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Hula dancing is the
essence and spirit of Hawaii. Initially it was treated as a sacred
ritual, but it slowly became a form of entertainment. The dance is not
without meaning. In fact the heart of hula dancing is poetic text, which
is referred to as Mele. All movements are interpreted and performed on
the basis of the text. In hula dancing, hand and arm gestures are
combined with rhythmic twisting and swirling.
| In hula dancing, each movement has a particular meaning and this coupled
with the expressive hand gestures has even greater significance. While
dancing, the movements that the dancers make may represent any facet of
nature or life. Plants, trees, war, wind fire, water, all the elements
are adequately represented and the viewer has no doubt in his mind as to
its meaning. This is because hula dancing by its movements embodies the
essence of thing it represents. The dancers incorporate to exactitude
the elements of life and nature and the chanting aids in narrating the
story. |
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Initially in hula dancing, the emphasis
was on the words only, but as many people do not understand those
chants, this form of dancing has become more expressive and
understandable.
Interestingly enough, there are many types of hula dancing and these are
performed at different times and in different ways. Hula hue was a kind
of endurance dance used at the end of a program while hula hapa haole
was a westernized version with English words. Hula hula pertained
to a type of dancing where there were many people involved. Some sang
and some played the drum. Hula o Kalâkaua was dancing reserved for the
King’s coronation. Hula kuhi Lima was a sitting hula where the dancer
swayed the body in keeping with the music and made eloquent hand
gestures. Hula ki`elei was performed by the dancer squatting on his
haunches. -- Hula ku`i Molokai named after the island which was famous
for sports was fast , vigorous with a lot of stamping and twisting of
the heels and slapping of the thighs. Hula ki` was different from the
other types of dancing in that the dancers were stiff in their posture
and their actions were not smooth and flowing. Thus we see that there
was a tremendous difference from the -- hula kahiko which was the
ancient hula centered around ceremony and chants. The modern day hula
auana is very informal and there is no ceremony involved. It is danced
to the accompaniment of instrument like the guitars and is very popular
on the island of Hawaii.
Whatever be the form of hula dancing, the essence and spirit of the
dance is always felt. It has a strange impact on the viewers and often
makes one want to join in. Hula dancing in spite of metamorphosis is
here to stay in some form or the other. Its magnetic charm touches all
who see. The origins of hula are open to interpretation. Some believe it
came from the ancient civilization of Mu, some claim it was indigenous,
while others say that it had its roots in Tahiti .Whatever be its origin
or its roots, there is no doubt that the Hula is the link which binds
the dancers with the universe and symbolizes their unity with all
creation. |
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