You Can Do Almost Anything With Hula And Ukulele

Once you know the secret then your imagination is the limit. We have used ukulele-hula combinations to stop people in their tracks and make people laugh. We've used it to turn the heads of women and get the attention of men. We've used it to honour a Queen and Prime Ministers. We've used it to celebrate birthdays, corporate events, private functions and special occasions. And we've used it to get our performers fit: to build their self esteem. There is no practical limit to the effects you can create with a hula and a ukulele. (The secret is further down this page.)

Use our EXPERT ADVICE facility to contact us if you have a question.

You Can Arouse People With It

Performed by both men and women hula has its share of provocative forms and rousing associations. For example when we want to turn the heads of women and get the attention of men then our male dancers perform Unka-la-la-la. It is part of the Cook Islands hula form. It is very FOB,which means Fresh Off the Boat, which means behaviour that is amusingly un-cultured or uncouth. Unka-la-la-la is a fast action song and dance with athletic, cocky, body postures acompanied by wide-spread leg stances and suggestive, pointing, arm movements. It never fails to have the desired effect.

Use our EXPERT ADVICE facility to contact us about Unka-lal-la-la and other dances.

Or You Can Soothe People With It

But a talented dancer can use moves and body positions to reverse strong emotions and reduce tensions in an audience.

For example, recently, Lennie, one of our musicians threw a 21st birthday party for his gorgeous twin girls, Jasmine and Frances. They are two of our company's performing stars. When Jas and Fran claimed their ceremonial 21st birthday keys, their mother performed a hula of love and affection. As the mother's, languid, open-body postures, low-curved arm extensions, slow hip movements and lower leg points captured the eyes of the 100+ happy, boisterous, guests they stopped talking loudly, quietened down, and returned to their chairs. The mother was the conductor; the guests were the orchestra; together they filled the party hall with a symphony of quiet affection.

By the way ... Lennie is one of our authors in this site.

You Can Take Your Kids To It

For developing your children's all-important awareness of scheduled activity and community participation nothing beats a weekly class outside the school environment.

A hula-class requires sustained, energetic, aerobic exercise and respiration. This automatically raises your kids' fitness levels provided the class starts and finishes with appropriate warm-up and cool-off exercises.

In our weekly practice classes we use live Pacific Island log drumming and live ukulele and guitar. Not only that, we teach songs in many Pacific Island languages and cultures. By teaching kids to dance as part of a team our classes develop the senses of rhythm and participation. Then one day after a few months, almost without realising it, the kids become multi-lingual songsters and practised exponents of multiple Pacific Island dance forms.

Use our EXPERT ADVICE facility to contact us about classes.

You Can Build a Business With It

In New Zealand, since 2004, we've been building a tourism and entertainment business out of the hula dance, music, traditions, lessons, types, costumes, skills ... and an ever growing list of costume accessories and musical instruments including, of course, the ukulele.

What Is The Secret Of Good Hula?

A lot of hula-dancing is bleah! You know... ho hum. You've seen it all before. Or perhaps you haven't, previously, seen exactly what you're watching, but you've seen similar moves! You see a performance with nice costumes and nice bodies, but what you're watching doesn't make you want to replay the experience and tell a friend about it.

You might think that the secret is flawless execution. Flawless performance and execution can help. But that is not the secret.

You might think that the secret is having a nice body and beautiful costuming. No, a nice body and costume don't make it good. Our male and female dancers range from children to adult; and from very small to skinny to very big and, even, fat. Some of our dancers are fantastic. And some are just .. acceptable. It is not the body size that matters.

So what is the secret?

The secret is expression and entertainment.

Good hula expresses tenderness, longing, anger, happiness, fear - the whole range of emotions.

Not only does it "express."

It provokes.

When hula is truly entertaining then you will want want to see it again and again. Why? Because it is not merely a spectacle. What's a spectacle? Well, a car crash is a spectacle. After one crash, you've seen them all. How many times do you replay the TV news to experience the spectacle of a car crash again? Not many times, if any.

What is expressive, entertaining, hula?

In this site, we will try to use our experience so that you can see, and learn about, what is expressive and entertaining .. and what isn't.

Have A Go: Your Body And Your Confidence Will Thank You For It

In here, you'll find links to pages that show you how to practise; how to build your stamina and strength so you can dance better, and better, until you are good. Remember: it's easier to practise if you do the exercises to a rhythm and beat. In the Learn how to hula page you can download one of the free drum-beats we use in our professional rehearsals. In here you'll also find ideas for transforming your dance from a spectacle into an attractive, desirable, form of recreation and entertainment.

After that you might get interested enough to check out more of the details about traditional and contemporary hula - not to mention the costumes and accessories which are so often photographed clinging to bronzed Polynesian bodies going through their graceful hand movements to convey impossible love stories and journies.

Take What You Want From Here

So, we dare you to drop your defences. Let the alluring sounds of Pacific log drums and the ukulele draw you into a paradise of steps, techniques and confidence.

Sooner or later your body will master the rawness of the movements. Then the lessons captured by your effort and practice will release you .. and give you the key .. into a new dimension of expression and entertainment.

The Full Monty | What We've Used Hula-And-Ukulele To Do

We've used it to thrill the top executives, sales achievers and their spouses from, Gartner, the world's foremost information technology consulting company. We've used it to kick off an international conference for the world's major airports' Chief Executives and spouses. We've used it to restore the flagging spirits and energy of Cunard's Queen Mary passengers. We've used it as a preface to a Mayor's prayer and to create a sense of community in citizenship ceremonies attended by people from dozens of cultures. We've used it to charm tiny tots who could barely crawl and encourage pre-schoolers to copy their older brothers and sisters at rehearsals. And we've used it to say "Happy Birthday" to a neighbour who invited 30 friends to his house party. There are few limits.