Day 5 ... dress rehearsal

I had a fun afternoon with my nieces, practicing for their performance this Sunday at the Dragon Boat Festival.  It was great to see the dances with costumes!  LOVE the costumes!!!  I also practiced with them, so I could possibly perform with them for our family reunion.  We worked on both Tahitian and Hawaiian style dancing.  The Hawaiian was on the floor, and my knees felt much better, and I was able to practice with them!

Day 4 ... healthy all day!

My niece is here for the day - she is so motivating and inspiring.  She spent hours dancing today - Dance Central, hip hop to iTunes, and hula.  And we ate 100% healthy all day!!!  It was a great day!

Day 3 ... niece practice at home

Fun practice session today with my nieces.  Love getting in a workout!  And really loving having our own dance studio at home.

Day 2 ... dance camp

Today was I was to say goodbye to my sweet son, he is attending a leadership camp for a week.  Good news, my sweet niece came to stay with me for a few days, and have our own "dance camp."   Tonight we practiced hula!  And my niece tried about Dance Central on XBox.  She is a delight to have around!

Day 1 ... Starting over

It's been a while since I've blogged. Life got crazy - was ill, went to Australia, started a new job, my husband was in the hospital, my son had 3 trips, I started 2 new volunteer jobs, ...

Well enough! I still feel that hula and Polynesia dance is the best form of exercise for me. I haven't quit, and I have danced a few times a week.

Today we started again! We practiced the hula and Tahitian choreography that the girls will be performing at the Dragon Boat festival.

I threw out my back a week ago, so it was really hard to dance. But I did it!

My niece is amazing - a beautiful dancer, inspiring and motivated!

Burning!!!

We are getting back to basics today! Dancing to a 5 minute song, fast, kapa, omi, box - repeated until your legs are burning!!!

And of course practicing Tahitian and Hula choreography that my 7 year niece will perform with the performing group.

I'm tired!

Two a days

Second hula practice today with my niece. That's #9 since Thursday. She's a trooper!

Sunday morning hula

What a great way to start a beautiful Sunday morning! Hula with my niece. She's amazing! We are still working on learning the Lili'u E choreography. She's doing great.
Now off the Church, then we will meet up again tonight. I need to dance tonight!

2 sessions today

I had the privilege of practicing hula with my nieces twice today! Perfect day!

We focused both sessions on learning the new choreography for Lili'u E. luckily I have a video of it. So we took small segments and repeated over and over and over until we got it perfect - focusing on both choreography and technique.

Only a few more days to master it, before rehearsal on Wednesday. We can do it!

Nieces 'Ote'a

The kids have the day off of school today, so we slept in and then danced! My sister and 4 kids came over. My niece and I really worked on the 'Ote'a choreography for a hour. Our teacher altered the choreography for the kids, so we worked on memorizing it. And we really worked on the technique for the kapa. Over and over and over! T niece and I are going to practice twice a day for the three day weekend. Hope the have that and the Lili'U E mastered by Wednesday! Lots to do!

Boot camp style class

WOW - class was very hard tonight!  I have never sweated more in my life.  Our teacher was amazing - just kept us moving.  It was like a boot camp, workout, and Tahitian dance all in one.  Our teacher is very talented at playing the ipu, so she tends to use that more in class than recorded music.  The sound of the ipu is very pretty, and motivating - and the strong beat makes it easy to follow.  We worked legs and arms, over and over and over.

Before our class is the kids class, that two of my nieces take.  I bring my nieces to class, and it is a real joy to stay and watch them dance.  They spent almost the entire class working on the 'Ote'a choreography.   By the time the class was over, the 11 girls really had it down!  During class it is fun to visit with the other moms, you get a real sense of belonging.  But hearing the music makes me want to run in & dance with the kids!

Earlier in the day, my seven year old niece and I spent about 1/2 hour on hula together.  We worked on fine tuning the technique for the kapa and omi moves.  Then we watched 8 youtube videos of our dance instructors group.  I realized that my niece has never been to a luau, or watched Polynesian performance, so I'm hoping the youtube videos will help her catch the vision!

