Hula Hips

    I am sure that we all have seen the graceful movements of Hula dancing– hips swaying side to side, hand movements as graceful and fluid as the waves in the ocean, and the strong emotional tell on the dancers face. I promise to you that there is far more to Hula than smiling faces, graceful hand movements, hips swaying side to side to the chanting or playing of the ukulele. The dance is a traditional Hawaiian dance that was meant to tell stories. Even without understanding the native Hawaiian tongue, you can understand the story being told through this beautiful dance style by observing movements and emotions. For example, a common hand placement in this dance would be fingers cupped together in an upward motion. This symbolizes a flower. Or perhaps, you may see fingers waving up and down while the dancer dips lower, then higher, then lower again. This is a common movement to show waves or water. This particular dance form itself takes far more than knowing where to put your hands. In fact, most of the work is in the legs and face. Because a story is being told, it is important for the dancer to depict emotion– happy, sorrowful, playful, etc. Like all dance forms, it is the feel and passion that is exerted into each dance from the performer that makes the performance mesmerizing.