Hula: The Hawaiian Dance Tradition

It’s nearly impossible to imagine a Hawaiian Luau without a traditional Hula Dance. They go together like sunsets and tiki torches! Hula is a traditional dance of Hawaiʻi that uses graceful movements to interpret a chant (oli) or song (mele) in visual form. Developed by Native Hawaiians in the Hawaiian Islands, hula is has become a cultural practice that preserves and shares knowledge. Through hula’s choreography, dancers “animate” history, genealogy, and the tales of those who came before. Hand gestures and expressions in the dance vividly portray elements of nature or emotions (for example, a swaying hand may represent a tree in the breeze, or flowing motions may symbolize ocean waves), while the feet denote the rhythm of the dance.

Over centuries, hula evolved into many sub-styles, but it is often grouped into two primary forms: Hula Kahiko (traditional) and Hula ʻAuana (modern). Hula Kahiko refers to ancient hula performed before Western influence; it is accompanied by traditional chanting and percussion instruments rather than melodic songs. Hula ʻAuana, meaning “to wander or drift,” developed in the 19th and 20th centuries under Western influence. Hula ʻauana is typically danced to sung melodies and Western instruments like the guitar and ʻukulele, with harmonies influenced by Christian hymns and popular music. Despite these differences, all hula forms share a common purpose: to visually embody the poetry of the mele (songs or chants) through dance, essentially preserving the stories and values of Hawaiʻi’s people.

Origins and histories

Hula’s origins, interestingly, are rooted in ancient Hawaiian mythology and history. According to legend, the sacred dance was a gift from the gods: in one story, the goddess Laka, patron of hula, birthed the dance on the island of Molokaʻi and remains honored on every hula altar. Another famous story recounts how Hiʻiaka danced to calm her sister, the volcano goddess Pele, at the shore of Puna on Hawaiʻi Island. These myths underscore hula’s sacred beginnings – early hula was often part of religious ceremony, with dancers dedicating themselves to Laka for inspiration and strength. Traditional hālau hula (schools) maintained strict kapu (protocols); students underwent spiritual preparation and placed offerings on a kuahu (altar) adorned with sacred plants to honor Laka, seeking her blessings for knowledge and skill.

When Captain James Cook arrived in Hawaiʻi in 1778, he observed women dancing hula, surprising Europeans who assumed only men performed the dance. Soon after Western contact, however, hula encountered severe repression. Missionaries from New England (arriving in 1820) viewed hula as pagan and “lewd,” clashing with their Christian morals. Under their influence, Queen Kaʻahumanu – a newly converted Christian aliʻi (chief) – banned public hula performances in 1830, driving the art form underground. Public hula in the mid-19th century survived under a licensing system and the patronage of chiefs who quietly kept the traditions alive. For several decades, the dance and its associated chants were practiced in secret by kumu hula (master teachers) and haumana (students), preventing the complete loss of the art.

Hula’s fortunes reversed with a Hawaiian cultural resurgence later in the 19th century. King David Kalākaua (reign 1874–1891), known as the “Merrie Monarch,” famously championed traditional Hawaiian arts – “Hula is the language of the heart, therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people,” he declared. During Kalākaua’s reign, hula was brought back into the public sphere and even adapted into new forms. Troupes merged old chants with influences like Western instruments, creating hula kuʻi (“joining” old and new). Out of respect for tradition, sacred drums (pahu) were often left out of these new performances, but the gourd drum (ipu) and other indigenous instruments remained central. With royal patronage from Kalākaua and later his sister Princess Liliʻuokalani, the late 19th century saw a revival of Hawaiian dance, music, and chants as symbols of national pride. Hula once again graced big public celebrations – for example, King Kalākaua’s jubilant 50th birthday coronation festivities in 1886 prominently featured hula performances.

The 20th century brought new challenges and transformations. After the U.S. annexation of Hawaiʻi in 1898, traditional Hawaiian culture was further marginalized. Hula, however, proved resilient by adapting to the times. In the early 1900s, Hollywood and the tourism industry appropriated hula imagery, often presenting a diluted version of the dance for mass appeal. Grass skirts (actually more of a Polynesian–American invention) and faux-Polynesian show tunes became common in Waikīkī performances and films, far removed from authentic hula kahiko. Despite this commercialization, knowledge keepers quietly sustained authentic hula. By mid-century, elders still taught the old ways in rural communities and family groups. A major turning point came with the Hawaiian Renaissance of the 1970s, a cultural reawakening in which Hawaiians reclaimed their language and arts. Hula experienced a passionate revival – kumu hula who had trained with venerable masters began opening new hālau, and public interest in both ancient hula kahiko and modern hula ʻauana surged once again.