Overall, about 1.5 hours of actual exercise for me today, but 3 hours on hula!  Great day!!!

hula and hike

I was lucky to start the day out with a lovely hike with my friend, sister, mom, niece and nephew.  We did our favorite 2.7 mile loop.  We went the opposite direction this time, so not as much up hill, but still look 1.5 hours.  It was delightful, nice to get fresh air & sunshine, exercise & good company.

While cleaning house, I took a few breaks to practice the Ote'a choreography.

Tonight, my niece and I practiced the Ote'a several times.  I REALLY need to learn the rest of the choreography.  I love love love that music and dance style!  Plus, I break a sweat very quickly with this one.

Class!!!!

YAY YAY YAY!!!  We had class today!  I couldn't be happier!!!  I was so afraid when Monday's class was cancelled that something had happened, and that we wouldn't have class again for a while. What a relief!

 I took my nieces to their class and stayed and watched.  They did great!  I love being a dance auntie!!!  :)

Our class was amazing!  Very hard, great leg workout.  I brought my new ipu, and learned how to use it!  It is so fun to use!  I sweated 100% of the time we were there, but that hopefully means more calories burned!  In addition to learning the ipu, we use our puili's (bamboo sticks).  I love using the hula implements.

By the time I left, I felt like I could do anything, and felt like the happiest person on earth!

I also enjoyed a wlak with my sister and mom earlier in the day.

We took a group photo of the kids & adults classes - and I actually like the photo!  That is a miracle.  My face looks SO much thinner, it is amazing!

Can't wait to see the scale tomorrow!

Hot Hula at home

Hot Hula DVD today ... working on the advanced level.  One of my dreams - to be a Hot Hula instructor!!!

Working on the Ote'a

I am determined to master the Ote'a choreography!  I just LOVE it!  It moves very quickly, but the more I practice, the easier it is to keep up.   Only problem - I only remember the first half.  I am just dying to learn the rest!  It is so hard to remember.

Class cancelled, so bummed!

I am SO bummed!  My two hula classes tonight were cancelled.  I of course understand that on the rare occassion, a teacher needs to cancel.  But I missed it SO much tonight! 

To add to that, my ipu arrived today - which I had overnighted from Hawaii.  I was so excited to bring to class.

Oh well, moving on!  I pulled myself together and practiced the Ote'a at home!

Ote'a and Easter

In honor of Easter, and most of all, a super busy day with Church and family dinner, and fit in a quick review of the Ote'a choreography we are learning!  Good thing about that number is that it moves quickly, and you burn calories fast!

Great dance workout with nieces

My three nieces and I had a great workout today!  We danced for almost 1.5 hours.  We spent about half of the time on our Lili'u E hula choreography.   We are at least now remembering most of it - now to fine tune it so that our movements are really clean, sharp, and together!

We then spent time some on working out to to Tahitian music, working on keeping our legs bent, arms straight, and really working it!  I told the girls that they should feel a BURN!

My favorite part of our workout together was working on the Ote'a choreography.  I have about 60% of it memorized, so I need to really pay attention in class so that I can master this and practice it at home.  The girls just started learning it this week in class.  This is the music for it:
'Ote'a Heivari'i -- by: Mahealani Uchiyama
 http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tatau/id128970883

This is by far my favorite choreography and music I have danced to in the last year.  It is this style that really got me motivated to learn.  So I am very excited to really master this!  I am hoping that my three nieces and I can perform this at a luau at our family reunion in August. 

If I can learn the choreography, I feel like I could be quite motivated to spend an hour a day practicing it.  You definitely feel a workout by the time you are done!

ipu!!!!

I found an ipu for my hula class!  I'm so excited about it!  I ordered it from Na Kani O Hula.  They were super nice, and accommodating to my rush order needs.  Now I can make beautiful music and dance with my ipu!

http://www.nakaniohula.com/Detail.bok?no=40

Busy day ahead today, so I am blogging early.  I finally have the music to most of the dances we are doing in class, so that is VERY helpful in practicing at home.  This morning I practiced the ote'a choreography, that looks like birds, it's really cool, and fast!

I'm hoping to get some more exercise in later today - a walk and/or Zumba, and hopefully a little more hula before bed.

SO excited about my ipu!

Dance class! ipu

Dance class was great tonight.

