Hula is the soul of Hawai’i expressed in motion. It began as a means of worship during religious ceremonies by highly-trained men and gradually evolved into a form of entertainment. The hula dramatizes the story of a chant or song, which are written about many different subjects. Often the song has a double meaning. For example, the words may be about the soft rain in a beautiful place, but the hidden meaning is about the beauty and love of a person.

There are two styles of hula. Old-style hula, as performed before Western encounters with Hawai´I, is called kahiko. It is accompanied by chant and traditional instruments. Hula as it evolved under Western influence, in the 19th and 20 centuries, is called àuana. It is accompanied by song and Western musical instruments such as the guitar, the ùkulele, and the double bass.

Various forms of dance are found throughout Polynesia, and the immigrants to Hawaiÿi brought the dances of their homelands with them. While in Hawaiÿi, you will see many forms of Polynesian dance. Two of the most popular are the fire knife dancing of Samoa and Tahitian dance, which is characterized by heavy drumming and rapid hip movements. Hula is somewhat more sedate, and the emphasis is on the hands.