When missionaries arrived in the early 1820s, they disapproved of what they considered the "licentious" nature of hula and its ties to ancient gods. They virtually banned it from public performance for at least fifty years. Fortunately, some of Hawaii's monarchs saw that hula was integral to a Hawaiian sense of pride and identity. As a public declaration, King David Kalakaua invited dancers from around the islands to perform at his coronation in 1883.

Around the turn of the century, hula began to evolve into a less formal style, hula 'auana. In hula 'auana, a dancer interacts more closely with the audience, but still concentrates on telling a story. Western stringed instruments such as the guitar, bass and ukulele accompany voice, sometimes in falsetto. One is likely to enjoy this dance at a party, especially a lu'au, or at a local bar.

For more information on the Hula, go to:

• All About the Merrie Monarch Festival )Each year, following Easter, hula halau from around the world gather in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii to take part in what is universally considered to be the world's most prestigious hula competition - the Merrie Monarch Festival, named in honor of Hawaii's last king, David Kalakaua, the Merrie Monarch).
  • Merrie Monarch Festival
    Our feature on the history and development of the Merrie Monarch Festival.
  • 2001 Hula Halau Entrants
    A list of the halau entered in the 2001 Merrie Monarch Festival hula competition from the Honolulu Advertiser.
  • Before the Glory
    An excellent article by Lance Tominaga of Coffee with a behind-the-scenes look at the preparation behind the Merrie Monarch Festival, from the perspectives of both participants and organizers.
  • Evolution of the Merrie Monarch into hula's 'Olympics'
    From the Honolulu Advertiser, an excellent piece on how the Merrie Monarch has developed into the world's most prestigious hula competition.
  • Japan's Merrie Monarch Festival
    See how Hilo's sister city, Ikaho, Japan, hosted their fourth annual Japanese Merrie Monarch Festival in August of 2000.
  • Kalena's Merrie Monarch Page
    An excellent resource for current information as well as archived information on prior Merrie Monarch Festivals.
  • Merrie Monarch Festival History
    From KITV4, a brief history of the Merrie Monarch Festival and the king for whom it is named.
  • Merrie Monarch Live
    The only place on the Net where you can view archived videos of the 2000 Merrie Monarch Festival.
  • Merrie Monarch Remembered
    A great background piece on the history of the Merrie Monarch Festival and its origin from Sophia Schweitzer of Coffee Times.
  • Merrie Monarch Videos
    The Hawaiian Music Island has an excellent selection of hula videos including videos of past Merrie Monarch Festivals.
  • Photos from the 2000 Merrie Monarch Kahiko Hula Competition
    Great photos from the 2000 competition thanks to Donn DeShayne and HawaiianLinks.com.
  • Photos from the 1999 Merrie Monarch Festival
    Guido J. Stueber has assembled an impressive collection of photos from the 1999 Merrie Monarch Festival.
• Chants: Mele of Antiquity
  Chants fall into two broad categories, mele oli and mele hula.In pre-contact Hawai'i, mele was the word for"poetic language;" it has since evolved to mean song.
• Click Hawaiian Hula
  If you would like to order a CD of hula pictures, here's the place. Brought to you by Coconut Info, this is well worth the investment if you want some great hula pictures.
• Hawaii H4's Hula Section
  For the latest information on the Merrie Monarch Hula Competition held recently in Hilo on the Big island of Hawaii, be sure to visit H4's Hula Section.
• Hula - Today's Link to Hawaii's Past
  A brief overview on hula from This Week Magazine.
• Hula Halau Na Meakanu O Laka O Hawaii
  is a formal school of hula established in 1985 in Torrance, California. The mission of the school is to provide a positive environment through which students may grow in their cultural awareness and personal evolution.
• Hula Halau o Kekuhi
  Halau o Kekuhi's foundation is on the island of Hawai'i in the district of Hilo. Today, the two Kumu Hula of Halau o Kekuhi are Nalani Kanaka'ole and Pualani Kanaka'ole Kanahele.
• Hula Halau O Ku'uleinani
  This halau has been in existence for 36 years. It was founded by Esther Ku'uleinani Correa. It is now under the Direction of Reneé Ku'uleinani Price.
• Hula in Hawaii
  The hula reflects many of the central ideas and events of Hawaiian history.
• Ka Pa Hula Kanoelehuaokahalema'uma'u`O Kalama
  Nearly 30 years ago, Naomi began Halau Hula O Kalama. Today, her dancetroop has grown and traveled throughout Northern California and beyond.
• Kodak Hula Show
  For an historical look at the Hawaiian Islands through the beauty of the hula, this show is performed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Waikiki Shell in Honolulu. Check out the show's website for more information.
• Merrie Monarch Remembered
  Sophia Schweitzer of Coffee Times writes a very interesting article on the history of the Merry Monarch Festival.
• Sounds of Hula
  Learn about the various implements used by halaus as part of ancient hula.
• The Hula Pages
  Leilani has put together an excellent hula website in connection with her great Hawaiian language site.
• The Hula Source
  Excellent source for hula implements, costumes and other resources for Hawaiian language and culture.