History of Hula
The origins of hula are contained in many legends. One story describes the adventures of Hi'iaka, who danced to appease her fiery sister, the volcano goddess Pele and there she created Hula. This Hi'iaka story provides the basic foundation for many present-day dances. As late as the early twentieth century, ritual and prayer surrounded all aspects of hula training and practice. Teachers and students were dedicated to Laka, goddess of the hula, and appropriate offerings were made regularly.
In ancient Hawaii, a time when a written language did not exist, hula and its chants played an important role in keeping history, genealogy, mythology and culture alive. With each movement – a hand gesture, step of foot, swaying of hips – a story would unfold. Through the hula, the Native Hawaiians were connected with their land and their gods. The hula was danced for protocol and social enjoyment. The songs and chants of the hula preserved Hawaii’s history and culture. When the missionaries arrived and brought Christianity, Queen Ka’ahumanu converted and deemed Hula a pagan ritual, banning it in 1830 and for many years with both Ōlelo Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian language, and Hula being suppressed or banned, the knowledge, tradition and culture of Hawai’i suffered greatly. It wasn’t until King David Kalakaua came to the throne in 1874 that Hawaiian cultural traditions were restored. Public performances of hula flourished and by the early 1900s, the hula had evolved and adapted to fit the desires of tourists and global expectations. With tourism, cabaret acts, Hollywood and the King himself, Elvis, Hula experienced a great transition to the Hula that many people imagine today. For better or for worse, this type of Hula, often referred to as ‘Hapa Haole Hula’, or ‘half caucasion/foreigner Hula’ popularized both Hula and Hawai’i and, in response to this version of Hawaiian culture, Hawaiian arts, language, and culture experienced a renaissance in second half of the twentieth century, and today, this unique art form, deeply rooted in culture, has become a worldwide symbol of Hawaiian culture.
The Art of Hula
The term hula refers to movement and gestures– dance. Hula, however, cannot be performed without mele, song, the most important component. Mele are records of cultural information and include all kinds of ‘ike, knowledge, and the mana’o, thoughts and beliefs, of the creator of the mele.
Ranging from sacred mele pule, prayers, and mele inoa which are used to honor someone, to topical mele ho'oipoipo or love song and mele 'aina a song praising the land. The type of mele used will dictate the way a dance is practiced. Mele include kaona the deeper meaning and metaphor, and might be easily interpreted or could remain unseen to anyone but the author. Because of this, Hula typically represents the literal interpretation of the mele, though again, there may be several ways to interpret a mele. Further, the gestures of Hula do not tell the entire story but rather interpret key aspects of the mele. The concept of hula therefore couples mele and it’s representation through movement.
**You can see a chart below listing some different types of mele and what they are used for.
Types of Hula
There are two main types of hula – Hula Kahiko and Hula 'auana– and within each style you can find further subcategories.
Hula Kahiko is the traditional or ancient style of Hula tied to Hula lineage with motions, voice and choreography that comes from an old place, patterned after ancient hula. It can also be ancient hula still being danced today. This unique style of hula is performed to chants and is accompanied by percussion instruments such as the pahu or ipu (different types of drums). Hula Kahiko requires much training and dedication and is regarded as being a dance of spiritual connection to ancient Hawaii.
Hula 'auana is the modern style of Hula, usually coming from a school of Hula that has a genealogy, but with new choreography and music. Influenced by contemporary times but with old knowledge, this style of hula is accompanied by modern instruments such as the ukulele, guitar, steel guitar, bass or piano.
Hālau Hula
Hālau, ‘long house, as for canoes or hula instruction’ or ‘meeting house’ a hālau hula is a school or formal institution for hula where the primary responsibility of the people within the hālau is to perpetuate the cultural practice of hula. There is great variation between each hālau. Some focus primarily on hula Kahiko, others on hula ‘auana, and some study both. Some hālau continue to preserve very strict kapu, sacred protocols, while others are noa, free of kapu. The styles of hula taught in different hālau also can vary greatly as styles are passed down from kumu, master teacher, to haumāna, student.
The internal structure of a hālau hula can vary. Generally they are led by a kumu hula, who maintains the integrity of the style and traditions handed down to them by their kumu, during their hula training. The kumu is also responsible for the spiritual integrity of the hālau, and for instructing students in the proper care of their physical, mental and emotional well-being.
Within a hālau there are typically two classes of performers: the ʻōlapa, dancers, who dance with the grace and agility of the leaves of the ʻōlapa tree, and the hoʻopaʻa, or steadfast class of performers who have learned oli and mele. The hoʻopaʻa are responsible for instrumentation and typically chant and dance with their instruments while sitting or kneeling, accompanying the ʻōlapa dancers. Typically, this role was for students with more experience and maturity. Important to the makeup of the hālau are poʻopuaʻa, or head student, is often the kumu's protégé, and under the direction of the kumu oversees the protocol and rituals of the hālau, the ʻalakaʻi, or "guides", who act as teaching assistants, with the more advanced effectively being student teachers, and the Kōkua, or helpers, who assist in a variety of areas, from lei or costume making, day-to-day admin of the hālau, and helping ʻalakaʻi coach less experienced students.
mele koʻihonua genealogy for an aliʻi showing their rank and kūpuna mele inoa mele for the name of an aliʻi or a favorite person mele maʻi mele to encourage and celebrate the growth of future generations of an aliʻi or a favorite person; procreation chant mele hula mele for hula mele ʻāina mele celebrating the famous and most beloved aspects of a specific ʻāina mele mahalo mele showing thankfulness mele aloha mele showing aloha for someone or something mele pule mele for worship; if the chanting is unbroken and the pule done correctly, the result will be good mele kanikau mele for someone who has passed away; many of these are seen in the old Hawaiian newspapers mele nemanema mele for criticizing