots. I've got to give him credit for his courage."

The first time Jensen attended a rehearsal of "Daughters," she was moved to tears. "He was able to take the metaphors (in the book and legends) and translate them into dance."

"Daughters of Haumea" premiered in San Francisco in 2006 after a rehearsal period of 1 1/2 years. "I feel incredibly grateful to Lucia for her work," Makuakane said. "It has been a constant source of inspiration to me."

Asked what he hopes the audience will experience, Makuakane said, "I would like people to attend with an open mind and open heart. Hopefully, they'll be entertained. I think most people appreciate the diversity. Our outreach is to a broader audience. The work has strong theatrical values."

He also points out that the baby Mo'o (dragon goddess), danced by Rachel Berman, a modern dancer who hails from Hawai'i, " ... is a very intense dance piece." Having admired Berman as a dancer with Paul Taylor's company, Makuakane allowed her the freedom to choreograph much of her own solo. As he says, "It's definitely modern dance. The audience should be able to perceive a difference in style."

Chances are, discerning audiences will notice the differences between Makuakane's production and traditional hula events. But as Lucia Jensen says, "You have to be open to appreciate it."

Carol Egan, a former professional dancer, choreographer and teacher, began writing about dance in 1975.