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| Hawaiian dance groups | |
|---|---|
| Name | Hawaiian dance groups |
| Caption | Hula performance at ʻIolani Palace |
| Region | Hawaiian Islands |
| Origin | Native Hawaiian culture |
Hawaiian dance groups are ensembles that perform hula and related Hawaiian dances rooted in Native Hawaiian traditions. These groups draw on practices from Kamehameha I's era to modern festivals such as the Merrie Monarch Festival and engage with institutions like ʻIolani Palace, Bishop Museum, and University of Hawaiʻi. They interact with cultural organizations including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Polynesian Voyaging Society, and Hawaiian Language Commission while performing for audiences at venues such as Waikīkī, Kapiʻolani Park, and Ala Moana Center.
Hawaiian dance groups trace lineages to pre-contact aliʻi and kahuna rituals associated with places like Mauna Kea, Kīlauea, and Kahiki, and to figures such as Kamehameha I, Queen Liliʻuokalani, and Princess Nāhienaena, intersecting with missionaries from the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and events like the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. In the 19th and 20th centuries, practitioners navigated influences from the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, Republic of Hawaiʻi, Territory of Hawaii, and State of Hawaii, while interacting with institutions such as Kamehameha Schools, Bishop Museum, and the Honolulu Advertiser. Revival movements in the 20th century involved leaders associated with the Merrie Monarch Festival, Polynesian Cultural Center, and Hokuleʻa voyaging, and were shaped by legislation and organizations including the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act and Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
Hawaiian dance groups present multiple hula styles including hula kahiko and hula ʻauana, often distinguished in performances at Merrie Monarch Festival, Polynesian Cultural Center, and ʻAha Mele. Regional variations reference islands such as Oʻahu, Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kauaʻi, Niʻihau, and Hawaiʻi (Big Island), and draw on chant traditions exemplified by mele composed by Queen Liliʻuokalani, King Kalākaua, and Mahiʻai ʻIōpio. Contemporary fusion ensembles incorporate influences from Tahiti via Heiva i Tahiti, Samoa via Teuila Festival, and Aotearoa via kapa haka collaborations with groups linked to Te Papa Tongarewa and the University of Auckland.
Many Hawaiian dance groups organize as halau led by a kumu hula who may be affiliated with institutions such as Kamehameha Schools, University of Hawaiʻi, or Bishop Museum, and who receives recognition at competitions like Merrie Monarch Festival and Na Hoku Hanohano Awards. Legal and nonprofit structures often involve registration with State of Hawaii agencies, partnerships with ʻAhahui Pūnana Leo, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and collaborations with cultural centers such as Polynesian Cultural Center and ʻIolani Palace. Training syllabi may reference protocols from Hawaiian Language Commission guidance, mentorship networks that include kūpuna elders from Waimea, Hilo, and Hanalei, and exchanges with artists connected to the Friends of ʻIolani Palace and Lyman Museum.
Costuming for Hawaiian dance groups features garments such as pāʻū skirts, malo, lei of maile and ti, and adornments crafted from materials sourced from ʻōhiʻa, hala, coconut, and lauhala, and is informed by collections at Bishop Museum, Honolulu Museum of Art, and ʻIolani Palace. Regalia often cites flower varieties like lehua, pikake, and maile, and uses tools such as ʻuliʻuli, pūʻili, and ipu heke; artisans may reference techniques preserved by organizations including Liliʻuokalani Trust and Hoʻokahua Culture & Arts Center. Preservation efforts invoke partnerships with Smithsonian Institution, Bernice Pauahi Bishop Estate, and Pūnana Leo educators.
Music accompanying Hawaiian dance groups includes chant (oli) and song (mele) traditions represented by composers like Queen Liliʻuokalani, John Papa ʻĪʻī, and Charles Kanaʻina, and is performed using instruments such as ipu, pahu, ukulele, and steel guitar associated with inventors and performers in Honolulu, Lahaina, and Hilo. Choreographic vocabularies integrate movements codified in nineteenth-century mele collections and modern compositions adjudicated at Merrie Monarch Festival and East-West Center workshops, and draw on pedagogies promoted by kumu hula linked to Kamehameha Schools, University of Hawaiʻi, and Bishop Museum.
Hawaiian dance groups carry cultural responsibilities related to kapu protocols, kūpuna authority, and practices overseen by entities such as Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaiian Homes Commission, and Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation. Protocols for performance sites such as Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, Iolani Palace, and Heiau are often negotiated with community organizations including Hawaiian Civic Clubs, Aha Kiole, and Friends of ʻIolani Palace, and with practitioners connected to kumu hula recognized at Merrie Monarch Festival. Issues of cultural appropriation and intellectual property intersect with legal venues including United States Copyright Office and Native American and Indigenous Studies programs at universities like University of Hawaiʻi and University of California, Berkeley.
Prominent halau and practitioners include kumu hula and ensembles associated with Edith Kanakaʻole, Maiki Aiu Lake, George Naʻope, Moʻikeha, Patrick Makuakāne, and Nalani Kanakaʻole, and institutions such as Merrie Monarch Festival, Polynesian Cultural Center, Kamehameha Schools, Bishop Museum, and ʻIolani Palace. Other notable affiliations and performers connect to the Polynesian Voyaging Society and the Hokuleʻa crew, to Na Hoku Hanohano Award recipients, and to cultural leaders engaged with Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Liliʻuokalani Trust, and Kānaka Maoli organizations.
Category:Hula Category:Hawaiian culture