The Hula
Hula, the ancient dance of Hawaii which has also evolved into a modern form  that is famous for its grace and romantic music, is an interpretive and expressive dance that often tells a story or expresses meanings and feelings from almost any phase of life.
In ancient times, hula was a religious homage to the gods, accompanied by chanting, drums and other traditional percussion instruments such as the feathered gourd, rock castanets, bamboo rattles and striking sticks. In those times, hula was the exclusive domain of men.
After contact with Europeans, however, Hawaiians adapted western music but  added their own unique influences, and women also participated. The ultimate result is that hula is now better known as a woman's dance, although many Hawaiian men still do the hula today. Also, over the past two centuries hula has lost almost all of its religious significance and has become entertainment. However, hula still has a strong cultural link to Hawaii's past heritage, and thousands of young island people and many not so young study and perform this exotic dance. The distinction is also made today between hula kahiko the dance done in the old energetic style accompanied by chants and percussion instruments, but no music; and hula auana the modern Hawaiian dance featuring beautiful flowers, and graceful movements and often done to the romantic sounds of the steel guitar and ukuleles.
Hula kahiko
In the ancient times of Hawaii, as with almost all aspects of life, hula was integrated with traditional religion. Ritual played a key role and dancers almost always men were sometimes dedicated to the goddess of hula, Laka. They had to learn hundreds of stylized motions, many of which have survived to this day.
Hula kahiko is usually vigorous, requiring strength and agility. It was and is performed to chants not music. Hula kahiko is also usually accompanied by pahu or drums of various sizes and types. Some of the drums are as small as a  coconut shells, others are ornately carved from large tree trunks. These larger drums were and still are considered so important that some of them have been given names. Some percussion instruments and implements traditionally associated with hula kahiko are also used in the modern form of the dance, including ipu or hollowed gourds used somewhat like a drum by the dancers and chanters, puili or bamboo  rattles, and uliuli or feathered gourd rattles that are usually shaken. The dancers also sometimes use iliili or small flat rocks like castanets, sticks to strike together, and even weapons or other implements that are pertinent to a story they are portraying.
Hula auana
Hula auana, the modern form of the dance, is characterized by more fluid, graceful motions often based on and inspired by their origins in hula kahiko. Beautiful, harmonious island music invariably accompanies hula auana, using guitars, ukulele and other modern instruments. The whole world is familiar with the genre of Hawaiian music that often backs up what most people now think of as, simply, hula. It's even common now days for hula to be performed to non-Hawaiian music.
 The dancers often take special pride in their appearance, sometimes using elaborate, even elegant costumes with beautiful floral accents. The headbands of ancient times, which were made of greenery, are now intricately braided with colorful flowers and leaves into what is usually called a haku lei. Some dancers and their hula "families" spend hours and hours gathering and preparing these lei and other adornments.Halau hula also spend hours practicing under the direction of their respective  kumu hula or teachers. Most kumu hula have Hawaiian heritage and share a deep love of the culture. Many also operate their schools as a business, and the haumana or dance students usually pay a monthly fee and supply their own costumes and travel expenses. Like many high school and organizational athletic teams, halau hula often get involved in fundraising to offset some of these expenses. Parents also get involved, shuttling their children to practices and performances.
Some halau specialize in teaching only children, others adults, some mixed; and some only take experienced dancers while others will work with beginners. Halau hula thrive throughout Hawaii and in other parts of the world, and often come together either to compete as in the famous Merrie Monarch Hula Festival each spring in Hilo, or the Keiki [children's] Hula Competition in Honolulu or to display their talents, such as in the Polynesian Cultural Center's Moanikeala Hula Festival. Whether competing or exhibiting, their graceful dances are marked by precision and complex choreography . . . and, of course, the beauty of the costumes, music and flowers. |