First was the kids hula class.  I bring two of my nieces, and go & watch, so that I can take notes & video, and observe - so that on Saturdays, I can work with my nieces to practice the choreography.  I appreciate the opportunity to carefully document everything.  But it's hard to just watch & not get up & dance!

The adult class went really well.  The studio was really hot though, so it made it really tough, but maybe it was good for us!  We worked on the hula (Lili'u E) and also the Ote'a (birds) choreography.  I feel pretty good about the Lili'u E, but I have a long ways to go on the Ote'a - it moves very quickly!  We also worked with the puili and ...

Ipu!   I don't have an ipu!  I missed a lot of class in November (skin cancer), December (husband in hospital), and January/February (concussion) - so I must have missed the announcement about needing to buy/bring an ipu to class.  Bummer!  Now I need to wait for the hula implement stores to open up in the morning in Hawaii, and see who can ship an ipu to me pronto. 

I love the sound of the ipu.  Our teacher uses an ipu at every class for some of our workouts/dances.  She is talented at using the ipu. 

Following is a definition of the ipu, from wiki:
"is a percussion instrument made from gourds that is often used to provide a beat for hula dancing."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipu

So, without an ipu tonight, I practiced by clapping my hands, as if one of my hands was the ipu.  I'm excited to try out the actual ipu!

hula, gym and Zumba

I decided I better start practicing my hula first thing in the morning - so that I don't ever miss - and so that I'm not doing hula at 11 p.m. (after I have climbed in my bed and realized that I have forgotton!).   So I put my headphones in and DANCED!!!  I went through all the hula/Tahitian songs on my ipod, and did the choreography I have learned to each.

Tonight, I went to the gym with my son and sister.  I walked slowly on the treadmill and did a few circuit weight machines.  I was not motivated.  We ran into a friend, who mentioned trying out Zumba at the gym.  I am planning to meet her there soon.  So I came home and finally unwrapped the Zumba game I bought last year - for the XBox Kinect.  I spent one hour on that tonight.  Some of what I have learned in hula really helped. 

I still prefer hula.  And I will still dance hula 365 days a year.  But I need to exercise 2 times a day if I am going to lose any weight.  Zumba is so popular, and available everywhere.  I dream about the day that hula catches on - and becomes the popular class offered at all the gyms!

DVD

Only 15 minutes of hula today - to the Hot Hula DVD.  Busy busy busy day. 

2.5 hours of hula, and a friend!

I really do love Mondays. I go to a semi-private class at my teacher's house - we dance for just over an hour.  Then we go straight to the dance studio for our regular Monday night class, and dance for another hour or so.  You would think that I would just die the second hour, but just the opposite - I think it takes my body that long to get warmed up & loosened up.  The second hour is always better than the first.

A nice bonus tonight - my sister's friend (she's my friend also!) came to the semi-private class!  She has never danced hula before, but is in good shape & has taken other dance classes.  She did great, and had a really good attitude.  I've seen a lot of other new students start over the last year - and those who have a good attitude stick it out and are still dancing. But so many come & say "I can't do that" or "it hurts" or they just don't fully participate.  Not my friend, she did great! 

In the semi-private, we finished learning the choreography for the 'Ote'a we are learning.  I missed over a month because of my concussion.  When I first came back to class and saw the girls doing this dance, I wondered how I would ever learn it.  It is SO fast!!!

In class we spent time practicing poi balls.  We are learning short poi.  I need to start practicing at home every day.  I also need to learn how to make poi balls - so my nieces and I can practice at home. 

Sunday, Church & hula at home

Normally, we go to Church every Sunday.  But twice a year, there is General Conference for our church - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It is broadcast on TV, web, in church buildings, on the radio, ...   So today, we watched "church" on TV for 4 hours.  It was nice to spend time quietly at home with the family all day.

Between sessions, I fit in a quick hula practice session - only 15 minutes - but better than nothing.

no nieces class :(

Today is my cute nephews 6th birthday.  He really is a sweet boy.  My brother planned a fun outing for the birthday - picnic at a state park, a walk, and hike.  It was amazing weather.  My husband and I went on maybe a 2 mile walk, very nice.  My brother, sister, son & nieces/nephews then went on a 4 mile hike that was a bit tougher.  It was nice to be with family and spend time outside.  And of course fun to celebrate my nephew's birthday.

But the sad part ... we had to cancel the class with my nieces at my house. I take that class very seriously, and make it a high priority on my calendar, and plan out what we are going to do ahead of time.  Most of all, I REALLY look forward to it!  My nieces are darling, and so much fun.  Plus, we are practicing so that we can perform in August at our family reunion.  Only 118 more days to go!  That sounds like a lot, but if we are only meeting once a week, that is only maybe 14 times. 
However, at least we got some exercise today, and the outing was really fun!!!

Island Girl hula DVD

Today I tried something new - the Island Girl hula DVD.  There are several, I bought them all years ago - and only used one of the DVDs, one time.  What a shame!  I am going to try out each of the DVDs over the next month or so.  It's not quite as much of a workout, at least so far, but it is still hula, dance, exercise & fun!!!

yay, class day!

During the day - my Mom and I took my Dad to the doctor.  My fun sister rented a hotel room nearby, so that she could use the pool.  It is outdoors, and open already!  The weather was amazing, everyone had a great time.  I was wishing I had brought my swim suit!

I love Mondays & Thursdays - because I get to go to class!  Tonight only one of my nieces was in town for the kid's class - she did great!  And then my class.  I LOVE my class!  It is such a HARD workout for me, but I just keep going, even when I feel like I am going to die!  All but one person in the class is much younger than I am, they are all in much better shape, most have dancing experience, and they all rock their lava lavas (sarongs) better than I do, but I don't care.  I love the class, and I love to dance hula!  Luckily, everyone in the class is very nice to me.

boys can hula, can't they?

I'm enjoyed all the extra time with my son during spring break - but I sure wish I could talk him into dancing hula with me!  No luck yet!

I did the Hot Hula intermediate DVD today at home, pretty good workout.

My son and I worked with my nephew on Cub Scouts, and spent time with my parents and sister.   I should have practiced hula with my niece while she was out of school - I feel bad that I missed that opportunity!

busy day of spring break, hula and the gym

I had a very busy day today ... but managed to fit in 15 minutes of hula practice - I put on my headphones, and danced in my bedroom - practiced the hula choreography we have been learning. 
Spring break is fun - but harder to fit in much exercise.

During the day, I took my son & 2 nieces to volunteer where my son did his Eagle project, and then we went to lunch, and then to the Temple.  It was so nice to spend the day with them.

Tonight, while my son was at a Scout activity, I went to the gym for almost 2 hours!  I'm going to try and go to the gym at least three times a week - and really work on my legs and arms - so that I have the muscle strength needed to keep up in my hula classes.  Hula/Tahitian dance involves bent knees most of the time, and arms up or in motion - so you really need to be strong to fully participate.

Monday, spring break

It's spring break for the kids!  It is nice to have my son home, we really enjoy our time together. 

Tonight we had our regular hula class, which I LOVE!  But the semi-private class I take on Mondays was cancelled.  So only 1 hour of hula ... but I made it count!  I tried my hardest to try all the up/down moves that the rest of the class does.  I can't go down to the floor like they do - but I tried to go at least part way down on every move.  I think we went down 50 times.  My legs hurt so badly during class, I was sure they were going to go out on me.  My teacher is great - she really works her girls - and wants them to all have strong legs.  If my legs could ever look like my teachers, I would be so happy!  VERY strong legs!

Sunday hula

As much as I love the hard hula/Tahitian workouts I do most days, I also enjoy the short & relaxing hula I do on Sundays - a bit more spiritual of dance.  

Busy day today - church, hometeachers, and we are taking care of 2 cats twice a day!

hula with my nieces

Every Saturday I really look forward to spending time with my nieces.  2 of my nieces came over today, and we practiced hula for about an hour.  We worked on the Lili'u E choreography about 3/4 of the time, and the rest of the time, we worked out legs to a Tahitian song.  As an extra bonus, my sister-in-law & 2 other nieces & 1 nephew came to pick up the girls - so we were able to show them what we have been learning.

Later in the day, my sister & cousin and I went for a walk - I think almost 4 miles - it was beautiful, relaxing, easy walk.  Nice to spend time together, get outside, enjoy the good weather, and exercise!

My son and husband both made it back from their trips.  I missed them!

hiking and hula

Busy busy day!  My sister, friend and I went on our favorite hike - 2.7 miles - with no kids!  I love the kids - but it is easier when we don't have to push strollers (I'm not much help with that going up hill).

I helped my husband get out the door on a business trip, and then my son on his way to a campout.  I miss them when they are gone!  But tonight when I was home alone - I blasted the music and practiced my hula!  I spent all the time practicing the hula choreography we have been working on in class.

hula classes

Thursdays - one of my favorite days of the week!  My nieces take the kids hula class - so I get to go and watch.  I love it! I take careful notes, photos & video - so that I can later work with the kids at home on the choreography.  I love being there with my cute nieces - but it is hard to just sit and watch.  I want to get up and DANCE!!!

Luckily, my class is right after theirs.  Our class was just over an hour tonight - great class, great workout.  I wish I could take classes with my wonderful teacher 12 times a week - seriously!  My workout with her is SO much better than when I am home alone.

Tahitian leg workout

I danced alone in my home hula dance studio today.  I love it down there.  When everyone is gone, I can go down there, blast the music, and DANCE!

Today I focused on legs - go through 6 moves - over and over and over again - to the same Tahitian song - fast beat, keeps going - my legs were ON FIRE!

Busy day - quick DVD

What a busy day!  Started out early with a Scout meeting for my son, then errands, a class at the hospital.  But I did manage to fit in 15 minutes of the Hot Hula beginning DVD.  I can't get the DVD to work on my 2 DVD players, only my laptop - so not idea - but still a good workout.  I need to try it at someone elses house, and then call the Hot Hula company and figure out what it doesn't work on DVD players.

3 hours of hula!

I love Mondays!  I started out with hula at home.  Our favorite hike.  And then my semi-private hula class with my favorite teacher, and my regular Monday night hula class.  LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!  I can't believe I have the energy to keep going for that long - but it actually gets easier the longer I dance.  We worked on our Tahitian choreography, and then some major leg workout.  BURN!

Worship hula

Today I spent time practicing hula, in my Sunday mode, more of a relaxed peaceful hula, vs high energy Tahitian. I also read this interesting article today:

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_20194349/worship-hula-dance-veneration-coloradans

After Church, my niece and I practiced our hula choreography.  And then a family walk.

hula with nieces

I enjoyed our family hula class today with 3 of my nieces.  We practiced 2 of our hula dances that we have been learning in class.  And then we did a workout to Tahitian music.  We all worked pretty hard!  My niece has an amazing memory for the choreography!  We are planning to perform at our family reunion in August.

I also went on our favorite hike today - another 2.7 miles!  It is about 50% up hill - so it is quite the workout for me!

hula and hike

It's been great weather all week - sunny & warm!  I'm loving it!  Today I met my friend & her son at our favorite hike, and enjoyed the 2.7 mile hike.

Then I did the Hot Hula DVD at home.  Overall, a good exercise day!  I think the hikes are helping my hula - strengthening my legs.

hate to miss class!

I take hula/Tahitian dance classes twice a week with an amazing teacher!  I look forward to these classes so much!  But today I had an important meeting to attend for my son.  So I had to miss class.  I did a 30 minute Tahitian dance workout at home.  Great workout - but never as good as in class.  Plus, I don't want to fall behind on learning the new choreography, and I of course miss seeing my dance friends and teacher!

DVD today

Today I did the beginner Hot Hula DVD at home. It does a great job taking you through all the steps. I think I'm ready to try the intermediate video next!

Sore! ... Day 11

I sure wish I could be in hula class every day for 1-2.5 hours!  Yesterday was amazing!  Today, a bit more challenging.  I did hula & Tahitian practice at home.  I love having a space to practice.  But it is hard to make yourself practice as hard when you are alone.  At class, I give 110%, so I can keep up with the rest of the class, and to avoid having my teacher tell me to keep going.  At home, not as easy.

However, I did make time tonight to practice, and I'm glad I did!  I am a bit sore however.  50 times to the floor at class last night has left my legs sore!!!

