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HILLSBOROUGH: Hula-hula seniors

By Audrey Levine, Staff Writer
Senior center warms up with Hawaiian dance lessons
   Rose Rosenbaum, of Peterson Road, pulled out several grass skirts in multiple colors and asked the members of the Hillsborough Senior Center if anyone would like to dance during the center’s first Hawaiian Luau Friday.
   Before the women had a chance to stand up, Otto Gross, of Crestwood Avenue, jumped up from his seat to be fitted with a green skirt.
   ”The dancing is something I’ve never done before,” said Mr. Gross, who said he has been to Hawaii, but did not partake in the dancing. “If you can stand, you can dance.”
   Dancing was one activity during the luau, and was taught by Ms. Rosenbaum, who said she took hula dancing lessons while she lived in Hawaii from 1973 through 1976.
   ”I took classes there,” she said. “And I was teaching senior citizens hula dancing a couple years ago.”
   Ms. Rosenbaum, who has been teaching exercise classes at the South Branch Road center for three years, said she was approached by center manager Renee Moody about teaching during the event.
   ”Because Rose had lived in Hawaii, I thought that would be cool,” Ms. Moody said. “Everyone liked the idea.”
   Instead of the usual small turnout for a Friday, Ms. Moody said, the center actually welcomed about 21 members for the luau that was a continuation of the tradition of having four theme events each year.
   ”We do four theme parties a year,” she said. “We’ve done a cruise on a loveboat, a touch of Italy and others. We haven’t done a luau.”
   In addition to the dancing, Ms. Moody said, the center served a ham and pineapple lunch, and showed a movie about Hawaii. She also decorated the area with crepe paper pineapples, hanging fish ornaments and palm tree centerpieces, designed by local Girl Scouts.
   Many of the seniors got into the festivities as they joined Ms. Rosenbaum in the center of the room after she had finished performing dances to “Lovely Hula Hands” and “To You Sweetheart, Aloha,” two traditional Hawaiian songs. Donning grass skirts, about 10 dancers began to follow along with the different movements.
   ”That was good,” said Joy Howell, of Farm Road, after they had finished learning the hula numbers and were all dancing on their own, shaking their grass skirts as traditional Hawaiian music played out from the stereo. “I didn’t laugh too hard in other words.”
   According to Ms. Rosenbaum, there are two pieces to hula dancing, with dancers learning to move their hips by stepping back and forth with their legs always bent at the knees.
   ”It’s an easy step,” she said. “Then you just have the hands, they have to be relaxed and flowy.”
   Many of the hand motions match the lyrics of the song being played. For example, some lyrics discuss saying goodbye, and the corresponding hand motion involves waving with one hand while holding the other hand under the elbow during the movement.
   ”Listen to the words,” Ms. Rosenbaum said as the participants followed her steps during the dance. “And this is all the while doing the foot movements.”
   Peter Paknis, of South Branch Road, said that although he had never learned to hula before, he knew the dancing was all about focusing on the hands.
   ”The fingers tell you all about love,” he said.
   Still, Mr. Gross said, he noticed that people always stand apart from each other during the dances.
   ”In Hawaiian dancing, the dancers never touch each other,” he said.
   Although she waited until the participants were allowed to begin dancing on their own before joining, Mary Buckshaw, of Fifth Street, said she danced to “Lovely Hula Hands” as part of the Hillsborough Rockettes. But she said she was still glad to attend the event at the center.
   ”We thought it be would a nice and enjoyable morning,” she said.
   While lunch was being prepared, the participants stood up together, wearing their grass skirts and leis, and doing their own dances to the music. Even Clara Schakenberg, of Neshanic Station, who sat in a wheelchair off to side, started keeping time with the music as she waved her arms back and forth.
   ”This reminds me of being in Hawaii,” she said.