The hula is a lovely dance from the Hawaiian islands. It was once performed for kings and as part of religious ceremonies, but is now a popular form of entertainment at luaus for tourists. As the hula recounts a tale in the dance, learning the many hand and arm movements is required for a true Hawaiian hula dance. However, many of the basic dance steps, combined with simple graceful arm movements can produce a lovely, simplified hula.
Kaholo
This is the most important, fundamental step in the hula. It is a side-to-side traveling step, or three-step move. The basic pattern is step-together-step-touch. Then repeat traveling to the opposite side. In stepping, whether stepping to the side or stepping the feet back together, raise the stepping side hip by lifting up with the heel. The hips should lift and sink like the swells of the ocean waves. Hands here can do the classic hula wave to the side, trailing behind or waving on the opposite side in which you are traveling.
Ka'o
This is a basic hip sway in which you lift the heels of your feet alternately. Lift the heel and that hip then lift the other side. As with walking with the kaholo, the hips should sway like the ocean waves. While doing this basic movement in place, you can circle your arms up as if greeting the sun.
Uniu
Draw a figure eight with your hips. Push one hip forward, then out, then back and around to neutral. Then repeat by pushing the opposite hip out forward, out to the side, back and finish in neutral. Smooth this out until the finish of one hip flows naturally into the other hip. For the hands, as one hip pushes out and around, let the same hand complement this motion by sweeping out in offering and around.
Hela
This is a very pretty, classic Hawaiian move. Standing on one leg, gently stretch out the other foot at a 45-degree angle and touch it lightly to the floor. Sweep both arms out in a giving gesture with the foot. Step back and repeat the move with the opposite foot, repeating the arm gesture. The footwork is a basic hela. For a Double Hela, place the hands at the hips, bend over slightly, keeping the back straight, and touch the foot out in front twice before changing feet to repeat on the opposite side. In finishing your dance, use the hela foot posture, but bend over deeply with both arms stretched out in front as your final bow.
Ami
This is the recognizible hip circle. You can do your hip circles in either direction, circling to the right or left. Often the ami is done slow at first then may have a few fast circles to finish off the move. A popular arm position is to have the left arm bend at chest height, so the palm is face down and the hand in front of the chest while the right hand is at the hip. With the ami, you can take it to the ground by doing the ami while balancing on the toes and bending the knees as far down as you can go. As well, you can take the ami around the island by doing the ami while turning in a circle yourself.
Uwehe
This move most resembles part of the Chicken Dance. With the uwehe, you take a step with one foot in place then immedately (upon stepping) pop open the knees. Knees are bent and the weight shifts to the balls of the feet so that the heels rise off the ground. Step with the other foot and again, pop open the knees.
Tags: opposite side, bend over, both arms, circle your, doing while, hips should, ocean waves