Haula in Hawaii

Hula, which began in Hawaii as a sacred ritual, has over time flourished into an art form.

Originally a type of worship in religious ceremonies, hula was performed to give thanks to Hawaii’s ancient gods and honor its chieftains. Later hula dances, chants, and songs moved from the temples into the secular world, their incantatory beauty entertaining and enlightening.

Accompanied only by voice or percussion instruments, male — and subsequently, female — hula dancers used their bodies to express the wondrous legends of the Hawaiian islands.

Every hula movement has a specific meaning. Different gestures symbolize flowers, animals, even conflict and war. With expressive hands and undulating hips, a hula dancer can evoke a palm frond in the breeze or the menace of a shark.

Traditional hula narratives tell a story. One recounts the islands’ emergence from the sea and the saga of goddess Pele, who restlessly searched each of the Hawaiian islands for a home until finally finding one within a Big Island volcano.

Westerners Encounter Hula in Hawaii
The first Westerners in Hawaii, Captain Cook and corps arrived in 1778. Expedition members noted a hula performed for them on Kauai — and it seemed the gentle art would continue to hold observers in its thrall.

It was not to be. Around 1820, missionaries sailed from New England to “save” Hawaii. Shocked and appalled by the dance they deemed "heathenish," these zealots dedicated themselves to eradicating the hula. Manipulating sympathizers among Christianized royalty, the missionaries succeeded in making the dance illegal.

Yet hula’s endurance was as tenacious as its rhythms. During this bleak period, which lasted more than fifty years, hula went underground. And far away from the Hawaiian islands’ missions, dancers continued to surreptitiously perform the sensual dances.

The Hula Ruler
If hula has a royal patron, it is King David Kalakaua (1874-91). Well-traveled and well-connected (President Grant entertained him in Washington), Kalakaua never forgot his Hawaii roots. Known as the Merrie Monarch for his love of song and dance, Kalakaua formed a palace hula troupe. His appreciation of the authentic art returned hula to its rightful place as a national treasure.

Kalakaua's support also helped hula evolve. Western forms of music were later integrated into some hulas. The steel guitar and the ukulele, a Portuguese import, were added to hula’s instrumental repertoire.Haula in Hawais