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Question: I need some advice/encouragement from previous (or current) hula learners!.!?
I had my first hula lesson today and I know I shouldn't put myself on a pedestal but I'm really bad!. For one thing, I can't keep my upper body still!. For another, my body just doesn't "flow" when I do the moves!.

So here's my question:
Were you as bad as I am (or worse) but with a lot of practice* you got better!?
*Please specify how many years of practice you had until you got good!.

Any advice!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Aloha no!
It's always exciting to hear someone new has begun to learn hula!. I've been a hula dancer for about 13 years now, and have the pleasure of helping to teach a beginning level class for a competitive dance team (Academy of Hawaiian Arts-Kumu Mark Ho'omalu)!. the most important thing to me is to realize that you cannot rush hula; it takes most students I've seen with no prior expirience about 2 years to gain proper understanding of just the basics!. Hula is very much about understanding your body and contemplating the things that you are trying to make it do!. Start with basics that use ha'a lewa (undersway) like hela, that way you can start to understand and dissect your hip movements before moving on to more complex ha'a napu(rolling sway) motions like ka'o and kaholo!. Learning how to disconnect you upper body will come with time, but it is difficult and a bit unnatural at first!. What help most of my students is thinking of your upper and lower bodies as completely different body parts taht disconnect at your waist!. For a visual, try putting your hands in your waist (not on your hips) and visualize that there is a break in your body and motions at the point where your hands are!. I know I've rambled, but I hope this helps! Good luck on your journey!Www@QuestionHome@Com

I just started recently too, and ive been taking other dance for many years (ballet lyrical hip hop) and I had a hard time in the begging but i just practiced a lot at home and i just finally started to get better at it, so just keep practicing a lot and you'll soon enough get it!. Www@QuestionHome@Com