5 Reasons to Add the Hula to Your Repertoire

I know why I learned to do the hula, I had to. It was taught to all female students as part of our physical education program. We all felt a little bit uncomfortable about it at first because we were teens and we all felt a little vulnerable doing what could be considered a sexually provocative dance in a group of girls. But as we overcame our embarrassment and settled in to learning the dance we discovered a variety of reasons why learning the hula was a good idea. Those reasons hold good today some 40 years later. I still love doing the hula if only for my own pleasure

The hula is relaxing. While the moves of the hula, both the arm and leg motions, require some discipline and effort there is also a good deal of action that is done while your arms and legs are relaxed and loose. Dong the hula can make you feel like you are gliding or floating. There is a definite airiness and fluidity to the steps of the hula dance with now sharp or frantic motions found in some other dances to disturb your relaxed state. There is a reason that people smile while they are doing the most basic hula steps. They are enjoying the gentle movement and the relaxation they feel.

The hula is done without a partner. There is something freeing in dancing that does not require that you match moves with a partner. While synchronization can be pleasant to watch and eventually even pleasant to carry out, it is fun to know dances that you can just do to perfection, all by yourself. This means that you can adjust your tempo to your personal mood and , more importantly for beginners, you don't have to feel self conscious when you are practicing. If you like to dance rhythmically on your own you have a very good reason to learn the hula.

The hula is a cultural experience.. All dances originate somewhere. The place of their origin gives each dance a certain cultural flavor. Americans think of the Charleston or the jitter-bug as American dances that speak volumes about our American culture. The hula has its own cultural background. Originally a dance with spiritual overtones and was mostly seen in religious settings. But over time the hula has gone through a number of changes and now is thought of by many as primarily a dance for entertainment and enjoyment. When you put on a lei and do the hula you cannot help but soak up the culture of the Hawaiian Islands in a way no history book can provide.

The hula is good exercise. Just because an activity is relaxing that doesn't mean that it can't also be good aerobic exercise. The hula done to music will keep you moving at a pace similar to that achieved through walking or other forms of dancing. If you add the hula once a week to your exercise pattern it will give you variety by breaking up your normal routine. You will enjoy the time spent doing the hula and you will feel less in a rut doing your regular exercise.

The Hula is fun Of course the most basic, obvious reason for learning the hula is that it is just plain fun. The music that you will use to dance to will make you feel like you are on a cruise or a wonderful island. The simple steps and the lyrics of some of the hula songs like "Little Brown Gal" will make you smile at their quaintness.

If you are looking to relax, spend some time exercising without a partner, exploring a cultural avenue that is new to you or just plain having fun, you may not want to put off learning how to hula any longer.

Sources: www.wailuabay.com