I got lei'd!

Oh for crap's sake- get your minds out of the gutter.

Today was my first class in (get this!) hula dancing. It was a total hoot. I actually didn't suck that horribly, which was astounding given that I was gently encouraged to quit ballet at 5 years old because, well, there wasn't much hope. But it was okay- I got piano lessons instead. Now, I get a coconut bra. Kiwis, to be horribly honest.

The best part is how you move your body in Polynesian dance is strong and silky at the same time. It's actually a lot like Irish dance: the bottom half moves and the top half remains stationary. We all used a lava-lava, which is the same thing as a sarong. It sits low on your hips to give you a better sense of where they are as you move.

The dances tell a story, and this evening we learned the first two verses of a four verse dance. My moves are probably the Polynesian equivalent of the middle finger, but hey, it's all in good fun. The teacher is of Maori descent (though not a New Zealander herself), so we're going to be doing a tour of the South Pacific as we go. We started in Hawaii with a traditional hula meet 'n' greet dance.

Tahiti, here we come!

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3 comments:

samsi77 said...

Ann Arbor with a Lei and kiwis tonight and who knows perhaps spring break in Hawaii?

mary said...

So, you finally got some! Everyone in the class got "lei'd" too, I'm sure. LOL Great sense of humor. Your class sounds like fun! We don't have hula dancing classes around here, though there's a belly dancing one. hmmmmm

Carrie Arnold said...

I got some awesome batik fabric to make my own lava-lava. It matches my bathing suit, so I can use it after the class, too! Now I just have to find the SPF 3000 sunblock...

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I'm a science writer, a jewelry design artist, a bookworm, a complete geek, and mom to a wonderful kitty. I am also recovering from a decade-plus battle with anorexia nervosa. I believe that complete recovery is possible, and that the first step along that path is full nutrition.

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