Hula dancers are truly an icon of Hawaii. Many travelers anticipating their visit to the islands simply can’t think about Hawaii without imagining women in grass skirts dancing gently to the strums of the ukulele.
The actual history of hula is somewhat more veiled (and complex!). The birthplace of hula is a mystery; the islands of Hawaii, Molokai, Oahu and Kauai all claim that hula began on their shores.
Wherever hula originated, it has become a prolific part of Hawaiian culture. Both men and women perform hula wearing traditional Polynesian costumes. Hula dances are set to Hawaiian music or historical chants and the dancers portray the lyrics or meanings through their dance.
There are actually two broad categories of hula: Hula ‘Auana and Hula Kahiko. Hula Kahiko is the more historical version done to Hawaiian chants, without an instrument (like a guitar or ukulele). Early Hawaiians did not have a written language; Hawaiian history was recorded exclusively through chants, which had to be memorized in order to be passed on to the next generation. Hula Kahiko was performed to these chants and often was scrutinized for meticulous attention to detail.
Hula ‘Auana is the more modern version of hula, which began around 1893 and includes instrumentation. This is the type of hula that many outsiders to Hawaii are more familiar with. The songs can express not just history or religion, but also emotions or simply an interesting story. The most common instruments used are the ukulele, guitar, steel guitar, and bass.
When you visit Hawaii, you can take in a hula performance at one of the many luaus that occur on all the islands. Luaus are great fun and in addition to a meal and hula, you may also see other performances from singers, fire dancers, story tellers, and more.
Here’s a little sample:
