September 16, 2008

• where is spazzzz, part 1

  Dear Danish Doll (she insisited on knowing what I am doing),

  
  

  It has been nonstop spazztic action here. Jack, Michele and I have been learning many new hula’s. It really is a ton of fun, but also a lot of work.  As we advance, we learn harder choreography. In the past 20 months I have learned 49 hula dances plus three Tahitian. Jack joined the kids class in July of `07, so I have learned all his dances along with mine.  I also learned almost all of Michele’s dances in  advanced class.  I started off in one class but now go to 5, since I am a kokua (helper).  Jack goes to almost all the classes with me.  He is getting too tall and advanced for the kid class, so now he is in keiki and the advanced class.  I have an open practice on Monday’s at my house for any one who is interested.  Sometimes only one person shows up, but other times we have 7.  People come and go through the evening.

  
  

   

  
  

  It took me 5 weeks to learn a Hawaiian chant that was 8 lines long. Michele says it is like a tongue twister. She is right, it is a lot of vowels…Alai` ia a`la e Nou-nou…we were stuck on that one line for weeks. I thought I’d never get it, but it finally sunk in. 

  
  

  We do a lot of shows.  Most shows are for adult senior residents.  We performed at festivals, bazaars, a bishops retirement service, fundraisers, school cultural events, a graduation party.  The teacher puts out a sign up sheet for us.  When I asked Jack what shows he wanted to dance in, he said “all of them.”  Ok.

  
  

  So, we will have danced 29 shows by Oct 12.  Most of them are between June and Oct 15.  That is considered our hula season.  After that we do about one show a month.  There were a few weekends where we had three shows along with our 2 Saturday morning classes. Fortunately that does not happen often. 
  Jack and I have a hard time saying no to the Senior Homes.  They are always the BEST audience.  Because we live on the West Coast, many of them are familiar with the Hawaiian music. They get all emotional and even do the arm motions as they watch. When we visit with them after the show, they are thrilled.  Many older people have no family or visitors, so it cheers them up to have visitors. We really enjoy them. 

  
  

  The shows are all over Sacramento, some nearby, but it seems most are 30 to 45 minutes. We always arrive an hour before a show starts. It takes a lot of preparation for costumes, adornments and implements, especially if all three of us have signed up for a show. Everything needs to be ironed. I think I FINALLY got jack to take off his cloths nicely and hang them instead of crumpling them up in a ball after a show. Saves me having to re-iron. 

  
  

   

  
  

  So far the hardest song for me to learn was He Mele No Lilo. It is the song from The Lilo and Stitch movie.  It is so fun!  I had to learn it and then teach it to the Keiki(kids). That took a couple months.  Jack and I are the only ones that have the choreography completely memorized, so we have to lead.  Leading is very stressful because if we make a mistake, everyone else makes it too.  Sometimes I think my nerves are just shot!!  Jack is always completely calm. 

  
  

  

  
  

  Makale`a, Anuhea, Lilinoe, and Keaka

  
  

  you can visit our website at

  
  

  Ohana Dance Group

  
  

   

  • 11:49 pm
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