Hula became a part of my life at 13 years of age. Dancing on and off through high school and university but eventually dedicating most of my time in my late 20’s. As I got deeper and deeper into hula and Hawaiian culture, I became more passionate and inspired. So much so, that I decided to move to California to learn under the best of the best. 2004 was the year this journey started.

I can go on for pages and pages about hula, it’s history, it’s misconceptions, but what I really want to talk about is why it became a passion of mine. There is something about the art of expressing oneself through song and dance that cannot be captured in a video or picture or paragraph.

“Hula is the language of the heart, therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people” – King David Kalakaua

It truly is the language of the heart. Every word in every song touches your soul and causes you to feel it in your core, resonating out to your fingertips. Every strum and every beat creates motions in your feet, legs, arms and hands, telling the viewer a story of love, passion, destruction, creation, myth, legends. It’s poetry in motion. There are so many words I could use but not enough to describe what the dancer feels when they are connected to the mele (song). The mele brings you closer to the story and it’s history. The dancer brings the viewer on a journey through the mele. When you watch the hula and hear the song and hear the beat, you soon will find your own soul feeling what the dancer is expressing to you. It becomes a journey and an experience.

Sounds so passionate eh? Because it is. Hula is passion for many. So much that Hula is what brought me to the decision to relocate my life. In order to learn and achieve a higher level in this craft, I needed to learn from the best, from someone who was utterly inspiring. From someone that when you watch and hear his Hula, it makes you want more and to be a part of his creations.

So I found a job, found an apartment, found a roommate, packed my boxes and drove 3000 miles across the country in my little car with my friends. Took us 3 and half fun filled days. Created a book full of memories. It was unforgettable.

When I arrived at my first Hula class I was scared to the bones. I was nervous as hell. But I was so inspired and wanted to fulfill a dream so bad that I crushed those nerves. My soul was being fed and my mind nourished. Fear was drowning in my happiness.

What are you passionate about? What moves your soul? What makes you want more? What do you want to be better at? What scares you? What would you write in your book of memories?