She is the founder and lead collaborator of in·corpus, a NYC-based initiative launched in 2023 that is dedicated to supporting embodiment and community connection through movement, and to perpetuating indigenous and heritage artistry through amplification and space-making.


Born and raised in Honolulu, Satsu began dancing at age 5, learning hula from Kumu April Chock at Kamehameha Summer School. Her hula lineage includes nā kumu Lehua Carvalho and Ed Collier, and her mentor, Kanoe Cazimero. On Turtle Island (North America), Kawena has offered hula courtesy of American Indian Community House, Brooklyn College, Cullman Education Center MoMA, Queens Public Library, and The Watermill Center.


Satsu has a background in performance, choreography, production, and arts management, with diplomas in contemporary dance and theatre from Indiana University Bloomington and Trinity Laban Conservatoire. She has worked in professional, educational, and community dance, theatre, and opera settings, collaborating with folks of different ages, physical and cognitive abilities, and levels of movement experience. As a researcher, her work has focused on the relationships between dance, land, and health, and her current inquiry frames dance as an essential human practice.


Satsu is a 2026 NYSCA Artist, a 2025 CitizensNYC Community Leaders and LMCC Creative Arts grant recipient, a 2025 and 2024 SU-CASA Resident Artist for the borough of Manhattan, a 2024 Ma’s House Resident Artist, and a 2022-23 Selection Committee Member for the NY Dance & Performance Awards (The Bessies). She is based on Canarsie and Munsee Lenape land (Brooklyn, NY).