HULA ON HAWAII'S BIG ISLAND
If you can't get a ticket to Hawaii's premiere hula competition, the Merrie Monarch Festival you can still see free hula shows at many Big Island hotels.
Both male and female dancers practice this ancient art form, using various hula instruments, such as the uli uli (feather rattles), ipu (wooden gourd) and pu ili (bamboo sticks). These hula instruments accentuate the rhythm of the dance and help convey the stories told through choreography.
There are two main forms of the hula dance. The ancient hula, or hula kahiko, is performed with powerful movements accompanied by mele (chants) and percussion instruments. The modern hula, known as hula auana, is an informal hula accompanied by song where dancers interact more closely with the audience. Both tell moving stories and both are beautiful expressions of Hawaiian culture.
