Hui O Hula

Hui O Hula, Leisure World’s Hawaiian dance club, offers hula dance lessons every Tuesday and Thursday at 1 p.m. On Tuesdays, dancers gather upstairs in Clubhouse 6. It is a perfect spot for refining dance movements by using the big mirror. Thursdays bring dancers outdoors, to the spacious Veteran Plaza.

Anyone may join the class, taught by instructor Jojo Weingart. The current hula subject is “The Prayer.” Originally a duet for a film, “The Prayer” has become an inspirational classic, often sung to convey hope and peace. Hui O Hula’s interpretation will focus on the Hawaiian version, covered by musical band Ho’okena and Maila Gibson, who encapsulates the spirit of aloha and reverence beautifully.

Dancer Cathy Noonan especially enjoys learning “The Prayer” because it brings back cherished memories of listening to the song (sung by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion) with her mother. Noonan bought the CD when it first came out back in 1998; and now, recreating the song through dance allows her to revisit those happy times with her family.

Hula dancers are gearing up for a performance at the Seal Beach Health and Rehabilitation Center on North Gate Road down the street from Leisure World on Aug. 22. It will be a wonderful opportunity for the dancers to bring the fun and joy of hula to its residents.