2. Main Idea
•Hula ‘Auana, or modern hula, is an
expressive modernized dance that has
rich history, musical
elements/characteristics, and
instruments that make it very special to
Hawaiian culture.
3. History
• 1700’s- Protestant missionaries thought it was an
unnecessary practice->led to banning of the tradition
• .1800’s- Hula was almost pronounced extinct from the
world due to converting religion over to Christianity
• 1874- King David Kalakaua brought back the old ways
and it became public again->he died in 1891.
• 1891-Queen Lili’uokalani, David’s sister, had the throne
taken from her by Americans
->Hula became extinct again for a very long time
• Recently-European and American influences created
the modern hula style- Hula’auana
Archer
(Pic) Hula Auana (Modern
Hula).
Hawaii Hula
4. Characteristics
• ‘auana means to drift or go from one place
to another.
• Dancers a mu’umu’u
• Leis- given as gifts and are worn after
dances
• Western influences influenced instruments
(ex: steel guitar)
• Faster tempo, but can have slower
movements for precision
• Performed at luau
• Dancers perform and express themselves in
front of audiences for entertainment
• There are six different steps used
• Five hand gestures are used
“Hula in the
Hawaiian Islands”
Lanki
7. Instruments
• International visitors
brought over the ukulele,
violins, pianos, guitars,
accordions, and flutes
• Steel guitar and ukulele
ate based off of western
influence
• Steel guitar was used
in Hawaiian bands
• Ukulele is prominent
instrument
(Vid) “HONOLULU
MARCH (Steel Guitar
& Ukulele) Cover).”
“Hula Instruments.”
8. Conclusion
• Modern hula is a combination of western influence and
ancient Hawaiian dancing tradition. It was modernized
from the musical elements to the clothes worn. It is a
way of preserving the ancient ways of Hawaii, but also
adapting to the fast-paced world. It is for dancers to
express themselves in front of audiences and to tell a
story of rich history. Hula ‘auana is truly a beautiful
dance and culture that should be shared with the rest of
the world.
9. Work Cited
• Archer, Meg. “Demystifying Hula: The Evolution Of Hawaiian Dance.”
OnlyInYourState, 10 June 2016, www.onlyinyourstate.com/hawaii/evolution-of-hula-
hi/.
• Hawaii Hula, Apr. 2011, www.alternative-hawaii.com/hacul/hula.htm.
• “History Of Hula.” History Of Hula, 2007, www.discover-oahu.com/History-Of-Hula.html.
• “Hula in the Hawaiian Islands.” Go Hawaii, 6 Jan. 2020, www.gohawaii.com/hawaiian-
culture/hula.
• “Hula Instruments.” Hula Instruments, 2007, www.discover-oahu.com/hula-
instruments.html.
• Lanki, Colleen. “Hula (The) Dancer As Actor: Characterization, Visualization, and
Emotion: Ka'iwakīloumoku.” Hula (The) Dancer As Actor: Characterization,
Visualization, and Emotion | Ka'iwakīloumoku, 2004,
apps.ksbe.edu/kaiwakiloumoku/kaleinamanu/essays/hula_dancer_actor.
• The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Hula.” Encyclopædia Britannica,
10. Picture and Video Work Cited
• Green, Heather. Five Hand Gestures
• Green, Heather. Six Basic Movements.
• “Hawaiian Folk Dance: Ka Uluwehi o Ke Kai.” YouTube, Folk
Dances Around The World, 18 Aug. 2016,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p21vnvJKlb0&feature=y
outu.be.
• “HONOLULU MARCH (Steel Guitar & Ukulele
Cover).” HONOLULU MARCH (Steel Guitar & Ukulele Cover),
YouTube, 30 Apr. 2019,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa-EtXT-5ZI.
Editor's Notes
The history of modern hula starts out around the 1700’s. Protestant Missionaries started sticking their nose into the Hawaiian culture and said the whole thing was pure nonsense. This led to the banning of the tradition from being performed anywhere. The 1800’s came around and hula was pronounced almost extinct. Christianity was taking over everything during this time and it forced the tradition to suffer greatly. The tradition started to make a comeback in 1874 when King David Kalakaua decided to teach the old ways of hula. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1891 and his sister over took the throne. She was overturned by Americans and hula fell into a great deprrssion once again. Hula didn’t become a topic of conversation for a long time until American and European influences made the hula’auana.
Hula’auana has modernized characteristics compared to ancient hula tradition. First off, -’auana means to drift or go from place to place. It was influenced by western civilization with the introduction of new musical instruments, like the steel guitar. A lot of the dancers would present leis as a gift and were worn after dances. Mu’umu’u, or a long grass skirt, is worn by the dancers when performing. Usually the performances are performed at luaus and are presented as ta faster tempo but can also slow down their movements for more precision in the dance. When performing, dancers express themselves through five hand gestures and a six step sequence. The purpose of the performances is to provide entertainment for the audience to enjoy.
As said in the last slide, there are six basic steps and five basic hand movements associated with hula’auana. The six steps consist of Kaholo (side to side movements), Ka’o (hip movement), Kawelu (back and forward with heel and toe movement), Hela (knees are bent at a 45 degree angle), ‘Uwehe (up on the toes and down), and ‘Ami (hip in a circular motion). The five hand gestires are Ka Makani (meaning wind and hand cirching above the head), Ka La (means sun and arms are up with palms facing up), Niu (means palm trees and arm make an L), Ua (means rain and its waving of the fingers up and down), and Mahina ( means moon and circular shape with arms above head, similar to the sun)
This is an example of modern hula dancing.
The instrumentation was heavily influenced by western influences. Pianos, violins, ukuleles, guitars, and flutes were some example instruments brought over by international visitors. The two most common based off of western influence are the steel guitar and ukulele. These two examples are shown in a video on the right. The steel guitar was used in a lot of Hawaiian band performances. The most prominent instrument is the ukulele. The rhythm is stabilized by a set of drums. The slack key guitar is also used in some Hawaiian music.