Earlier today, I enjoyed another hike with my mom, sister, niece, nephew, and my friend!  Same place as Saturday and Monday.  Another beautiful day, 74 degrees!  2.7 miles in 1.5 hours  (about 1/2 of the hike is up hill).

I have lost 10 pounds since starting, and it is day 11!!

2.5 hours of hula!

I am tired!  During the day, I went on a 1.5 hour hike with my mom, sister, sister-in-law, niece and nephew.  It was 72 degrees and sunny, so a perfect day for a hike.

Then 2.5 hours of hula!  First a semi-private class at my teacher's home studio.  We worked on the choreography we are learning in our regular class; practiced going down to the floor; and we also practiced our poi balls - I'm getting better, but it is challenging!

And then a quick drive over to the studio for our regular class, with 10 other students.  I tried my very hardest at both classes, participating fully.  It was tough - I think we got up & down the floor 50 times!  The hula choreography we are learning starts out on the floor, so we get down & up every time we restart.  It is very pretty! 

We are also learning a Tahitian ʻōteʻa (otea) choreography.  Here is more about otea:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/'ote'a
I love it!  I missed a few weeks of class, so I am little behind, but I am catching up.  The otea is fun, and moves so fast!  I think we will be able to perform the otea and hula this summer.

2.5 hours of hula is a LOT in one evening.  But I LOVED every minute of it!  It was tough, especially having spent 1.5 hour hiking early, but I did not give up.

Now if I could only find time & energy to spend 4 hours every day exercising!

Sunday hula

On Sundays, I try to keep my hula a bit more relaxing.  Today was busy with Church and meetings.   I managed to fit in about 20 minutes of hula, plus a 1/2 hour walk in the neighborhood with the family.  The day was busy, but the hula and walk kept it peaceful.

Family hula and hike

I enjoyed a lovely afternoon with my family today.  Today we had our "class" in my home studio, with 3 of my nieces and my cousin.  Today was the first day for one of my nieces and my cousin, so we learned several of the basic steps. We practiced the Lili'u E hula choreography we learned in class Thursday night.  And we went through all the basic Tahitian steps to a fast-paced song so we could get a really good workout.

I am soooo sore from Thursday night.  On Thursday at class, we practiced the Lili'u E choreography - which starts on the floor.  I wanted to try my best, so I fully particpated - nothing modified that night - up & down and up & down over and over and over.  It was hard that night, but I got through it.  But now, my thighs and calves are SO incredibly sore, I could barely go up or down even one stair today.

Despite all this soreness, I made it through our family hula class today.  And then I joined 9 family members for a hike at our favorite spot.  It is 2.7 miles, but it is mostly either up, or down.  The first 1/2 mile is up the whole way.  It is tough.  Took us about 1 hour & 40 minutes.  There are incredible views from the top of the trail, 360 degrees.  The weather was perfect, about 62 degrees and sunny.  It was tough today with my sore legs, but I made it.  It felt great!

I'm about to cuddle up with my son and husband and watch the new Footloose movie.  Excited about it!  Footloose was my favorite movie as a teenager.  I love all movies with dancing!  And it features my favorite dancer, Julianne Hough.

Hot Hula

Tonight my niece came over and we did a "Hot Hula" DVD, the beginner level.  We loved it!  The Hot Hula DVDs came out last year - I bought the day it was available, but haven't used it until now.  Anna-Rita Sloss does a great job on the DVD taking you through all the steps.  We went through the beginner DVD.  It starts with a warm up, explains each step, works out, and then cool down. 

Then we practiced our choreography from dance class about Lili'u E.   It was a great evening, we got a good workout, and best of all, enjoyed our time together!  I can hang with this cute girl anytime!

I love the Hot Hula DVDs.  Only problem, I can't get them to work on either one of our DVD players.  But it works fine on my laptop.  I am going to try out the DVD at my sister's house, and if it doesn't work there, I plan to call Hot Hula and see if they can help resolve the issue.

Lili uokalani

Tonight was hula class with my favorite teacher!!! She is amazing.

First hour was the kids class that my 2 nieces take. I took them to class, and stayed to help. I was able to take notes so that I can help the girls learn the choreography.

