Some of Roselle‘s “older” students and I decided to participate already the beginners workshop which took place 28th – 30th September. We thought it would be good for us to practise the basics, too.  After the introduction and a worm up phase with basics, Roselle split us into several small groups. One or two experienced students had to work with three or four beginners. We had to teach the beginners “Song of old Hawai’i”.

From my point of view it was on the one hand very exhausting, but a good experience and our group had a lot of fun. Gabi and I shared the job to teach one group, so that every one of us had to watch and correct only two persons. Now we can imagine what it means to stand in front of a large group of maybe 20 students and have an eye on every person, and dance mirrored, and play music and sing all the time and … This needs a lot of experience. The second good experience for me was, that we had to sing „Song of old Hawai’i“ the whole day again and again – I think, I never sung that much before. I had no chance to sing soft and hide behind someone else’s voice.

After „Song of old Hawai’i“ Roselle taught us together „E Lili’u E“. Of course every morning started with chanting and pule and we closed that way in the evening. Every day after dinner we students came together and practised chants like „Oli Kahea“, „E Homai“ and the „Willkommen“ song together with the beginners.

On the 30th September the seminar for the experienced students started in the afternoon, so that the new students could meet the „older“ students and both had class together for the rest of the day. Furthermore it was the first time that the students from Berlin and the students who normally come to Kassel had class together. We enjoyed being together and exchange each other very much.

The next day after chanting and pule, Roselle started to review dances we learned before. Moreover she started to bring the ladies from Berlin and us, who come to Kassel, on the same level, which means that we had to learn some dances they were taught already before. During the next days we worked on the „Oli Huaka’i“, the „Ka’i“, the „Ka’i Ho’i“ and dances that we might perform next summer in Heidelberg. We learned „Green Rose Hula“ and „Alu Like“.

On the last afternoon we had a Hoike for relatives, friends, participants of other seminars and the people who work at the seminar house. We showed what we learned so far. I like it to come to Kassel. The seminar house, it’s environment, the atmosphere and service is quiet nice. It‘s wonderful to see our Kumu Roselle, Jim, Andrea (who organises the seminars) and all the other Hula sisters again in regular intervals. It’s nice to dance together with them and sing and play music in the evening with them. Sometimes we played music and talked to each other too long, so that Roselle admonished us to go to bed earlier ;-))

Thank’s to our Kumu Roselle, Jim and Andrea. Best wishes and A Hui Hou from the students in Germany,

Stefanie Ibendorf-Schmidt from Hamburg