Polynesie - rozcestník o Havaji a Francouzské Polynésii

Hula dances are a complex form of dances where dancers do a lot of hand movements to express with the aim to expect different aspects of nature - water, rain, wind, but also personal emotions like love, wrath, or historical events and myths.
Hula is danced with a big pleasure and should be bringing joy and happiness of the movement and dance.
Hula is danced on luau and other festivals.
Hula means to dance and is coming from Tahitian and Indian dances.

The birth of hula dances is very interesting. Once upon the time, Goddess of Fire called Pele was feeling very bored and said to her younger sister Laka to amuse her. Laka stood up and started with very harmonious movements to express some events both sisters were familiar with. Pele was amazed when Laka was demonstrating the victory of King Kamehameha. Or when she turned her up into the wind of God Laama´oma´o. By dancing she could tell stories of trees, flowers, cascades and stars. Her dance and movements was like an honour to God of Sea Kuula. Pele was applauding in fascination. It was then when hula dances were born and Laka became Godness of Hula.

For long times there were only women and clericals who were allowed to dance hula, as the dances were considered spiritual. It took a while since hula had been spread out, became less formal and danced by ordinary people for pleasure and fun. During the period of colonization by Europeans hula went through significant changes and noted some new elements and part of music accompanying the dancing.
Hula dances are performed on traditional songs and hymns called mele.

There are a lot of different styles and variations of hula dances that can be in generally divided into two categories. Old-time traditional hula - kahiko style coming from pre-colonization times accompany by strain and traditional music instruments. Contemporary hula - auana, is influenced by Western civilization of the 19th and 20th century. Songs and modern musical instruments, such as guitar, ukulele or contrabass accompany the second style of dances.

Hula is taught at schools called halau by kumu hula (teacher). Kumu actually states for a source of knowledge and education. Hula is the unique original dance of Hawaiian Islands.

HULA KAHIKO
Hula kahiko ritual is performed in the national volcanic park in Hawaii and includes many styles and motives, from serious and ritual ones for light and frivolous ones.
Many hula dances were created to worship chief of groups and for their fun. But more serious form of hula dances were considered as a religious ritual with strict rules. Being a solemn ceremony hula was performed on temple terraces heiau when even a small mistake could break up the whole ceremony. Such a mistake was even taken as a bad sign or bad luck. Of course dancers were doing a lot of mistakes during the process of learning. They were separated from others and taken under control of Goddess Laka. And when they finish with the learning there was a special ceremony meaning they could live with others again.
Nowadays, hula kahiko is danced accompanied by historic songs and chorals. A lot of them are rigorous, serious, and with a respect to spiritual roots.