Since 1964, the Merrie Monarch Festival – an annual week-long hula competition in Hilo, Hawaiʻi – has been instrumental in hula’s modern renaissance. Named in honor of King Kalākaua, this prestigious event gathers top hālau hula from across Hawaiʻi (and occasionally beyond) to showcase both kahiko and ʻauana dances. Merrie Monarch and similar festivals have elevated hula to new heights of artistry.

Hula Kahiko

Hula Kahiko (kahiko meaning “ancient”) encompasses the myriad traditional styles of hula that developed in pre-European contact Hawaiʻi. In practice, “hula kahiko” now refers to dances composed before the late 19th century or those performed in the old way – without modern instruments or Western melodic influence. These dances are accompanied by chant (oli) instead of sung lyrics, and by indigenous percussion instruments such as the ipu (gourd drum) or pahu (sharkskin drum). The rhythms of the pahu and ipu, along with other instruments like ʻiliʻili (stone castanets), pūʻili (split bamboo rattles), and kālaʻau (rhythm sticks), set the cadence for the dancers’ movements. Without guitars or ukuleles, the focus in hula kahiko is on the voice of the chanter and the percussive beats, which together echo ancient Hawaiian poetry and prayers.

In hula kahiko, every aspect of performance is steeped in tradition and meaning. Dancers traditionally wear kapa cloth skirts (pāʻū) or wraps and lei garlands made from plants like maile, lehua blossoms, or ti leaves. In old Hawaiʻi, female dancers often danced bare-chested with just a skirt, and male dancers wore a malo (loincloth) – though modern performances use more modest attire. What remains unchanged is the adorning of dancers with lei and greenery gathered from the forest. Before a performance, hula practitioners go into Hawaiʻi’s forests to respectfully collect materials (maile vines, ferns, ti leaves, etc.), only after prayers to Laka and the forest gods. The lei, wrist and ankle garlands (kupeʻe), and other adornments are believed to carry spiritual mana. In ancient times, these sacred costume pieces would be left on the altar for Laka after a ceremony, never reused casually, as they were considered imbued with the sacred power of the dance.

Many hula kahiko are religious or honorific in nature. Chants and dances were composed to honor gods, tell of Hawaiʻi’s origins, or praise high chiefs (aliʻi). For example, certain hula were dedicated to Pele or Kāne (Hawaiian deities), while others – such as hula ʻīliʻīli or hula pahu – might honor a king’s lineage or commemorate significant events. Some hula kahiko, known as hula kuahu, were performed only in sacred contexts, in front of a kuahu altar within the hālau. Every movement in these dances was considered an offering to the gods. Even in more casual old-time contexts, a performance was treated with great seriousness: to dance before a chief, dancers had to execute every gesture flawlessly – an error was seen as both bad luck and disrespect to the akua (gods) and aliʻi. Training for hula kahiko thus demanded intense discipline. Students lived with their kumu hula under rigorous study, often in seclusion. They observed strict kapu such as dietary taboos, sexual abstinence, and periods of silence, all intended to focus spiritual energy. Before entering the hālau each day, they would chant asking permission to enter and only proceed when the kumu granted it with a responding chant. In this traditional system, the kumu hula (teacher) was the repository of knowledge and authority – fittingly, kumumeans “source” in Hawaiian. Students (haumana) progressed through ranks by proving their dedication and mastery, perhaps serving first as ʻōlapa (dancers) and eventually, after years of devotion, themselves becoming kumu.

Despite hula kahiko often being solemn or spiritual, it actually spans a wide emotional range – from chanting mele maʻi (procreation chants) laced with earthy humor, to fierce warrior chants, to graceful tributes for royalty. Some traditional hula were celebratory and even risqué (for example, hula maʻi celebrating chiefly genealogy and fertility), which challenged the prudish missionaries of the 1800s. Other forms like hula alaʻapapa or hula pahu are deeply solemn, performed with the dignity of temple rituals. All these fall under the umbrella of kahiko. Today, practitioners define hula kahiko simply as “traditional hula,” keeping alive the dance as it was done in old Hawaiʻi.

Hula ʻAuana

In the late 19th century, as Hawaiʻi’s musical landscape changed, hula adapted and gave rise to the modern style known as Hula ʻAuana (“to wander”). Hula ʻauana departed from the strict chant-and-drum format, incorporating Western-influenced melodies and instruments. Instead of an ipu providing a stark beat, a hula ʻauana performance might feature a falsetto singer, guitar, ʻukulele, and upright bass accompanying the dancers. Mele for hula ʻauana are typically sung in sweet harmonies and major keys, resembling popular music arrangements. The themes also expanded – whereas ancient chants often honored gods or chiefs, modern hula songs could be about anything meaningful to Hawaiians, from love for a beautiful place, to a remembered historical event, to everyday emotions. Composers wrote mele about new subjects (like Queen Liliʻuokalani’s famous Aloha ʻOe farewell song, often danced as a graceful hula ʻauana). Importantly, hula ʻauana still tells a story or conveys a message, just as kahiko does; the storytelling is simply sung now, and accompanied by different instruments.

The visual presentation of hula ʻauana also reflects its blended heritage. Dancers began wearing more Western-style costumes, especially by the early 20th century. Women often dance hula ʻauana in elegant long dresses (such as the flowing muʻumuʻu or holokū gowns), or matching skirts and fitted tops with tropical prints, usually crowned with flower lei. Men might wear aloha shirts and trousers, or malo for more traditional pieces, sometimes with ʻiliʻili (stone castanets) in hand for upbeat numbers. Early in the 20th century, the iconic grass skirt – made of dried ti leaves or other fibers – became popular in performances for tourists. (Ironically, the “grass” skirt was rarely used in authentic ancient hula, but it became a symbol of Hawaiian dance abroad.) Modern hula costumes tend to be more modest than old kahiko attire; by the turn of the 1900s, Christian influence meant female dancers wore tops or dresses rather than dancing bare-breasted. Regalia in hula ʻauana is chosen to complement the song’s story – dancers may wear colors or flowers mentioned in the lyrics, coordinating their outfits to evoke the song’s mood or setting. For instance, a hula about the rain of a certain valley might feature costumes in cool blue-green tones, with the dancers wearing fern lei from that valley.

Hula ʻauana came of age in the era of radio, records, and Hollywood, which influenced its spread. In the 1920s–50s, Hawaiian music (and hapa-haole songs – English lyrics set to Hawaiian-style melodies) became wildly popular on the U.S. mainland. Hula dancers toured internationally, performing in world’s fairs, broadway shows, and films. However, the hula presented to outsiders was often simplified: swaying hips, smiling “hula girls” in cellophane skirts, and catchy tunes – a charming show, but missing much of hula’s depth. Native practitioners grew concerned that the true meaning of hula was being lost amid the popularity. By mid-century, some kumu hula began pushing back against the dilution. They insisted on teaching hula ʻauana with the same rigor as kahiko, emphasizing accurate gestures, correct lyrics in Hawaiian, and respect for the culture.

Contemporary hula ʻauana performances can be exquisitely artistic. In competitions like Merrie Monarch, a hālau’s hula ʻauana routine is judged on grace, expression, interpretation of the song, and excellence of technique. Dancers move with a smooth, flowing quality, their hands and eyes vividly expressing the narrative of the mele. A slow, sentimental love song will have dancers in formal white muʻumuʻu gliding through soft kaholo (side-steps) and ʻami (hip circles), their arms gently outlining the beloved’s form or the moonlight being described. In contrast, a fast-paced, playful hula (sometimes called a hula ʻapapila or comic hula) might feature quicker footwork, cheeky facial expressions, and even a bit of Hollywood-style flair, with dancers donning bright prints and rocking hips to a swinging rhythm. The spectrum of hula ʻauana is broad – from deeply emotive and heartfelt to lighthearted and fun – but all of it remains grounded in Hawaiian cultural values. Many hula ʻauana songs honor beloved places (lei lands), impart lessons.

Kailani tours gives a comprehensive overview of the evolution of the hula.

