RESERVATIONSWhether it is your first visit to Maui or your latest, chances are you have heard of the hula dance. It’s a dance as old as time and one that tourists look forward to seeing.
But maybe you’re not sure what it is or why the Hawaiians originally created it. And maybe you would like to try and see a performance while you are vacationing.
Hula History
The dance was developed by the ancient Polynesians. The Polynesian people migrated to and settled in the Hawaiian Islands between 124 and 1120 AD. Hula was developed as a dance to be performed for Pele, the goddess of volcanoes, fire, wind, and lightning, and who the islanders believed created their Hawaiian homeland.
Historians have not pinpointed the exact date or location for when Hula dance first started but three different goddesses are credited with its creation depending on which island people are performing it.
Captain Cook’s discovery of Hawaii in 1778 led to inbound migration of American Christian missionaries to the islands. These missionaries found the hula dance to be “immoral,” and influenced Queen Ka’ahumanu to outlaw the dance after she became a Christian convert in 1830.
Following her death in 1832, people began to flout that law and perform the hula in public again. When Kalakaua became king in 1874, he restored public hula dancing and included a performance of the hula in his inauguration in 1883 and in his jubilee in 1886. But when the Hawaiian monarchy fell in 1893, hula was not in any governmental celebrations for nearly 100 years.
Happily, everyone enjoys the hula now. As the tourism industry grew, including historical and unique things about Hawaii became popular such as the hula, the lei greeting, and the luau.
Dancing the Hula
Hula is more than just an entertaining dance for tourists. It’s a cultural expression of the history of the Hawaiian Islands and continually evolves. It is performed by both men and women. Hula was originally created as one of the ways people could communicate with their gods. Today most public hula performances will explain this significance to the audience and explain what the dance is “saying.” Using a combination of chanting and dance movement to tell stories, hula is still part of traditional ceremonies as well as tourist shows.
Hula is divided into two types:
• Traditional Hula, or “kahiko,” with music provided by traditional instruments such as rhythm sticks, drums, and rattles made from gourds, and bamboos sticks
• Modern hula, or “auana,” which includes music from modern guitars or a ukulele
Whether you dance traditional hula or modern hula, you can do it sitting or standing. Sitting Hawaiian hula dances come from a history of women sitting to watch men dance and imitating the movements.
Dancers often still wear some of the traditional garments. Hula skirts are made from of kapa, or bark cloth but can also be made from either cloth, cellophane, raffia, or grass skirts made from palm or hibiscus leaves. Men wear either pants or a traditional loincloth called a malo. A lei for the head and its counterpart for the ankles and wrists called kupe’e are also worn and are made of plants or materials such as shells and feathers. The hula is always danced barefooted.
Hula focuses on smooth arm and leg motions and gently waving hand gestures. These movements illustrate the storyline but have symbolic meaning such as ocean waves or trees moving with the wind.
While they were once performed for royalty and to communicate with gods, hula now is performed at luaus, conferences, hotels, and other public events throughout the Aloha State. You may see hula performed at a luau, and you may even be invited to dance. If you do, go and enjoy it. If you’re not interested, politely decline and enjoy watching others hula. Enjoy the show but never make fun of the dance as this is considered disrespectful.
Want to learn before you visit? Look for videos of hula on YouTube that will give you an idea of what hula is about and teach you some basics. For more reading, the University of Hawaii has a collection of books and papers on hula.
When You’re Ready to Hula, Include Hana Kai Maui In Your Plans
Hana Kai Maui Resort is a beautiful oceanfront resort with vacation rentals on Hana Bay at Waikaloa Beach. We offer first-class studio, one, and two-bedroom accommodations that feature exquisite grounds, beachside barbeque, fully equipped kitchens, private lanais, and free wireless internet service. Many of our condos have panoramic oceanfront views where you can experience incredible sunrises and moonlit nights. Hana Kai Maui condos are designed to be comfortable and relaxing whether you’re here for a night, a weekend, or even an entire week. Talk to our staff about local tourist events where you can take in a Hula dance performance.
Call to book your next reservations at 1-800-346-2772, or book directly online. We’re open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Hawaii time to answer all your questions. Hawaii is 6 hours behind Eastern Standard Time (EST), 5 behind Central (CST) and 3 behind Pacific (PST). Get in touch today to reserve your visit to Hana Kai Maui.
