Hawaii State Dance

Hula

Adopted in 1999.

Hula was adopted in 1999 as the official dance of the state.

The fifth largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, Molokai is immersed in natural beauty. What’s more, nearly 40 percent of the island’s 7,400 residents are Hawaiian by descent.

Hula is the soul of Hawaii expressed in motion. Molokai is Hawaiian in another special way: It is widely held to be the birthplace of hula. The legend has it that Laka, the goddess of the hula, journeyed from island to island, sharing the dance with all who wished to learn. Each of her graceful movements was layered with spiritual meaning, bringing to life the history, traditions and genealogy of the Hawaiian people. Although it began as a form of worship during religious ceremonies, it gradually evolved into a form of entertainment.

Laka gave birth to the Hawaiian dance at a sacred hill in Kaana. It was on this hill, Puu Nana, that the ancient Hawaiians learned hula of every kind. It is said that the remains of Laka herself are secretly hidden somewhere beneath the hill.

Every movement in hula has a specific meaning, and every expression of the dancer's hands has great significance. The movements of a dancer's body might represent certain plants, animals, and even war.

During the 19th century, the hula almost vanished because the missionaries considered it vile and heathen. King David Kalakaua is generally regarded as saving it during the late 1800's, when he formed his own troupe and encouraged the dancers to learn the old hula.

Today, several hundred halau hula (hula schools) and less formal hula groups are active on every island and the mainland, teaching hula to thousands of students and keeping the old ways and traditional Hawaiian culture alive.
 

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