“Traditional hula (hula kahiko) dancewear includes a pa’u (wrapped skirt) for women and malo (loincloth) for men. Both men and women dancers wear necklaces and bracelets made from plants, shells, and animal teeth.

Beginning in the 18th century, Western influence has led to a new style of dance, hula auana. Modern dancers may wear a grass skirt or mu’umu’u (a long, loose gown).

The flowers worn on lei can vary depending on which island you are visiting, as a different flower is associated with each island:

• Hawaiʻi Island – Red ‘Ohi’a (sacred to Pele, the Hawaiʻian volcano goddess)

• Oahu – Yellow Llima

• Kauai – Mokihana

• Maui – Pink Lolelani

• Kaho’olawe – Hinahina

• Molokai – White Kokui Blossom

• Lanai – Kaunaoa / Yellow and Orange Air Plant

• Niihau – White Pupu Shell

• Traditional leis were given as offerings and we not to be worn after the completion of the dance.

In modern hula auana, leis are commonly worn after the dance and are given as gifts.

The music has evolved too.

Songs used Include:

• Mele – Songs accompanied by instruments, often performed by a group.

• Oli – Chants often delivered without accompaniment and generally performed solo.

• Styles of Chants:

• Kepakepa – Rapid rythmic performance

• Ho’aeae – Softer style for love chants

• Ho’ouweuwe – Heavier tone of voice with wailing for mourning

• Koihonua – Highly pronounced for recounting geneaology

• Uli’uli – small gourd instruments filled with pebbles – are commonly seen in traditional hula dances. Kala’au (rhythm sticks) and Ili’ili (small flat river rocks) are struck together as percussion instruments.

Ukulele are commonly used in modern hula auana, as are several other types of guitar and stringed instruments. Drums are used to help maintain rhythm.

Many of the traditional dance steps are used in both hula kahiko and hula auana.

The six base moves that make up the hula:

• Kaholo – One footsteps to the side and the other foot follows for two steps then back the other way. Done for a count of four.

• Ka’o – Swaying hips from side to side

• Kawelu – The heel taps the floor while the toes remain on the ground. The other footsteps forward and back for two or more repititions. The feet are reversed and the process is repeated.

• Hela – Knees are kept bent with the body weight on one hip while the opposite foot and leg are stretched out to form an angle of 45 degrees from the body.

• ‘Uwehe – Step with one foot up and when the foot lowers back to the ground, both heels lift up and back down again, pushing the knees forward while the hips sway. Repeated with the other foot.

• Ami – Hip rotations in a circular motion

In addition to these six base moves, certain hand gestures are used to visually demonstrate different words or scenes. However, these can vary between choreographers and the halau (hula school) where they train. These five gestures below are common amongst many hula styles.

• Ka Makani (Wind) – One arm extends at a 45-degree angle out to the side in the direction of movement. The other arm should be placed over the head, bent at the elbow while the hand circles above the head.

• Ka La (Sun) – Both hands curve together to form a ball. It can also be one arm bent at the elbow, hand pointing up and palm facing in.

• Niu (Palm Trees) – Hand of left arm supports elbow of right arm with palm down. The right arm should be bent up at the side with the palm facing to the left. Hand sways like a tree in the breeze.

• Ua (Rain) – Gentle waving of fingers moving up and down on either side.

• Mahina (Moon) – Both hands curve up to form a ball.

Modern hula is typically quicker in tempo, as it is often performed for an audience at a luau. More traditional dances emphasize slower but exact movements.

Hand gestures are important to both styles of dance; however, modern hula auana relies more on hand gestures to demonstrate modern activities that do not have traditional names.”

Hula’s global spread and Pacific connections

From its origins in Hawaiʻi, hula has traveled across the globe, carried by Hawaiians and embraced by diverse audiences. Hawaiian migrants in the 19th and 20th centuries took hula with them to lands as far as California and even as far as Asia. In recent decades, Japan has seen an extraordinary boom in hula, with an estimated two million Japanese people actively dancing hula – a number that astonishingly exceeds Hawaiʻi’s own population. Japanese enthusiasts form thousands of hula clubs, and Hawaiian kumu hula regularly travel to teach in Japan, demonstrating how this Hawaiian art has been adopted with great respect abroad. Similarly, hula schools and festivals can be found on the U.S. mainland, in Mexico, in Europe, and anywhere the Hawaiian diaspora or Pacific Islander communities have settled.

