Move · Videos · Technique · 19 min

Six Basic Hula Steps and Hula Hands for Beginners

Six Basic Hula Steps and Hula Hands for Beginners — video by Kalani Music Play · 19:14

Video by Kalani Music on YouTube · Open on YouTube

Hula teacher Betty Ann Bruno, who started the Hula Mai club in Sonoma, teaches six basic steps of Hawaiian hula (the vamp or kaholo, hip sway, slide, kalakaua rock, walk and the 'ami hip circle), two ending poses and graceful hula hands. The video is mirrored to follow.

  • 19 min
  • Beginner
  • Low impact (no jumping)
  • No equipment

Good forDancing for fun

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Step by step 9

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Vamp (kaholo): step, together, step, tap each way with bent knees; the hips will follow. 0:40
  2. Hip sway: bend the knees and trace a small figure eight, shifting weight at the cross. 2:16
  3. Slide: a travelling double two-step, four counts each way, moving a little forward and back. 4:22
  4. Rock (kalakaua): shift your weight forward and back on the spot, then tap. 6:24
  5. Walk: step forward with a figure-eight hip, then a quicker one-two-three version. 8:40
  6. Around the island ('ami): circle the hips like a clock face, reaching six o'clock on the beat. 10:40
  7. Ending poses: after a final vamp, point the foot, bring the hands together and bow the head slightly. 13:40
  8. Hula hands: the wrist leads and the fingers follow, from big ribbon-like waves to small ones. 15:14
  9. Story hands: speaking, listening, wind, palm trees and flowers, always led from the wrist. 17:11

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Bend your knees and get the footwork right; the hips will follow
  • Keep the upper body still and keep hip movements small and isolated
  • Hula hands: the wrist leads and the fingers follow, like ribbons in a breeze

What it works

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses light on the joints

  • Shoulders movesarm waves and story hands
  • Wrists & hands moveswrist-led hula hand waves
  • Lower back moveship sways and hip circles
  • Hips moveship sway figure eights, 'ami hip circles
  • Knees movesbent knees held through every step
  • Ankles & feet movesvamp, slide, rock, heel lift in the 'ami

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

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Video by Kalani Music; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety