The Art of Hula (Island Treasures) (Hardcover)

by Allan Seiden (Author) "ALONG WITH THE CONCEPT OF ALOHA, THE HULA HAS COME TO DEFINE HAWAI'I to many outsiders..." (more)
Key Phrases: Mary Kawena Pukui, Polynesian Hawaii, Louis Choris (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Well-respected Hawai'i Author Allan Seiden expertly chronicles the history, traditions and beauty of the ancient art of hula. Rare historical images and vibrant full-color photography accompany the informative text.

The Hawaiian worldview was given tangible form in the hula. More than just a dance, hula combines aesthetic choreography and epic poetry of chants, or mele, that are rooted in Hawaiian consciousness. Some mele were never danced, but were presented by a chanter, or mea oli. Mele for the hula were the foundation of the dance, and it was never performed without the poetic narrative of the chant, which was the essence of the hula. In ways, it is a form of worship, for hula, or dance, as the word translated from the Hawaiian, paid homage to the gods with elaborate tales of their exploits. Other hula honored the alii, or chiefs, whose genealogies were the subject of long mele that linked them to the gods. Hula also served as a popular entertainment, danced for the pleasure of appreciative audiences with themes of natural beauty, passion and other deeply-felt emotions. No matter what the subject, the hula was danced with spirituality, an ever-present part of the experience for both dancers and audience. It was not pirituality in an other-worldly or moralizing sense, but as a means of expressing awe, appreciation and homage.

As a symbol f the islands' aboriginal culture, its gods and spiritual beliefs, the hula was not kindly looked upon by the missionaries who settled in Hawai'i starting in the 1820s. The dismantling of the old order after the death of Kamehameha I affected the hula along with it, at least until the reign of Kin Kalakaua, who restored it to a position of honor during the 17 years of his reign. By then much had been lost to time and the decimation of the Native Hawaiian population during the nineteenth century. Yet enough survived in the repertoire of kumu hula, or hula masters, who transmitted what they had learned from generation to generation. In so doing, they saved an impressive cultural accomplishment from what seemed likely extinction.

Instead, the hula survived, ultimately flourishing, not as a cultural relic, but as a catalyst in the revival of Hawaiian culture that continues to this day, when the halau hula, or troupes, number in the hundreds and include devotees not only in Hawai'i, but in places around the world. Their efforts have given new life to hula, assuring it a role in a cultural renaissance that honors the past yet looks toward the future.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Island Heritage Publishing (November 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896103854
• ISBN-13: 978-0896103856
• Product Dimensions: 12.5 x 10.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #907,156 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting book, with a few gaps, February 20, 2007

By	Geoff Puterbaugh (Chiang Mai, T. Suthep, A. Muang Thailand) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

My life changed, a little tiny bit, the day when a friend dropped me an e-mail which tipped me off to THE REAL HULA DANCE. This friend, who has lived in Hawaii for most of his long life, informed me that the traditional hula was danced by males, and could be so strong and passionate about various themes (natural beauty, the gods, passion) that it might literally raise the hair on your skin.

Imagine the contrast! The lone girl, waving her hands and singing "Aloha-O" --and the group of passionate male dancers. The first is simply a tourist confection. The second is the real hula, something most people on earth have never seen.

So I looked around the Internet for more information. I found this book, "The Art of the Hula," and I also found a 3-DVD issue of the 2005 "Merrie Monarch" hula competitions in Hilo, Hawaii.

Each of these resources helps me understand the other. The DVD set from the Merrie Monarch was fascinating: Disk 1 was lone females competing for the "Miss Aloha" crown; Disk 2 were groups of males (or females) competing for the crown in "Traditional Hula." Disk 3, which I watched hardly at all, had groups of males and females competing for the crown in "Modern Hula" -- electric ukeleles and all.

But, after spending some time with both of these resources, I am disappointed that "The Art of the Hula" has so little photography of male traditional hula. Just about one page covers it all.

And yet the book contains an entire chapter on "Hula Kitsch!" Strange, but true.

The book deserves a place in your hula library.

2.0 out of 5 stars Hula Hands, June 12, 2008

By	Carissa Cranmer (Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book visually is very appealing. Lots of beautiful photos put together in a lovely presentation. I was disappointed however, in the content that clearly focused on the Hollywood idea of Hawaiian hula and all the commercial aspects of the art. Not a serious study of hula, as I expected it to be.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Informative, August 9, 2007

By	Anya Damico "Poniku" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book has many beautiful pictures of the Hawaiian culture. All aspects of Hula is covered in this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is wanting to learn about the Hawaiian culture and about Hula. This was money well spent as I am a hula student and have learned more about the history and meaning of Hula.