What to do about Hula.

[kistha]

I've been having a huge number of problems with Hula this quarter. I knew that eventually we'd get more people in the intermediate class and that would change the dynamics. I was OK with that, right up until it happened.

When the intermediate class was created, it had 4-5 of us in it. We'd all done Hula for quite a while. I was the baby at just one year. Everyone in the class was fairly proficient. But it was me, H and J who were the core class. J who's a lovely person but isn't very coordinated, only does it for fun, and absolutely refuses to ever perform. There's this weird thing in hula, where no matter how fast you are going - the goal is to look like you are moving in slow motion. It's one hell of a trick. After a year in hula, I pretty much had it, except when I'd get frustrated and H my favorite hula sister had it, and J will probably never get it. I was comfortable and having fun.

This quarter H, moved up to the advanced class. And 5 people from the beginner's class moved up. I know that one of them has only taken one quarter, and while I don't know about the rest, I know none of them have done it for a year - at least here, since the intermediate class only began a couple of quarters ago. None of them has the 'slow motion' thing down and one of them is a guy. So it's me, and J and 5 newbies.

They flap, they flail. And the poor guy has to translate the "girlie" hula steps into the more athletic aggressive male steps, which he should, but then it's different than the rest of us.. It's not that they are bad, it's that they aren't experienced - and they are painfully distracting.

We started with an incredibly difficult Kahiko - and I couldn't learn the steps because I was being drug off the beat or getting distracted by the flapping and the flailing. I'm used to J doing it for the first little while, but she was one person and H and I usually bookended her, so we could see each other in the mirrors. Finally the only way I could learn the damn thing was to close my eyes. After three weeks (and two verses) I couldn't take it anymore. And when I had to miss because of Tayet, I didn't mind since every class was turning me into a total bitch. Four weeks goes by....

I got an email from H last week. Looks like we're doing a performance for friends and family. She and I are the only ones who know the Lilo hula (and are willing to perform). I agreed to come back to class and do the Lilo with her at the performance.

When I turned up to class, J was glad to see me. While we were waiting for the instructor I overheard something that blew me away.

Three of the newbies were talking about moving to the advanced class, but figured they'd do another quarter or two before moving up, to (and I quote) "Get comfortable with these new moves."

I almost started screaming. It's like the last straw.

This is what I hate about this "island time" half-assed learning.!!!!! There are no f*cking rules, and no standards. We never fucking really truly learn any hula completely, and then suddenly we'll practice for two, maybe three classes and do a performance. I shudder! And yet, the Kahiko I missed the last half of is "too tricky" so I won't be joining my newbie classmates, who will be the sole representatives of the intermediate class - since I'll be dancing with H in a duet, and J refuses to perform. Meanwhile the class has been learning a beginning hula while I was gone. I learned it in the course of the class by following along. Seriously, what is going on here? I miss dance where you practiced a number until you could not only do it in your sleep, you'd be able to do it years later. This is so....half-assed and crappy.

I don't know what to do. I could just arbitrarily move up to the advanced class, which is stuffed to the gills and I know that there won't be any more structure or rules, but at least I'll be the baby for a while. And I'll know that at least once the newbies move up - they'll still be outnumbered by MANY.

I could try talking to the instructor, and try not to sound like a snotty dance bitch, about it.

I could just quit, and let my performance of He Mele No Lilo be my blazing exit. Even the one quick run through tonight with H was more joy than I've felt about Hula since the first class this quarter. But I know in my heart I'll feel like a "quitter." Of course that may be less painful than continuing.

I honestly don't know what to do about it. A fair number of people including the instructor, like me, and miss me when I'm gone. A number of people seem to feel that I'm at least reasonably good at it. I like it fine when it's going well, and I'd miss my "Hula Sisters" that I've come to like a lot. I'm pretty much banging my head here.

I've got offers to try Belly Dance, but I have a lot of issues with belly dance, all about the way it's perceived in American culture, or I could always try some other type of dance too.

I've have been thinking of joining a choir and/or pick up a martial art, but I still need to have time for myself and the hubby.

I just don't know what to do. I'm very, very torn.

Opinions gladly received - I'd really like to hear others' thoughts on this.

Comments

[twilight2000.livejournal.com]

From the sound of it, it sounds like the real issue is with the Instructor's approach. If there's is to be a "gradated" progression from Beginner to Intermediate to Advanced and it's to mean something, it needs to be made consistent. Whether that's progress every quarter or take a full year before being allowed to progress doesn't really matter, it needs to be consistent and what I'm hearing is that it's not. You have a WIDE range of skills in large part due to the amount of time spent in the art.

Some teachers figure people won't stay if they aren't promoted -- it's one reason many artists teach their classes as Beginner I, Begginner II, Beginner III -- allowing a whole year before they go to Intermediate I. It's one of many reasons that you must pass a proficiency test to move up to the next belt in martial arts. You could be a Yellow Belt for YEARS if you're not ready to move up. Some people never get past Brown Belt, no matter how many years they work at it.

If your philosophy is more akin to the Martial Arts and your teacher's is more about promoting to feel good, you're going to have a permanent impasse. It's something to consider when you're thinking about continuing or not...

pomaika'i a'oe, koʻu hoaloha

[kistha.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's all about the approach.

I just don't know how crazy it will ultimately make me.

I like advancement to mean something, mostly so that everyone is on the same kind of skill level. I was content to stay in the beginner's class for a year. I didn't feel very confident about my abilities, and there was no way I was jumping from there to advanced. Adding the intermediate class answered that issue, and we started to learn more advanced techniques.

*ugh* Thanks for the thoughts.

PS - What is the Hawaiian at the bottom - my Hawaiian sucks and is almost nonexistent.

[(Anonymous)]

luck to you, my friend :>

[neutronjockey.livejournal.com]

Have you voiced your concerns to the hula kumu? Maybe that would be a start.
I'm all for martial arts though :D --- though, take another look at some of the hula steps, especially the hula kane, it's all martial arts related ;).
-=Jeff=-

[kistha.livejournal.com]

Hello - do I know you or did you port in from someone else's LJ?

We're not really a full Halau, it's really very casual and is a class at a local "rec center". I assume the instructor is the Kumu, and I've thought of talking with her about it. She's nice, but so laid back, that there isn't much in the way of structure. I'm kind of the odd child since I only really joined a Hula class to learn how to do the Lilo hula.

Mostly we learn the steps by the song. The kane - the sticks? Yeah those look cool. Advanced does a couple of dances with those.

I have a hard time imagining the steps I've learned as a martial art...

[neutronjockey.livejournal.com]

Hi,
I'm totally sorry. I was sifting through my inbox and realized that I hadn't responded to this. I believe we met briefly at the Nov Writer's Weekend Retreat. I was the mostly bald dude wearing the sports jackets being a bad kid in the back of the room. loloc (what once was lj user loloc) had pointed me out to the LJ crowd at WWr. I've commented sparsely in your journal, but probably nothing enough to warrant attention. I saw the hula entry and was feeling homesick having had left Hawaii to go live in Oklahoma (?!WTF?!Oklahoma?!).

-=Jeff=-

[zephret.livejournal.com]

I don't know how you can do it, so many people have no sense of rhythm or timing at all and you jsut want to go massacring with a blunt knife.

Kudos to you.

[kistha.livejournal.com]

Maybe not a blunt knife.

[zephret.livejournal.com]

Depends - wiftness over pleasure?

[scarlettina.livejournal.com]

My sympathies on the situation. This sounds more like it's a systemic issue than anything else, and there's a point beyond which you have no control. So the question is, what things can you control about the process? Do you feel ready to tackle the advanced class? Or do you hate the idea of the crowd so much that even if you're ready to go it's not attractive?

Moving into another art is certainly another avenue to explore. With something like singing in a chorus, the effort is communal, and issues about advancement won't really exist.

My sympathies stem from the fact that I'm feeling this way about my writing workshop. I'm not writing right now, I keep attending, and I keep wondering what I'm getting out of I besides companionship which is nice but not,in the end, the point of the exercise.

Wish I had more constructive comments to make. I'm with you in spirit anyway.

[kistha.livejournal.com]

Good Questions to think about.

I can't control much of the process, and I don't feel ready to move to the advanced class, but apparently my standards are much higher than the instructors. The crowd is excessive, but I could probably learn to live with it.

Moving to another art is attractive - especially one like Martial Arts that has an existing standard that is stable and inherent in the system.

Thanks for the thoughts, and good luck with your workshop troubles.

[julzerator.livejournal.com]

I know how you feel... bah... but words escape me.

[xlana.livejournal.com]

I understand completely, dear heart. I was torn and frustrated for over a year before I had the courage to stop going, and a year more before I summoned the courage to make the quitting official. I still feel horrible about it, but mostly because my friend was hurt by it.

Is there another place where you can learn hula? I know there was a hula school on Aurora by my house, but I don't know where it went (all the contruction caused a lot of businesses to move). If you're really intent on learning the Hula, I can ask around (several kids at the school took lessons there).

Alternatively, you and hubby join a martial arts together! (-: