GT Seniors Get a Taste of Hawaii

Grand Terrace seniors got a little taste of Hawaii when the Kaʻiulani Dancers came to visit the Senior Center earlier this month, performing a variety of hula dances for the seniors’ entertainment. The hula group—referred to in the Hawaiian language as “hālau”—is taught by kumu hula (hula instructor) Jill Young, a Hawaiian native who has taught hula and ukulele in the Redlands area for seven years. On July 12 the dancers performed a variety of hula ʻauana, or hula dances which are accompanied by music at the Center. Seniors swayed to the music and some even got up and danced themselves, Young shared. “They were such a fun group. They were very responsive, and that’s always the most fun part of the show: audience participation,” said Young. Young’s hula students range in age from their 20s up through their 80s, with a large portion of the dancers being anywhere from 40 to 70 years old. “We do go to a lot of senior centers, and these women are kind of an inspiration for the seniors we perform for in the centers, because they see that they can do it [be active] too,” Young said. The dance performance was a source of idyllic island entertainment for the seniors, while simultaneously highlighting a culture not many here on the mainland, as Young called it, get to experience. “Hula is the heart of Hawaiian culture,” Young said. “Hula is the story of Hawaii. Your feet are the rhythm, your hands tell the story and you dance from the inside, which shows in your face. Hula is probably one of the most important parts of the Hawaiian culture that is still left,” said Young. During her time as a hula instructor in Redlands, Young has taught her students over 70 varieties of hula dancing, which at times often includes some variations of Tahitian dancing. She teaches three classes three times a week, she shared, and the groups often do performances at senior community centers nearby the area. “Whenever I go to a performance, I get a kick out of the people,” said Young. “Here, we all had so much fun. We loved it.”