Both forms of the dance, the ancient Hula Kahiko and the modern Hula 'Auana, are choreographed to interpret a poetic text called mele. Although the two dances are both a form of hula, Hawaii's most popular art form, the two dances have many differences.
The older, more indigenous form of hula, Hula Kahiko, is danced to chants in Hawaiian, which tunes tend to not be too melodious. The instruments are older indigenous percussive pieces, drums such as a ipu heke a double gourd and hula pahu drum made of sharkskin and the trunk of a coconut.
The hand motions describe the story which is told by the chants, and are simple, vigorous gestures. The feet in this form of hula are also very simple, basic movements, and facial expressions are more ritualistic. The dances usually have to do with all things everyday: Love, Happiness, Sadness, the Beach, the air, the mountains For those familiar with the song, my students who are still learning the words to the song keep calling it He Ho'o Heno!
Funny, ya! Basically any subject goes. The basics of modern hula are only about four or five steps. Traditional, however, has a catalogue of over ten steps. Someone, anyone, write in and correct if my or hylnd's info is a little off. I'm not Ka'maina, and all I have is just what was taught to me since I was in my teens. It is the most sacred form of the dance in recorded history.
It is also the type which I teach. I love kahiko. It is great to watch, makes you hurt real, real bad when you dance it, but it is sacred. And because of its sacred nature, and also due to my own spiritual beliefs, I choose to admire than to teach it. This claim is further refuted when in , Captain Cook landed on the island now known as Kauai and his crew members wrote about hula dances being performed by both men and women. Between marked by the death of Kamehameha I and , many Christian Hawaiians considered the hula immoral.
Upon her death in , many began ignoring the law and again performed in public. In , Kalakaua became king, and during his reign the hula again became officially public. It was performed at both his coronation and an jubilee celebration. In , the Hawaiian monarchy fell. It would be nearly years before the hula again became a part of the government celebrations.
In the s, King David Kalakaua encouraged a revival of hula, and public performances flourished throughout the s and s. By the early s, the transformation of hula into general entertainment coincided with the rise of tourism. A new form of song that incorporated stringed instrument accompaniment and tuneful melodies, and subsequently the adoption of English-language lyrics, eclipsed in popularity the older chanted tunes accompanied solely by indigenous percussive instruments.
This newer, westernized style of hula circulated widely, and eventually was subjected to distorted stereotypes in media and Hollywood movies that continue even today. A roots-inspired revival of hula in the s has brought about a coexistence of the older indigenous style of hula, now called hula kahiko , alongside the widely-recognized westernized style of hula now called hula 'auana. The basic features defining these two contrasting categories are listed below:.
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