I have classes in my studio, 4 miles south of capitol circle on
Crawfordville Highway and sponsor classes at the YMCA at 3840 North Monroe,.
The location of In Step Studio is at 2609 Glover Road, Tallahassee. Glover Road runs
east & west between Crawfordville Highway (US 319) and Wakulla Springs Road (Florida 61)
The map quest web
site,
Map quest does a good job of mapping the location.
Call 850-421-5151 for more information
or send email to
Nancy Redig.
To quote a phrase from local newspaper writer...in our studio you'll find...Fitness, Fun, Friends.
The Dance and Drum Class page lists all classes, class times and locations.
Private lessons are also available. The rates vary according to the level of the lesson; each lesson is built around the student's level
of expertise and requirements. The private lesson can be one on one or several students can request a special session. It can also be videotaped,
for a fee, and used as a reference by the student later. For more information, 850-421-5151 or email to
Nancy Redig
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According to legend, hula was given to the people of Hawaii by their Gods.
It is in turn, a gift given by the people of Hawaii to the rest of the
world.
In Hawaii, before the influence of outside cultures, the dances were
mainly done as part of religious ceremonies. There were war like dances,
sacred, secret and done under the guard of the
kahuna, temple priests. By some accounts, the primarily
male dancers were elegant, precise, and slow moving. Even the first tourists, explorers
and sailors, were appreciative of the special place of this dance.
By the time of the first missionaries in the early 1820's, the islands
were in transition with the old ways overthrown and a society looking for
a new set of values. The New Englanders found a ready and willing audience
for their preaching. Many Hawaiians embraced the new God and moral values.
The strict Puritan ethic was in direct conflict with the freedom of movement
and expression in hula. The old religious aspect of the hula was perceived
as a direct threat to the new Christian movement.
To the detriment of hula,
public performances were banned for some time by the royalty of Hawaii.
The dances were deemed too lascivious and pagan to be a part of Christian
life. However, the hula continued to be danced and fortunately, some dances
and information survived.
Great changes continued in Hawaii in the late 1800's. Under the reign
of King David Kalakaua, the hula became a legitimate symbol and expression
of Hawaiian identity. Like the changing face of Hawaii, the hula also changed.
The dances incorporated more women, and popular dances took the place of
the older, sacred dances. During the reign of the Kalakaua family, the
elegant 'Gibson Girl' look became popular,
halau (hula schools)
were encouraged, stringed instruments and melodic song was used instead
of
oli (chant) and drum only.
In the first half of the 1900's, the hula became will known to the tourists
who flocked to the islands either just to visit or as part of R&R during
WWI and WWII. Entertainers wrote songs
hapa houli (half English),
danced in cellophane skirts and plastic
lei, and used amplified
instruments.
The motion picture brought the hula-hula to those that did
not get to the islands to see it in person. The tourist industry trotted
the hula girls out to the ships. The hula remained almost strictly an entertainment
item and as a light hearted display for the world. The use of hula as expression
for the proud Hawaiians took a back seat to more pressing problems as job
instability and unemployment.
Luckily, the limited scope of the hula of the 1910-1950’s changed with
an active Hawaiian ‘Renaissance’ in the 60s’s and continues today. The
Kamehameha schools were restructured to include hula competitions. The
Merry Monarch Festival, encouraged by the government, continues to bring
some of the finest dancers, choreographers and musicians together to demonstrate
their expertise.
Though some would disagree with competition, few would
argue against the interest these events have generated both in Hawaii and
outside. Through these events, the exploration of the past has been brought
to the forefront. Through these events, the beauty, grace, strength, and
depth of Hawaiian culture through hula is a gift to the world.
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