Dancers introduce next generation to hula
HUI O HULA
Hui O Hula, the LW Hawaiian dance club, offers free classes for all experience levels. Classes are held Tuesdays at 1 p.m. in the upstairs Mirror Room of Clubhouse 6 and Thursdays at 1 p.m. in the Optum Health Care Center conference room (next to the pharmacy).
Beginners are welcome, and all hula movements can be adapted for standing or seated dancers. Participants should wear comfortable clothing and may dance barefoot, in socks, or in soft dance shoes. For more class information, call or text 562-338-1502.
Hui O Hula enjoyed a busy and rewarding July filled with extra class practices, rehearsals and six performances.
On July 17, LW Aloha Club ukulele player Richard McPartland and his wife, Meejung, invited dancers Kaye Huff and Jojo Weingart to introduce hula to children at Sonshine Preschool at Cerritos Church of the Nazarene, near Norwalk and Del Amo boulevards. Members of the Aloha Club, led by Dee Sciraffa, provided lively island music. Children were captivated as soon as the first ukulele notes filled the room. Young children are natural imitators. They soon learned to copy Huff and Weingart, swaying to the music and using the hula gestures for the sun, fish and waves.
On July 18, Hui O Hula performed twice in one evening. The dancers first entertained guests at Care Connection’s Aloha Garden Party in Huntington Beach, then returned to Seal Beach for the Multicultural Festival at the Leisure World Amphitheater.
The lively garden party became more lively when guests joined the dancers for “Tiny Bubbles.” Audience member Jan Marshall enjoyed the performance so much that she invited Hui O Hula to perform at her 80th birthday celebration on Aug. 1.
—Jojo Weingart
