HULA

Generally known Hula dance as Hula, is Hawaii’s traditional folk dance.

HULA in Hawaiian meaning dance, now the people learning Hula dance will directly called it Hula.

Basically hula is a dance focus on the hands and feet and waist movement, use the facial expressions and body rhythm to express the feelings.

According rhythm dancing rhythmically, but the auxiliary hand movements is the focus.

Hand movements all have a meaning, such as both hands cross on body chest is means Aloha (Aloha will probably be construed as “Hello”, “Goodbye”, “I love you” three other means.), the finger toward the top is means Pua (flower), put the hands over the head plus obliquely come down from above to the bottom and move your finger meaning is rain.

This movement is content out of the natural, you can see the nature worship are closely related with Hawaiian. Hula has no exact origins. There are two ways according to the legend of Hula, dance goddess-Laka was to please her older sister flame goddess-Pele or some other goddess-Hi’iaka thus dancing.

The original hula is not a art or entertainment, hula is a dance for religious worship. And the dancing is in praise to the goddess-Pele.

Around 19th century American missionaries came to Hawaii, they considered hula is a heresy and try to banned it.

In addition, the hula dressing style is male only with a cloth wrapped around the body, while women are exposed a lot of the waist, which is regarded as obscene Christianity. In order to spread Christianity, they tried to ban Hawaiian people to worship of nature.

After that, King Kalakaua attempt to restore the hula to original appearance, and creation the modern foundation of hula.

The main difference between classical Hula (Kahiko) and modern Hula (Auana) is the classical Hula’s percussion instruments are drum made with shark skin, hoist drum and castanets made of stone (iriiri) and using them for Chant (ritual worship), the simple comparison of classical and modern hula is modern hula will use Western music, also with a ukulele and guitar to rich the melodic.

The common imagine of hula is wearing grass skirts with garlands and dance cheerfully, it is modern hula.

After Examine, classical hula has set up a department for competition of hula.

To commend the father of modern hula-King Kalakaua, people also name him The Merrie Monarch, happy monarch festival is held annually in Hawaii Hilo.

The activities began in 1963, when just a simple performances, increasing the scale of each year, since 1971, the judges of this activities also add scores part and make it become a competition mode.

The annual Easter will be held a week-long musical parade, hula enthusiast from around the Hawaiian and around the world will gather in Hilo.

Hula is the kind of slow pace dance, because of health hula in older people quite popular.

In wearing colorful Muumuu and wear Lei with nice flavor has become a gorgeous feeling.

Although is just a dance, but some how it can cure the emotional effects, maybe it has to do with the religion.