Just like with all other dance, we do a little warmup with the basic steps, and then we go through the choreography, ie which motions comes in which order, and in time to the music. The songs are about nature, places and people who have lived there, such as the Hawaiian Royal ancestors or loved ones. They also hold a spiritual dimension, where sometimes certain elements represent the presence of such.

Here is a snippet from “Grandmother Oak” that I first learned in Honolulu, HI in 2010 at Halau Healing Hula for Kumu Marian Ka’ipo Park, and now try to rehearse on my own, thanks to a video to watch from a new German friend.