Rollin’ Thunder members show off their hula skills

HUI O HULA

Hui O Hula, the LW Hawaiian dance club, welcomes the community to its free hula lessons. Open to all, classes are held on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 1 p.m. Tuesday classes meet upstairs in Clubhouse 6. Thursday’s class currently meets in the conference room next to the pharmacy in the Health Care Center. Call or text 562-338-1502 for more class information.

Traditional hula is taught by instructor Jojo Weingart. No prior experience is needed. Beyond moving the body, hula is also excellent brain food. Coordinating eyes, hands and feet challenges memory, helps keep the mind sharp, and proves that learning never retires.

This spring, Hui O Hula dancers plan to have ho‘ike— an exhibition/show—here in Leisure World. This program will feature dances and music inspired by different regions of O’ahu, from Waikīkī beach in the south to North Shore Haleiwa; and from windward Kaneohe on the east to Waianae, on the leeward shore.

Currently, dancers are learning the lively “Waikīkī Hula,” an upbeat and playful song that celebrates the world-famous Waikiki Beach, its shimmering sand and whispering sea, and iconic Diamond Head. Between verses, dancers are learning to incorporate traditional instruments such as uli‘uli (feathered rattles), pū‘ili (bamboo rattles), and ipu (gourd drums) to express the joyful energy of the dance. Anyone is welcome to learn or just watch.

Hui O Hula extends a warm mahalo to Roy Nakamura, the president of the Rollin’ Thunder Golf Cart Club and to membership officer Anna O’Brien for coordinating the new year welcome party featuring the hula dancers. The dancers appreciated the spirited audience participation during the hula dance-off. Dancing together to “Tiny Bubbles” brought smiles all around. Audience applause crowned five best dancers of the night, though choosing was no easy task. The loudest cheers (no surprise) went to club president Roy Nakamura.

The event was enthusiastically dubbed on Leisure World Facebook as the “best party of the year.” Both clubs proudly accept the title, even though the event, held on Jan. 9, may have been the first and only party of the year.

—Jojo Weingart