Hula: What Are the Origins and Meanings of the Dance?

Hula is Hawaii’s storytelling in motion, recounting history and tradition through oli (chant) and mele (song). The practice encompasses both sacred and secular performances, with different styles used for religious ceremonies and other cultural events. Rooted in Hawaii’s (Native spelling: Hawai‘i) dynamic spiritual traditions, Hula recognizes and respects the relationship between the gods, people and environment.

Although the arrival of Westerners resulted in the suppression of hula and other elements of Hawaiian culture, the Hawaiian Renaissance of the 1970s led to the revitalization of its practice and other cultural elements. Hula’s evolution reflects a blending of ancient Hawaiian traditions and external influences, resulting in contrasting ancient and modern practices. Despite these changes, Hula continues to serve as a way to remember and transmit Indigenous knowledge, history and traditions passed down through generations.

Through the early 20th century, Hula was infused with religious practices. Dedicated to the goddess of hula, Laka, ancient hula (Hula Kahiko) was deeply rooted in spiritual tradition, requiring dancers to master intricate rituals and prayers.

Hula often accompanied mele, a “chant of any kind” or poem, a critical component of both Hawaiian music and dance. Before Western contact, Hula was a reaffirmation of Hawaiian spirituality, intrinsically connected to the sacred oral traditions that reaffirmed genealogical connections to the past and political structures. Publicly performed chants and dances might include praising the reigning monarch, lamentation chants, love chants or songs improvised for occasions like the birth of a royal child. Others were performed only within the heiau (temple) for the most powerful aliʻi (kings) and priests.

Students of hula, both men and women, immersed themselves in the disciplined traditions of the hālau (school), where they mastered appropriate movements and mele. The two principal components of body movement in hula are foot motifs and hand or arm gestures. Gestures interpret key aspects of the mele, adding a secondary level of meaning to the words and context.

In standing dances, there are two groups of performers: the ‘ōlapa, who execute the dance movements and the hoʻopaʻa, who chant the mele and provide the percussive instrumental accompaniment. In sitting dances, performers serve as both dancers and musicians. Movements and rhythms can also vary across hālau (schools), reflecting the diversity within hula traditions.

When Christian missionaries arrived in Hawaii in the 1800s, they were often critical of hula, which they viewed as part of a “primitive” culture associated with pagan religious practices. Queen Ka‘ahumanu, the favorite wife of Kamehameha I (and co-ruler with her son Liholiho), played a key role in ending the kapu system, which had established rules and regulations in daily life to maintain harmony with the land and others. In her effort to promote Christian teachings, Ka‘ahumanu outlawed hula in 1830. While the ban was often ignored, particularly after Ka‘ahumanu died in 1832, hula was not as visible in public life for many years.

It wasn't until the reign of King David Kalākaua, the penultimate monarch of Hawaii from 1874 to 1891, that hula made a brief resurgence. A devoted champion of traditional Hawaiian art forms, Kalākaua called hula the “language of the heart and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people.” He prominently featured hula at his 1883 coronation and 1886 birthday jubilee, expanding its repertoire with new chants and dances. However, after he died in 1891 and following the subsequent American overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom on January 17, 1893, hula did not have widespread support.

Still, hula remained an important expression of Hawaiian royalist sentiments even after Hawaii’s annexation by the United States. Subsequently, hula became a personal or private practice due to the marginalization of Hawaiian culture and people. Thus, the challenges facing practitioners of hula were reflective of larger struggles over land, sovereignty and identity for Native Hawaiians.

For decades, hula remained at the periphery of cultural life in Hawaii until the 1960s and 1970s, when the Hawaiian Renaissance led to a renewed interest in Hula Kahiko. Hula was soon recognized as a critical part of preserving the Hawaiian language, cultural practices, memory and community-building.

Hula festivals and competitions remain an important part of Hawaiian culture, with many hula dancers engaging in extensive training to participate in the world-renowned Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, named after King Kalākaua. Since 1971, this competition has taken place in the Edith Kanakaʻole Stadium in Hilo, Hawaii. Invited hālau hula (hula troupes) compete in front of a panel of judges, sell-out crowds and live television cameras.

"I see hula as resistance. I see hula as a tool for organizing the community around issues that are facing Native Hawaiians," says Native Hawaiian leader and kumu hula (master teacher) Vicky Holt Takamine. "Hula was my entrée into the Hawaiian language, into Hawaiian culture."

Especially after the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, hula has been seen as a form of resistance against the cultural and political dominance of Western powers. Hundreds of hālau (schools) continue to dance hula, learning its movements as well as its spiritual and aesthetic message.

Today, hula continues to evolve, incorporating new instruments and themes, leading to the emergence of Hula ʻAuana, which is often more secular and features Western-influenced music and themes. Hula remains a living art and important cultural practice as kumu and dancers adapt stylistically while preserving important traditional cultural elements. It has also become an integral part of Hawaii’s tourism industry, with performances becoming more secular and less rooted in Hawaiian spirituality. A global phenomenon, hula troupes travel the world in the United States and beyond.

Hula remains a living tradition, passed down through teachers to students, ensuring its continued relevance even with debates over authenticity, traditional movements, words and dress. As kumu hula, John W. Keānuenue Kaʻimikaua, explains, “The hula is an inspiration that will enable the Hawaiians to rise up from the dust out of obscurity. It is the last hope that can make us feel Hawaiian and remember our culture and forefathers.”