Hula

Hula: The Culutural Dance of HawaiiBy: Allyse Gulley

Hula is a hawaiian traditional art of movement. It contains smooth body gestures and vocals. These movements are said to tell the story of hawaii. The movements represent nature like the flow of the wind and sea. The hula dance came from the goddess of hawaiia, Laka, who split the dancers into two groups: Olapa and Ho'o-paa. hula dances orginated from only a six step series of movements. Hula also tells how the hawaiian islands came to be with dances about legends. Hula is a type of body laguage that is passed down through generartions to perserve their unique history.

History

Traditional Clothing

Before 1820 in hawaii the female hula dancers would wear short grass skirts and floral top with leis around their head, neck, arms, and legs. Men simply wore a loin cloth with the same leis around their head, neck, arms, and legs. But then in 1820 and after men and women are not suppose to revel so much so they switched to longer knee lengthed skirts. This was because the missionaries found it provoking.

Female Dancers

Female dancers are primarily used for the beauty of Hawaii and to catch attention to use the dancing as a language to share the legends of Hawaii. There are diferent kinds of female dancers within Hula. For example, in Hawaii all kinds of Hula are represented, so many other nations will come there and the girls will dance their nations hula together.

In Hula, their are different kinds of male dancers. Male dancers who help them women tell the stories of hawaii and then there's male dancers who deal with the Hawaiian fire dance. This is to please the fire gods.

To be sure that Hawaii stories and legends are never forgotten and always told throughout generation, each new generation when they have reached a certain age begins to learn the stories behind the dance and then the dances, so that they continue to pass down the history of their beloved land.

Children of Hula

Male Dancers