Maya had learned hula dance (草裙舞), the traditional danceform of Hawaii, for a long time and it was finally the night before graduation. She spent the evening on the dress rehearsal (彩排) with her classmates in order to make sure the performance would go well. After finishing it, the whole group walked to the beach nearby andinto the water as a bathing ritual (沐浴仪式). "The water is meant to clean you before your performance tomorrow," the teacher told them.
The next day, the students rested a bit before sitting down to eat with their family and friends. After everyone hugged and kissed each other, the teacher explained the purpose of the feast(盛宴)."Now, we join in the feast that marks the end of the training. After this meal, all the students will officially be hula dancers," she said. Maya looked at the smiling faces of her friends around the table'. She was so happy that she had made it in her training, but she was nervous to start her job as a professional dancer as well.
After they finished the meal, the students went to prepare for the performance. They lined up, ready to perform for the audience(观众) for the first time ever. Maya looked out into the audienceand could see the smiling faces of her mom, dad and little brother. She felt the soft grass between her toes, and thanked them for being there to see her dance. The music began, and she stepped out, finally, as a hula dancer.
