"So You Think You Can Dance" will be eliminating two more people this week, and Kailua's Kupono Aweau really needs to feel the aloha — in the form of votes.

"I'm going through a rough time; I don't know what's going on with me," Aweau said in an exclusive phone interview before last Wednesday's show. "But the more support and positive energy I can have sent my way ... the better."

"As soon as we can, we start voting," said Aweau's mother, Ali. "We (the family) gather at 6 p.m., eat dinner, and sit in front of the TV from 7 to 11."

Their efforts, along with those of people across the country who voted for Kupono Aweau and Kayla Radomski, did not go unnoticed last week, when Aweau and Radomski earned enough votes to be safe from elimination for one more round. Judge Mary Murphy put them on the "Hot Tamale Train," and guest judge Toni Basil, most known for her hit single "Mickey," said she really liked the routine.

All was not smooth sailing, though. Aweau admitted to struggling a little bit, admitting on TV that there was a lot of lifting and he'd "have to do some push-ups."

"I was terrified when we picked what we picked (the Viennese waltz)," he said. "But as I practice(d) more and more, everything was falling into place."

"I think he overthinks things sometimes," said Ali Aweau. "He's a perfectionist, and sometimes he just needs to have fun with it. I just tell him to enjoy and embrace it and he'll be fine."

The show isn't over yet. Kupono Aweau's future depends on his performances — and his vote count.

"I'm not computer savvy, but his brother and sisters are on the Internet, and everyone takes treats to work and they talk to people and say, 'Don't forget to vote!' We make calls to our family members and tell them don't forget. And we've just recently started sign-waving," Ali Aweau said about the family's efforts to rake in as many votes as possible.

"I can't believe that's my son on TV. I'm so proud of him. How can you not be proud? Whatever he has set in mind, he does it," she said. "I haven't traveled, but through him, I have."

Kupono Aweau is described by his family and friends as young, determined, high-spirited, helpful and there when you need him.

"(When in need) You can pick up the phone and call him, and he'll be there," said Ali Aweau. "We can't not do the same for him. We have to help him too."