As promised, here are a few more hula (life) lessons that this beautiful dance has taught me over the years.

Lesson 6
When in doubt, ha`ina
This is another gem from my first hula teacher, Kanani. We were always instructed that if we forgot the moves, we should simply kaholo (a series of basic hula steps that go between verses) until it came back to us. If there was no… READ MORE

In my last blog post here on Celebrate, I shared a couple of lessons that I have learned from dancing hula. Hula has become so much more than a dance - it is a blueprint for living aloha. Here are a few more “hula lessons”.

Lesson 3
Look for the kaona
Hawaiian songs have a literal translation and meaning.  Most also have a kaona - a hidden or metaphorical meaning.  Hawaiian language is… READ MORE

Hula. The graceful storytelling dance that delights visitors and natives alike. I never dreamed I would actually come to dance it. And I certainly never thought it would become a way of life.

During the first five years that I came to Moloka`i, I photographed the local hula halau (hula school or group).  I loved the chants, the music, the motions, and the energy infusing the dancers long before I understood a single… READ MORE