Lokelani, Princess Lei (c. 1898–1921)

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Lokelani, Princess Lei (c. 1898–1921)

American vaudeville dancer. Born Elizabeth Jonica Lei Lokelani-Shaw, c. 1898 in San Francisco, CA; died April 18, 1921, in San Francisco; sister of Wini Shaw (dancer, singer).

Raised in theatrical family of Scottish, Irish, and Hawaiian origin, made performance debut with family troupe—called The Shaw Family, Shaw's Hawaiians, or Jonica's Hawaiians—at Panama Exposition in San Francisco; toured with family for a number of years until she formed own dance troupe (c. 1917); was one of the most accurate performers of Hula and other Hawaiian dance styles.