Then was my class, best hour ever! We worked on hula choreography and a Tahitian workout.

The hula choreography for the kids class and adult class was new this week. It is about Lili'uokalani. She was the last monarch of Hawaii. A princess? I think.
The choreography is beautiful! The first part is on the floor, which is tough for me, but I got through it!

Great workout tonight!!!

This is a photo of my 2 cute nieces at their kids hula class.

Puili

My sister and kids came to my house tonight for hula practice. We did a variety of steps & music. We also spent time practicing the puili sticks. They are hula implements made of bamboo. My stamina is not quite there yet, especially without the structure of a class. My niece is amazing though, literally dances twice as fast. The boys even danced for a bit. Family dance time is the best!

Hula to go

For hula tonight, I visited my nieces and sister. I have a hula playlist on my phone and my sister has a nice speaker base system. So I'm always set for a hula session.

We danced hard & fast, going through 5 dance steps every 8 counts. I'm beat! After 2 hours last night, my legs are sore!

Our music tonight was:
Mele Ipu Elua by the Bell Rays.

Fuel

I'm trying to eat more protein, so that I can keep up with hula, feel good, lose weight. Today for breakfast I had a protein shake, lunch a piece of toast & fruit, and for dinner - salmon, asparagus, green salad, stir fry veggies, and strawberries. Hope it helps, because it took me a 1/2 day to shop, prep, cook & cleanup.

2 hours!

Today was a big day!  Because of a concussion and pneumonia, I have missed about 6 weeks of class.  I still feel ill, but I'm sick of being sick, so today I went back to class. 

My first hour was spent at my teacher's house, in her new dance studio in her basement.  She did a great job setting up the studio, it is very peaceful & inspiring!

We had a semi-private lesson, with one new student, my teacher, and me.  We spent about half the time using poi balls - these are used by the Maori people of New Zealand.  You can buy them online at various hula supply stores or amazon.com.  My teacher made my set - hers are much softer, and don't hurt as much.   Professional dancers make poi balls look so easy to use, but they are NOT.   I need to spend some serious time practicing with these.  They provide a great arm workout.  The hardest part for me is sitting on the floor while using poi balls, and trying to look graceful.
Here is some basic info about dancing with poi, and then a photo:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poi_(performance_art)

After about 1 hour of semi-private dance, we rushed over to the dance studio for the regular dance class.  It felt so good to be back. It was nice to see all the girls in the class (10 of us last night!).   We worked out for over an hour - it was a very challenging workout for me!  I haven't been in a while, so I do not know some of the choreography, and it is very fast moving!  I can't believe I survived actually - with pneumonia, breathing problems, headaches, dizziness, concussion, and missing 6 weeks, it was a miracle I survived.  But I actually felt better at the end of the 2 hours of dance!   I have been to 12+ doctors appointments over the last 8 weeks, maybe all I really needed was to DANCE!

Sunday

My first Sunday of 365 days of hula.  My goal for Sundays is to just do something a bit more relaxing with my hula, and not an intense workout.  So today I practiced some hula choreography that my nieces are learning in their kids hula class.  Hula has a lot of meaning, and I look forward to studying more about it someday.

Home Hula

Very exciting day today!  Three of my nieces and my sister came over and we had our first at-home hula session.  We spent about 30 minutes practicing the Tahitian and Hula steps that we know.   For most of our session, we kept moving through the various steps - focusing on a workout vs. choreography.  Most of us broke a sweat!

Looking online for the names of the dance steps, I can't find one list that includes all of them, but here are 2 websites that do mention dance steps:
http://www.huladancehq.com/hula-dance-steps-in-depth.html
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070928110735AABfhSk

The steps we did over and over(with the names I am familiar with listed first):
1 - kapa  (? Tahitian; I can't find this step listed online, so maybe I am spelling it wrong - basic side to side of hips)
2 - hela - Hula, knees bent, weight place on one hip while the opposite leg and foot stretches in front of you
3 - double hela - also hula, foot goes out twice on each side
4 - box - Tahitian, "Afata" - hips hit in the shape of a box
5 - Lele Uwehe - hula
6 - Ami - (ah mee) - hip rotations, hips go around in a circle

We also practiced our pu'ili (bamboo sticks).  And we reviewed the girls choreography from their kids hula class - set to the song from Lilo & Stitch "He Mele No Lilo".

