Dance Hula

Created by the Polynesians in Hawaii, hula is a unique movement that is danced by either a song or chant. In the beginning, chants and voices were used as the instruments and the hula would provide the lyrics. In modern times, hula is now accompanied with guitars or ukuleles. To get the full experience, you should try to find a hula class near you, but you can get started learning hula on your own with a few basic steps.

Steps

Kāholo, Stepping Side to Side

1. Bend your knees very slightly. Keep a looseness in your hips and feet.
   • If it helps, sway your hips from side to side.
2. Move two steps to the right. Follow with the left foot on each step. Then move two steps to the left, following with the right foot on each step.
   • When you step the first foot, lead with your hip. When the next foot comes to follow it, let that hip sink. This creates a rocking motion with your hips every time you move.
3. Put your arms into position. Traditionally, you will put up the arm that corresponds with the leading foot. The arm will come straight out to the side, at shoulder height. The other hand will be pointing toward the leading hand at the center of your chest, with your elbow at shoulder height.
   • When you switch your leading foot, you will switch the position of your arms so that the extended arm corresponds with the leading foot.

Ka’o, Swaying Side to Side

1. Bend your knees. Don’t squat, but keep a significant bend in your knees. Keep your hips very loose.
   • You should be bending enough for a noticeable change in your height, but not so much that you are using a lot of thigh strength to keep yourself in position.
2. Shift your weight from your left foot to your right foot. Straighten your right leg, bringing your right hip up. Relax your left hip down. Then repeat on the other side.
   • Your head should be completely level. It may move side to side, but never up and down. Concentrate all of your movement on the shifting weight in your legs, and the swaying of your hips.
   • Once you are ready, lift your feet every time the weight shifts off of them.
3. Put your hands in position. Traditionally, the position for the kao step is to keep both of your hands at chest height, palms towards the ground and fingertips facing each other.
   • Keep your elbows at shoulder height, don’t let them droop!

`Ami, Rotating the Hips

1. Bend your knees and bring your chest up. Lift your tailbone, so that your butt is elevated, but try not to push your belly forward.
   • Try to imagine your hips as separate from your torso. They should be a little further back and higher than normal, but your torso and chest should not tilt too much to accommodate them.
2. Shift your weight from the center to your right foot. This is like the Kao step, except that instead of shifting back to left immediately, you will bring your weight to center, and then shift your weight to the left. Do this for four counts. Then, repeat in the other direction, with your first weight shift going from center to left.
   • Imagine making circles with your butt. The rest of your body will stay static, but your butt and hips will move in circles going clockwise for four counts, then counter clockwise for four counts.
3. Add the arm positioning. The hand that corresponds with the leading hip should be in the middle of your chest, with the palm pointed toward the floor. Your elbow should be bent and at shoulder height, going straight to the side. The other hand should be on the other hip.
   • When your leading hip switches, switch the arm positioning.

Using Your Hands

1. Use a pua (“flower”) motion. Gently stretch both of your arms diagonally to the right, with your hands at waist level. Your palms should be facing the ground, and your fingertips should be elevated. As you rotate your hands so that your palms face up, bring your fingertips together to create a “blossom”. Do this for two counts, and then repeat on the left side.
   • This motion usually accompanies the kaholo or kao.
2. Use the ua, or rain motion. Bring your right arm to the side, so that your hand is slightly above your head. Lean back to the left and look slightly upward at your hand. The left hand should be near your face, about five inches away from your right hand. Gently move your fingers as you bring your hands down to your waist. Repeat on the other side.
   • This motion will accompany a swaying motion, or the kaholo step.
3. Use the nalu, or “waves” motion. With your elbows bent at your waist, start with your right hand up and to the side, and your left hand at your chest. Move both of your hands up and down twice, in a fluid, wavelike motion. Repeat on the other side.
   • A similar waving motion represents the ocean. With your arms in front of you, act as though you are picking flowers out of water, alternating picking motions between right and left hands. This creates the illusion of many waves.

Putting It All Together

1. Use a video. There are videos on youtube of basic dances. Once you have mastered the individual steps, it will be easy to follow along to videos, and better understand what dancers are doing with their hips.
   • These videos may incorporate more arm motions than the ones outlined here: hula is a storytelling dance, so there are many hand and arm motions.However, the fluid and motions that are outlined above will give you a feel of the rhythm of hula hand motions. The placement of the hands is often the same as well.
2. Write your own choreography. Using the motions in this article, create your own dance.
   • Start with the swaying motions, and then incorporate arm motions.
   • Move into kaholo, while continuing to use arm motions.
   • Turn in a circle, using the ka’o or ami.
   • Try using the kaholo to move further to the side, or diagonally toward the audience.
3. Improvise! If you practice these motions, you should be able to move fluidly from one to the other. They are pretty simple. Choose a song you like, and go through the motions as it pleases you.
   • Improvisation means anything goes, so use your hands and tell your own story. Find more as many hand motions as possible, using youtube to get the motions right.

Tips

• Smile and look inviting.
• Do not look directly at the audience. Your eyes should follow your fingertips and draw your onlookers to the story being told by your hands.
• If you are a Disney fan, watch Lilo and Stitch. Lilo (a girl) teaches Stitch (a creature from another planet) how to dance hula and play the ukulele. In the ending song/movie credits, both are seen dancing hula in the Merrie Monarch Festival.
• The Merrie Monarch is an actual hula competition held on the Big Island (island of Hawaii) for a week.

Things You'll Need

• Bare feet (optional, but recommended to get the whole feel)
• Mat (optional)
• Skirt (optional)
• Ipu (gourd used for beating and creating rhythm) (optional)

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Sources and Citations

• Videos provided by HulalaLiving
• Videos provided by HulalaLiving

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