Hawaiian Hula

The Hula is one of the styles of the big family of Polynesian Dance.

The hula is a very ancient art form. It is the richest form of artistic expression of the Hawai’i. Originating in religion and worship, the hula was a complex system for preserving legends and facts, honoring rulers and celebrating the beauty of their land. It had different functions from prayer to entertainment. The traditional themes include religious prayers, songs in honour of deities and rulers, historical events. Birth, love and death were commemorated in the poems sung. The hula therefore represented a link between the spiritual and natural world.

In the hula different arts are involved: the dancers sang and played musical instruments, the singers were moving to the rhythm of the accompaniment of percussion. The most important element is the text, with poems that incorporated different levels of meaning that could be interpreted in different ways. As an oral tradition, those who performed were a visual manifestation of poetry and had to be properly dressed.

In its traditional sense, the hula was a way of life. The dancer was considered an instrument of God’s work and represented the beauty of the world of God.

Hula dancing is a complex art form, and there are many hand motions used to represent the words in a song or chant. For example, hand movements can signify aspects and elements of nature, such as a flower, the sun, the wind, the mountains or a wave in the ocean, they can represent also feelings and emotions, such as fondness, love. and actions such as speaking, hearing, seeing and many others.

Hula has many health benefits such as weight loss and boosting energy. Hula is a low to medium impact exercise. it is good for your abs, back and hips and helps tone and strengthen your legs. Hula dancing also helps to improve your memory, balance and coordination.