Great first day together!  The studio in the basement worked out well, plenty of space to dance!

Here is our "before" photo - our first day together practicing hula at home ...

365 days of hula

365 days of hula?  Can I do it?!  Sounds impossible, but rewarding & fun! 
I am going to attempt to spend time every day doing some sort of "hula" exercise, and blog about it.  I love the word hula, it is easy to say & remember - but I am also including all forms of Polynesian dance, primarily hula and Tahitian, but others as well as I learn those, such as Samoan, Maori, Tongan, ... 

Am I hula dancer now? No, not really.  I've been taking hula dance classes for about a year from an amazing teacher!  But I am still very much a beginner!  I find hula dance VERY hard & challenging, and an incredibly good workout. 

Why am I doing this?  I need the exercise, and want to get in shape & lose weight.  Hula is the only exercise that I have ever truly enjoyed & been able to stick to.  I have always loved watching all forms of Polynesian dance!  And if I blog about this, maybe I can stick to it!

Why 365 days?  Well, I have a long ways to go to be in great shape, be a dancer, and lose weight.  So 365 days it is!  I've been dancing 2 days a week about 75% of the last year - which is wonderful, but not enough to significantly change my body & abilities.   I am always so inspired by all the bloggers out there, but especially those who take on a 365 day project. 

How am I going to do this?  I am going to find ways to practice my hula & EXERCISE every day, some how, some way.  Two days a week I have the honor to attend class with the most amazing instructor & dancer - I wish I could take classes from her 7 days a week, seriously!  For the other 5 days a week, I am going to dance at home.  I cleaned out my basement & created a "hula dance studio" - not too fancy, but spacious & fun, I love it!  Having a space to dance is helpful!  Several of my nieces are going to come over a few days a week and dance with me (they just started classes with my teacher as well, so now we can practice what we have learned!).  Leaving me with a few days alone, when I will practice what I have learned in class, and mix it up a bit with some DVDs & youtube videos.  Over the years I have purchased every hula DVD I could find, but have never even used most of those!  I also plan to spend some time studying more about hula & Polynesian dance, the terminology, history & meaning (research/reading/books/videos).

What do I hope to accomplish?  LOSE lots & lots of weight!!!  Get in shape.  Feel great.  Reduce stress.  Enjoy the class, my classmates, my nieces.  Learn more about the significance of the dance in the Polynesian culture.  And maybe, just maybe, get good enough to perform 1 song occasionally with the performing group at the various luaus that I plan/host. 

My nieces!  I am so honored that several of my nieces want to learn hula/Polynesian dance as well.  They are SO cute, so excited, and so inspirational.  I am going to be very serious with my commitment to them to spend time dancing each week. 

But 7 days a week?  I know, seems crazy.  It is crazy!  It won't be easy.  And I do believe in Sunday being a day of rest.  But 365 days means 7 days a week.  So on Sundays, I plan to keep the dance more low key, perhaps more of the meaningful hula, focus on choreography more than the workout, find the spiritual meaning of the dance, ...  (kind of like going for a Sunday walk to enjoy the scenery & fresh air).

First big goal - I am going on a big trip in 13 weeks to AUSTRALIA!!! That's only about 92 days away!  Oh my!  No, I don't plan to perform hula in Australia (maybe I'll teach my niece & nephew a few basics).  However, I need & want to lose LOTS of weight before then - so that I can fully enjoy the trip, and survive 21 hours each way on the plane.  My awesome son and I are going to visit my brother's wonderful family.  It is our first time leaving the United States.  We are so incredibly excited about the trip!  So I am going to think about Australia as motivation on those days I don't really want to exercise!   365 days of hula will be really hard while traveling, especially on the day we are in flight all day - maybe I can teach hula to my fellow passengers!  :)

Check out this beautiful dancer! Who doesn't want to look like that! Very inspiring.   I borrowed this photo from an old post from my dance teacher, hope she doesn't mind.  :)

Time to get dancing!