Find The Best Hula Dance Classes Hanover PA

By Cynthia Richardson


People who are participating in this form of art are doing more than just dancing. That's because the movements of this performance are accompanied by a chant or song. The movements are there to dramatize the words that are being chanted or sung. The word that they use for chant is oli, and song is mele. Hula dance classes Hanover PA is a great way to change up your routine and get a little extra something into your life that isn't just what stereotypes make it out to be.

Though this art form is ancient and changing all the time, one of the oldest forms is still the most popular, and it has stood the test of time. Before Western people brought their influence to the Islands, kahiko, the ancient form, flourished. There's a chant that people do along with the movements, and they use the same kind of instruments that their ancestors designed, giving a very cultural feel.

Western influence came in, it began to change and shape the way hula was, and it evolved due to this. It is clear that the native people, the more traditional hula dancers, felt that the art was drifting away or wandering. Very fittingly, this specific style is called auana, which means just that, and usually includes a song and Western instruments like the ukulele, guitar, and double bass.

If you choose to attend one of these classes, you might find they are not like other dancing classes you've taken. The traditional name of these types of classes is halau. In some they are more contemporary, but there are still quite a few that hold up the traditional ways of doing things, and you just might end up liking the class all that much more because of it.

One of the things that still happens a lot in this kind of class is the practice of doing an entrance chant. This is something that has been done in this culture since ancient times. It's good to know that this is appropriate, and maybe even what some of the popular common chants are, before attending.

Some dances in this style involve primarily standing positions, some mostly sitting position, and some even both. The sitting position is known as the soho, and the standing position goes by the name luna. Those are the two positions of this form of dancing, and both have their own specific moves that go with them. Some dancers prefer one or the other, but it's best to be prepared for both if your knees can take it.

There are a lot of different hand signals or motions in this way of dancing, and some are more complicated than others. No matter what level you're at, you'll be able to find moves that work for you to improve your skill if you find a good teacher to teach them to you. Just don't try to start off too complicated and overwhelm yourself, detracting from the experience.

One of the most beautiful things about this is it represents and dramatizes both what is within and without. You will see by learning and participating in it that you are becoming a vehicle of expression for not only the forces of nature, like the wind and the sea, but also what's in the heart. It is empowering to act out both the powers of nature and human emotions.




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