Hula dancing: The Hawaiian dance that led to the birth of hula hoops
Have you ever tried hula hooping? Well, this large hoop (circular band) which is twirled around various parts of the human body, especially the waist, indeed looks fun and exciting!
Believe it or not, hula hoop has been around for a long time, since the ancient Greeks first used it for toning their abs and muscles. However, hula hooping as we know it today didn’t exist until the 19th century when the British popularised it. But guess what? It wasn’t from the land of Greeks that the British sailors took up this practice. They picked it up from the Hawaiian Islands. Are you intrigued to know more? Read on.
Hula dancing of Hawaii
In the early 1800s, when sailors from Britain were passing through the Hawaiian Islands (2000 miles off the coast of California), they were amazed to see a unique dance form being performed by the natives. Guess what it was called? Hula dancing. Interestingly, the enduring body movements during this dance were quite similar to that of hula hooping that the ancient Greeks practised during exercise.
Traditional hula dancing comprises of five primary complex dance steps such as Kaholo, Ka’o, Hela, ‘Uwehe and Ami which are in turn accompanied by a kind of chanting (called ‘oli’) and a song (called ‘mele’). At first, the dancers interpret the words of oli and mele and then give them a visual and dramatic representation, in the form of hip swaying, hand movements and sidestepping (or ‘vamping’)
A lot more than just a dance
While the exact origin of hula dancing is unknown, legends have it that a Hawaiian god and goddess named Laka and Pele invented the dance form. Maybe that’s why this dance is more than a celebration of Hawaiian culture, it’s also sacred. Legends aside, there is another theory behind the origin of hula dancing. It is believed that the original settlers of Hawaii, aka the Polynesians, came up with this interpretive dance form. In fact, ancient hula (popularly known as Hula Kahiko) was performed by locals as a sacred ritual along with chants (which consisted of legends, history, myths from Hawaii) and percussion instruments, as a homage to Laka and Pele.
However, over the years, hula dancing came under the influence of Western culture crossing the boundaries of Hawaii. It turned into Hula Auana, that is now more a cultural art than a pious ritual and includes modern instruments like guitars and ukuleles. It also requires wearing colourful attires such as skirts and shirts for women and pants and loincloth for men. Dancers also wear bracelets on their wrists and ankles called ‘leis.’ Interestingly, hula dancing is done in both sitting and standing positions.
From hula dancing to hula hooping
In the 20th century, the British, inspired by hula dancing, came up with hula hooping in which multiple hoops (made up of wood, metal, bamboo, grass, vine and dried willow) were used to imitate the movements of hula dancing. However, the goal was to make it a more athletic art.
By 1950s, hula hooping returned to the land of its precursor, but this time, the entire USA took interest. In fact, the hoops started being produced using plastic for easy twirling, a modification made by Richard Knerr and Arthur “Spud” Melin of the California-based Wham-O company, who are regarded as the fathers of modern-day hula hooping. In fact, they were the ones to suggest the trademark name “hula hoop” and marketed it as a balancing toy for all ages. Surveys suggest that as many as 25 million hoops were sold by 1958.
Over the course of time, hula hoop has undergone many modifications and alterations. Some of the notable ones are: fire hoops of California, rock-rings of Norway, and exercise hoop of Australia. Interestingly, hula hoop earned a place in the prestigious National Toy Hall of Fame in New York in 1999.