Her relationship with Kumu Hina is at the heart of a documentary directed by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson called A Place in the Middle.

For their end-of-year school performance, Kumu Hina gives Ho'onani the leading role in the boys' dance, because she performed the best among the students.

"There's potential backfire from parents and families who may look at this and say I should encourage a girl to stand with the girls," Kumu Hina says.

So she decides to check in with Ho'onani, to make sure her student would be prepared for future challenges.