The last time I danced hula with a kumu, Pete and I were living in Manoa Valley. Our kumu was also our land-lady, recently returned from Paris, Kilohana began a beginners halau at a local health center not far from our Manoa homes. I had wanted to dance again after many years in between. My experiences with halau hula has been inconsistent. While life was going on, I did not include hula. I had a very fun time while I danced. It's something that feels good and I long for it, again.
During the Moon of Taurus, my renewed commitment to new beginnings will include believing and allowing hula to be part of my life again. How that will manifest? First, I need to believe it possible and ask. Believing before I see it. There are dancers here, reading. I hope this post and the thread of nature worship affirms and encourages your dancing, your connection with caring for the 'aina (the ground of your being, body and Earth) ... it is happening as you dance.
John Kaimikaua, another loved teacher now in spirit, speaks of the legacy of hula and the island of Molokai. After you have listened to him, what feelings come up for you?
Lynn Cook, writer and artist from O'ahu wrote an article called "Hula for health"
Link to the whole article here http://www.islandscene.com/Article.aspx?id=3427What do you think about this description of halau hula? Can you relate?
...The mix of women who dance in this halau is a cross section of the community – doctors, lawyers, waitresses, nurses, teachers, executives and writers. Our paths probably never would have crossed if we weren’t hula sisters. We care about each other. Hula sisters celebrate the good times and comfort one another in the not-so-good times. As our kumu says, “Going to a gym is good for you, but you don’t get hugs.”
We dance very traditional hula that challenges our minds and our bodies. We check in for class. We do stretches that our kumu developed with friends who were experts in the martial arts. We warm our muscles so nothing is strained except our brain. Everything we do is in Hawaiian, a language most of us don’t speak fluently. We may warm up to a contemporary Hawaiian language song and then transition into a hula, danced to a chant. The first thing we have to master is the kahea, calling out each verse. As beginners, there is no chance to think about anything beyond the wild hope that our hands, feet and hips will somehow work together to tell the story being chanted by our kumu.
I can relate. My halau and my hula sisters are my ohana now.
ReplyDeletehmmmm. nice.
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