Closer to home in the Pacific, hula has become a cherished part of cultural exchange among Polynesian peoples. Hawaiians recognize kinship with other Polynesians, and while each culture has its own dances (Tahitian ʻōteʻa, Māori haka and kapa haka, Tongan lakalaka, etc.), there is mutual admiration and learning. In Aotearoa New Zealand, for example, Hawaiian hula is appreciated alongside Māori performing arts. New Zealand hosts events where hula is performed, and some Māori individuals have even become accomplished hula dancers. The annual Pasifika Festival in Auckland – a celebration of Pacific cultures – often features Hawaiian hula performances by local groups, with dancers in vibrant costumes and flower lei sharing aloha with Kiwi audiences. There are also hula hālau in New Zealand; one Auckland-based school, Hālau o Ka Waikahe Lani Mālie, is officially recognized by Hawaiian elders and teaches authentic hula to students of all backgrounds. Such schools are part of a broader trend of Pacific people learning each other’s dances as a form of cultural solidarity. In fact, cultural exchange programs have seen Māori kapa haka groups travel to Hawaiʻi and Hawaiian hula troupes travel to New Zealand, performing side by side. In 2025, one Hawaiian high-school hula troupe celebrated 20 years of ties with New Zealand, visiting Māori schools, sharing performances, and deepening Pacific bonds through the shared language of dance.

Throughout Polynesia and beyond, hula is recognized as a symbol of Hawaiian identity and resilience. When Hawaiian hula dancers perform on international stages, they bring with them the stories, language, and mana (spiritual energy) of Hawaiʻi. Non-Hawaiians who study hula often speak of gaining a deeper appreciation for Hawaiian values – such as aloha (love, compassion) and mālama ʻāina (caring for the land) – through the dance. At the same time, Hawaiians have thoughtfully navigated how to share hula without losing its integrity. Kumu hula typically require serious commitment and cultural understanding from foreign students. In Hawaiʻi today, hula is everywhere – from keiki (children) merrily dancing at school events, to professional troupes enthralling audiences at lūʻau shows, to elite hālau competing at the highest levels. It is taught in public schools as part of Hawaiian Studies, and at universities, one can earn a degree focusing on hula and related knowledge. Many Hawaiian families also have someone who dances or composes mele. New mele and choreographies are continually created, addressing everything from contemporary social issues to tributes for modern heroes, all in the framework of Hawaiian poetry and movement. Yet, every new creation is built on the foundations laid long ago. At its heart, hula stays true to its roots. It connects the dancer to the spirit of the land and ancestors, connects the audience to the story being told, and connects Hawaiians to their identity across time and space.

References:

1. Kumukahi – Laka, Goddess of Hula – Educational resource on Laka and traditional hula practices(kumukahi.org/units/ke-ao-akua/akua/laka)

2. Go Hawaii – Hula in the Hawaiian Islands – Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority page describing hula’s meaning and practice(www.gohawaii.com/hawaiian-culture/hula)

3. Digital Pasifik – ʻOhana Hula, Pasifika Festival (2015) – Archive photo and description of a Hawaiian hula performance in Auckland, New Zealand (digitalpasifik.org/items/75437)

4. Ura Tabu Pacific Dance (NZ) – Community Dance Programmes – Information on Hawaiian hula classes offered in New Zealand (uratabu.com/community-dance-programmes.html)

5. Mid-Pacific Institute News – Pūpūkahi Returns from Aotearoa (Oct. 27 2025) – Article on a Hawaiʻi hula school’s cultural exchange trip to New Zealand (midpac.edu/news/newsdetail/~board/news/post/pupukahi-returns-from-aotearoa)

6. PBS Hawaiʻi – Tokyo Hula – Synopsis of a documentary on hula’s popularity in Japan (estimates ~2 million hula dancers in Japan) (pbshawaii.org/what-happens-to-culture-when-it-is-exported/)

7. Kailani Tours – Demystifying Hula: The Evolution Of Hawaiʻian Dance (https://www.kailanitourshawaii.com/demystifying-hula-the-evolution-of-hawaiian-dance/)