If it helps, sway your hips from side to side.
When you step the first foot, lead with your hip. When the next foot comes to follow it, let that hip sink. This creates a rocking motion with your hips every time you move.
When you switch your leading foot, you will switch the position of your arms so that the extended arm corresponds with the leading foot.
You should be bending enough for a noticeable change in your height, but not so much that you are using a lot of thigh strength to keep yourself in position.
Your head should be completely level. It may move side to side, but never up and down. Concentrate all of your movement on the shifting weight in your legs, and the swaying of your hips. Once you are ready, lift your feet every time the weight shifts off of them.
Keep your elbows at shoulder height, don’t let them droop!
Try to imagine your hips as separate from your torso. They should be a little further back and higher than normal, but your torso and chest should not tilt too much to accommodate them.
Imagine making circles with your butt. The rest of your body will stay static, but your butt and hips will move in circles going clockwise for four counts, then counter clockwise for four counts.
When your leading hip switches, switch the arm positioning.
This motion usually accompanies the kaholo or kao.
This motion will accompany a swaying motion, or the kaholo step.
A similar waving motion represents the ocean. With your arms in front of you, act as though you are picking flowers out of water, alternating picking motions between right and left hands. This creates the illusion of many waves.
These videos may incorporate more arm motions than the ones outlined here: hula is a storytelling dance, so there are many hand and arm motions. However, the fluid and motions that are outlined above will give you a feel of the rhythm of hula hand motions. The placement of the hands is often the same as well.
Start with the swaying motions, and then incorporate arm motions. Move into kaholo, while continuing to use arm motions. Turn in a circle, using the ka’o or ami. Try using the kaholo to move further to the side, or diagonally toward the audience.
Improvisation means anything goes, so use your hands and tell your own story. Find more as many hand motions as possible, using youtube to get the motions right. [10] X Research source
