Hula is a traditional Hawaiian dance form that conveys Hawaiian history, culture, and identity. While hula was suppressed by missionaries in the 1800s who saw it as immoral, King Kalakaua helped revive the dance in 1874. The rise of tourism in Hawaii in the 1900s popularized hula globally but also led to more westernized, commercialized versions. Today, hula exists in both ancient ("kahiko") and modern ("auana") styles and continues to educate people about Hawaiian culture, such as through the prestigious Merrie Monarch Festival starting in 1963. Hula remains a dynamic art form that adapts while preserving Hawaiian traditions.

1. Lovely Hula Hands:
Traditional or Westernized
BY
MICHEL WINGE

2. Introduction: Hula is Hawaii

3. Hula History
• Dance in regards to hula has a critical issue of historic preservation.
• Ancient Hawaiians had no written language, they passed down their culture through the
generations.
• Oli (chants) rooted in eras of Polynesian culture; its wisdom, knowledge, history and prayer.
• The tradition of hula is one of the most profound and important conveyors of Hawaiian culture
and ancient history that we can name. Hawaii is the heart and soul of the Hawaiian people.
• The hula competition at Merrie monarch had received global recognition for its historic and
cultural significance.

4. History of Hula continued…
• The rich culture of the makes the Hawaiian island a one-of-a-kind destination that
continues to draw visitors from around the world.
• “Underneath the surface of hulas gestures lies a cultural system that nurtures and
sustains Native Hawaiian people reminding them of their history and identity as
Hawaii’s indigenous inhabitants.” (Shaka, 2014)
• Hula is a Hawaiian form of dance developed in the Hawaiian islands by the original
settlers of the islands.
• In the 1820’s with the arrival of the protestant missionaries, hula was labelled as a
“heathen dance”, they felt that the motions of the dance aroused sexual feelings in
them and banned the dance for many years.

5. Hula and the dance
• In 1874, King Kalakaua came to reign over Hawaii he publically welcomed hula
back into society.
• King Kalakaua proclaimed. “Hula is the language of the heart of the people.”
(Hawaiianhistory.org, 2014)
• The Tahitian dance tells a story through stage presence and their whole body. The
hip movement is bold and fast, no matter how fast their hips are moving their
upper body remains balanced.
• Tahitian dance is accompanied by drums and the women shake their hips in
relation to the drum beat.

6. Hula meets Tourism
• Hawaii is one of the largest sought out areas for vacation which brings tourism with
it.
• Hula today is mostly done for entertainment purposes.
• Hula dancers have become quite the icon, being staples in any Hollywood movie
with a Hawaiian theme.
• The popularity of hula has spread to the U.S., mainland, Japan and even Europe.
• “Hawaii has become the iconic welcoming paradise, adorned with waves,
surfboards and girls in grass skirts dancing hula against the backdrop of Diamond
Head.” (Flanary, 2003)
• In 1959, when Hawaii became a state, it flourished in tourism. Tourists from
around the world came to see a real luau and a hula girl.

7. Tourism continued…
• During the turn of the 20th century tourism started coming to the islands in greater
numbers. The modern hula girl has been the obvious presence both as
entertainment and as a icon.
• Other images of hula, glamorized and westernized, were spread through
Hollywood movies.
• They represented a romantic native paradise and hula was an element of the
culture, though it barely resembled the native dance.
• Some of the major Hollywood films of Hawaii included Bird of Paradise, Hula,
Waikiki Wedding, Pagan love song, From here to eternity, Blue Hawaii, South
Pacific and Donovan’s Reef. (Hawaiihistory.org, 2014).
• Since the 1920’s, the hula dance has found its place in the world culture as an icon
of paradise. (Wilhunt.org, 2013).

8. Matson ship and The Kodak Hula Show
• With the regular arrival of Matson passenger ships in the 1920’s, Boat Day became a
new Hawaiian tradition.
• The Royal Hawaiian Band performed Hawaiian songs for those on the ship, women
danced the hula and greeted passengers with plumeria leis and canoe paddlers
surrounded the ship to say “A-L-O-H-A”.
• In 1937, the Kodak Hula Show a performance venue was created and it was a chance
for tourist to watch a live hula show and then take pictures with the authentic
dancers.
• The Kodak Hula Show entertained tourists for 65 years in Waikiki and has
audiences of 3000 a week. (Hawaiihistory.org, 2014)

9. Hula and its meaning
• There are many types and styles of hula.
• Hula “auana” is a (modern hula) is danced to western influenced music and
features more of a modern and fluid style of dancing. This is the most familiar type
of dancing to visitors.
• This is accompanied by songs, ukuleles, guitars and costumes.
• Hula “Kahiko” (ancient hula) is danced to a dramatic chants and percussion with
more traditional costumes. The Kahiko draws a raw life force that marks power.
• “Hula has 3 purposes: too entertain, to inspire, to instruct. The dances and chants
contain a magic that transcends their external power and beauty, filling both
dancer and audience with Aloha.” (Lakainapali, 2004)

10. Kahiko Auana

11. Hula and films
• Hula contributed to the tourist industry, but it also made its way into American
night clubs and showrooms and impacted the entertainment industry in the
mainland USA.
• The west has had an influence on hula. In the American pop culture , mainlanders
regard hula as a sexy and a part of the Hawaiian tradition.
• There is much appeal of Hawaiian culture among the Euro-Americans and Asian.
• Hula has become Americanized with the scene of a sexualized hula girl on a
picturesque beach scene and leisurely life styles.
• Old military films show hula girls dancing for the troops as the ship docks and
greeting them with leis. Hula girls also did tours to perform for the American
troops abroad.

12. THEN NOW

13. Hula and the ‘ti’ leaf
• The tradition behind the hula “ti leaf” is the goddess of plants and the forest,
“Laka”.
• Plants are widely acknowledged during ceremonies were given as offering after the
dance as form of the goddess herself which in turn you would possess her Mana
(spiritual energy).
• The ti leaf is considered sacred and is worn for protection, to ward off evil spirit
and to bring good luck.
• “In the Hula halau, the formality of the choosing of the plants and costume and the
disposal of the dancers leis into the ocean was done with ritual and respect.”
(Lakainapali, 2004)

14. Hula and Merrie Monarch
• In 1963, The Merrie monarch festival was created. The festival is considered the
worlds premiere forum for people of all ages to display their skills.
• The week long festival in Hilo, Hawaii has emphasis on culture and a three day
hula competitions that has received worldwide recognition for its historic and
cultural significance.
• Thanks to the Merrie Monarch festival, thousands of people in Hawaii and
throughout the world are learning about the history and culture of Hawaii.
• The Merrie monarch festival is committed to perpetuating the traditional culture
of the Hawaiian people, developing and augmenting a living knowledge of
Hawaiian arts and crafts.
• Each Merrie Monarch begins with a ritual of purifications, a pilgrimage to a sacred
pond or the home of Pele, in Kilauea crater.

16. Conclusion
• Hula is a dynamic art form that has always evolved to accommodate changing
times
• “Hula also continues to be the way that the Hawaiian culture survives.”( Shaka,
2014)
• The dance continues to provide a source of pleasure and a meaning to educate both
Hawaiians and non-islanders in the mythic ideals that give meaning and continuity
to ancients Hawaiian culture.
• Hula is the soul of Hawaii, perhaps the next time you see a hula dance whether its
in the ancient or modern form you will see it through different eyes and with
greater awareness and sense of its deep spiritual energy.
• Tourism will likely continue to enhance Hawaii economically and keep Hawaii the
top tourist destination with its beautiful location saturated with history and
culture.

18. References
Flanary, L. (Director). (2003). American Aloha: Hula Beyond
Hawaii [Documentary]. Hawaii: Bluestocking Films.
HawaiiHistory.org - Hawaii History - Home." Missionaries and the Decline of Hula.
N.p., n.d. Web. 3 June 2014. <http://hawaiihistory.org/>.
Lakainapali, T. (2004) Hula: The Soul of Hawaii. Aloha International. Retrieved
June 8, 2014, from http://www.huna.org/html/hula_th.html
Shaka, Angeline. "Hula." Dance Heritage Coalition. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 June 2014.
<http://danceheritage.org/>.