Since the Hawaiian language from the beginning only was oral and not written, everything was shared though storytelling, chants, songs and dances. Hawaiian Hula depicts the various places of the islands, the history of battles and kings, the love for one another, and the spiritual facets of the traditional beliefs and legends. Thus, Hula is a form of storytelling to music. When the white settlers came to the islands, Hula was banned for some years, but thanks to King Kalakaua, it was reclaimed and are now even part of church services at times.

There are many forms of Hula, where the two major kinds are called Hula ‘Auana; modern, danced to the ukulele, and Hula Kahiko; old, danced to the ‘Ipu Heke, a gourd drum. The focus of Hula lies in the motions of the hands and the hips, with bent knees, but one creates beauty through the dance and one’s character living righteous (pono) and in compassion and generosity (aloha) rather than just seeking it by looks. Even so, certain type of dresses and skirts goes with certain type of songs and places, as well as the choice of colors, and types of flower-garlands (leis). The best hula is a communication that forwards the meaning through spirit and the dancer, to the audience, becoming one. Most often, men dance separately from women, with a variation of steps.

To become a Kumu Hula; a teacher, one has to train extensively with someone who already is, often through one’s family lineage, and be initiated through proper protocol and evaluation. At Telluselle Living Center, we will only have Hawaiian Kumus teaching Hula.

Photo borrowed from Wikipedia.