Kumu hula Patrick Makuakāne on receiving MacArthur 'genius grant'

Each year, the MacArthur Foundation awards fellowships to a handful of people at the top of their fields from science to the arts. It's an honor that falls like pennies from heaven.

This year's recipients include Patrick Makuakāne, a kumu hula and cultural preservationist based in San Francisco. He was born and raised in Honolulu.

The foundation honored him for "blending traditional hula with contemporary music and movements and uplifting Hawaiian culture and history." The fellowships come with an $800,000 grant paid over five years.

"This will enable me to engage in opportunities and collaborations with fellow Native Hawaiian artists whose work that I really admire and that inspire me," Makuakāne told The Conversation. "It's a win-win for both of us and there are really some wonderful people that I can't wait to share their artistry with the world."