Home Plan - [GR2-L7-U1-LC1-15 Hula The Heartbeat of Hawai’i]

The document covers a comprehensive overview of the educational lesson on hula dance in Hawaii, starting with tips for teaching hula, delving into its historical roots of ancient hula and the evolution of the dance form. It discusses how storytelling was expressed through hula kahiko, the transition to modern hula, and the cultural impacts and resurgence of interest in traditional Hawaiian culture in the 1960s and 1970s. It emphasizes the significance of hula in preserving Hawaiian traditions and ensuring the culture’s continuity for future generations, culminating in the establishment of the Merrie Monarch Festival as a celebration of both traditional and modern hula.

Contents

• Pages 1—25: Hula dance education.
• Pages 26—42: Ancient hula traditions
• Pages 43—53: Hawaiian cultural revival.

This section of the document provides tips for an educational lesson on hula dance in Hawaii. It includes learning objectives, focus questions, words to know, activities like visualizing, understanding a sequence of events, and practicing identifying important historical events. The text introduces the history of hula, showcases how the dance is influenced by ancestral traditions, cultural changes, and geographical location. Students are encouraged to engage with the content through reading, visuals, and discussions to deepen their understanding of hula dance and its evolution over time.

The section of the document introduces the reader to Ancient Hula, explaining how traditional Hawaiian storytellers used hula to speak of their ancestors and tell stories about love, war, and Hawaiian gods. It describes how ancient hula, or hula kahiko, was performed by both men and women using gestures to bring the stories to life. Additionally, the text mentions that originally hula dancers did not wear grass skirts but instead wore kapa cloth skirts made from tree bark. The section then transitions to discuss the evolution of hula, mentioning that modern experts believe the dance style started with simple swaying and chanting along with storytellers. It details how hula steps are done with knees slightly bent to sway hips easily and how gestures and movements play a significant role in conveying the story. The text also highlights the importance of visuals in the form of graphics to further understand the topic. Later in the section, it delves into the impact of foreigners on hula in Hawai’i, including how hula was initially banned when Europeans arrived and how King David helped bring it back, emphasizing its cultural significance. Lastly, the section discusses the hardship faced by Hawaiian people in the 1800s due to diseases brought by foreigners and touches upon the resurgence of interest in traditional Hawaiian culture in the mid-twentieth century with the statehood of Hawai’i and the revival of hula practices.

In the 1960s and 1970s, there was a renewed interest in traditional Hawaiian culture in Hawai’i as people sought to bring back the culture that existed before the arrival of people from other places. This period marked a time when many Hawaiian people started to study the Hawaiian language, songs, and dance hula kahiko. The resurgence of interest in hula led to the establishment of the Merrie Monarch Festival in 1971, known as the “Olympics of Hula,” which showcases both traditional hula kahiko and modern hula ‘auana. This cultural revival not only keeps the ancient stories of Hawai’i alive but also ensures that the “heartbeat of the Hawaiian people” remains strong today.