The Meaning Behind Hula — More Than Just a Dance

Photo by: Bruce Omori (Merrie Monarch)

From the sway of the skirt to the graceful movement of a dancer's hands, every element of hula tells a story. It is not just a style of dance — it is a living window into Hawaiʻi's rich history, a sacred art form that has carried the stories of the gods, the land, and the people of the Islands for generations. And like so much of what makes Hawaiʻi truly special, there is far more to it than meets the eye.

The Heartbeat That Refused to Be Silenced

Hula is the heartbeat of Hawaiʻi — the pulse that has carried the stories, traditions, and spirit of its people across generations. Imagine being told that heartbeat was immoral. That it was now forbidden. For the people of Hawaiʻi, this was their reality. In 1830, Queen Kaʻahumanu issued an edict banning public hula performances under the influence of Christian missionaries who had arrived on the Islands just years before. But the love for hula ran deeper than any law. Performances continued quietly, passed down in secret, the tradition refusing to die. The edict was never formally rescinded before Kaʻahumanu's passing — but it met its match when King David Laʻamea Kalākaua ascended to the throne in 1874, and hula was officially public again.

The Merrie Monarch and the Revival of Hula

King David Laʻamea Kalākaua — known as the Merrie Monarch — was one of Hawaiʻi's most passionate and culturally proud rulers. A devoted supporter of the arts, music, and dance, Kalākaua made it his mission to ensure that the Hawaiian language, chant, and hula would not only survive but thrive.

His commitment was on full display during his 50th birthday celebration in 1886 — a grand two-week affair known as the Silver Jubilee. For the first time in years, hoʻopaʻa (chanters) and ʻōlapa (dancers) performed publicly — a powerful declaration that hula was not gone, not forgotten, and not going anywhere.

His legacy lives on every April in Hilo, where the Merrie Monarch Festival — named in his honor — brings together hālau hula from across the Islands and around the world for the most prestigious hula competition in the world.

Photo by: Bruce Omori (Merrie Monarch)

The Art of Storytelling Through Movement

The storytelling in hula is one of the most captivating aspects of the art form. Through the movement of their hands, the expression in their eyes, and the power of chant, hula dancers bring every detail of a story to life — from the rage of a storm to the gentleness of a breeze, nothing is left untold.

Photo by: Cody Yamaguchi & Tracey Niimi (Merrie Monarch)

There are two forms of hula, each beautiful in its own right. Hula Kahiko is the ancient, ceremonial form — raw, powerful, and deeply spiritual. Accompanied by ʻoli (chanting) and traditional instruments like the pahu (drum) and ipu heke (double gourd), it is hula in its most sacred form. Dancers perform in traditional dress — Kāne (men) in malo (loincloths) and Wāhine (women) in pāʻū skirts traditionally made of kapa bark cloth — each element of the performance rooted in reverence and tradition.

Photo by: Cody Yamaguchi (Merrie Monarch)

Hula ʻAuana emerged in the late 19th century, blending traditional hula with Western musical influences that were making their way across the Islands. The pahu and ipu heke gave way to the ukulele and guitar, and the movements became more fluid and expressive. But at its heart, hula ʻAuana remains exactly what hula has always been — a vehicle for storytelling, connection, and the spirit of aloha.

Different in form, united in purpose — both are living expressions of who the Hawaiian people are.

Hula Today — A Living Art Form

Hula continues to grow today, not only in Hawaiʻi but also on the mainland and internationally. There are hula hālau in Japan, California, Washington, and more. This beautiful art form is thriving and continuing to tell the stories of Hawaiʻi around the world.

See Hula Differently

The next time you watch a hula performance — whether on a Waikīkī stage, at a festival, or halfway around the world — we hope you see it differently. Not as entertainment, but as an invitation. An invitation to witness centuries of history, survival, and love for a place unlike anywhere else on Earth, told through every movement of a dancer's hands.

That same spirit — of honoring Hawaiʻi's stories, its beauty, and its culture — is something we carry with us at Maui Divers Jewelry. Every piece we craft here in Hawaiʻi is our own small way of keeping that connection alive, so that wherever life takes you, a little piece of these Islands travels with you.

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