Hula

Hula is a Hawaiian dance form that expresses chant (oli) or song (mele) through visual movement. Developed by Native Hawaiians in the Hawaiian Islands, it dramatizes the words of the oli or mele. Hula encompasses many sub-styles, with the two main categories being Hula ʻAuana and Hula Kahiko. Ancient hula, performed before Western encounters with Hawaiʻi, is called kahiko and is accompanied by chant and traditional instruments. Hula that evolved under Western influence in the 19th and 20th centuries is called auana, meaning "to wander" or "drift," and is accompanied by song and Western-influenced instruments such as the guitar, ukulele, and double bass. Additional categories are emerging: "Monarchy" includes hula composed and choreographed during the 19th century, when Western culture significantly changed Hawaiian arts. "Ai Kahiko," meaning "in the ancient style," refers to hula written in the 20th and 21st centuries that follow ancient stylistic protocols. Dances are performed either sitting or standing, with some using both positions. Hand motions represent words, signifying aspects of nature like a swaying tree or ocean wave, or emotions such as fondness or yearning. Foot and hip movements draw from a basic library of steps. Hula is unique to the Hawaiian Islands, distinct from other Polynesian dances. Five hula genres span from most ancient to most modern. The hula pahu and hula ʻālaʻapapa subcategories are ancient, originating before Christianity, with well-preserved manuscript guidelines for performers. On the modern end, hapa haole songs were disseminated as notated sheet music through the work of ethnomusicologists and songwriters. Hula kuʻi and hula ʻōlapa reflect social transformation and westernization influenced by American economics and politics, using a strophic text format with two or four lines set to a uniform number of beats, often separated by brief rhythmic interludes.