Often times the soul of a person or a culture is expressed through dance, and this is true in the traditional Hula dance of Hawaii.  This is a dance for both women and men, and has been throughout history and legend.  There are many Polynesian traditional dances, but as one will see through Oahu or Kauai travel, the Hula is special and quite different from all of them.  The history of the dance lies within the ceremonial and the religious, and evolved over time to become one the most widely recognized form of Hawaiian entertainment.

However, it is still quite ceremonial, as each movement of the body of the dancer, each flip and twist of the hand has specific and symbolic meaning.  Some may refer to animals or plants, or elements of society such as war.  For the Hula dancer, if their movements are that of a shark, the dancer is believing that he or she is the shark, contains the spirit of the shark within them.  Kauai travel packages offer suggestions on the best places to catch a glimpse of this tremendous experience.

When you find the perfect performance you will hear chanting, this is the story that accompanies the movements of the dancers.  Many years ago it was these chanted words that counted more that the movements of the body, however many today do not understand the traditional native language, and so more emphasis has been places on the gestures of the hands and the body.  And the costumes…oh the costumes.  Leis are place around the neck and head.  The skirt, or pau, is made out of the grass Tapa, and the ankles jewelry is made from either the bones of a whale or the teeth of a dog.

In history, the classes in hula were extremely strict as this was a religious ceremony.  Many restrictions were placed on the dancers, even when they were not in the classroom.  Now, those restrictions have eased up a bit, and many take class as a form of exercise and a way to have fun.  Many discounts to the island are available through such offers as Oahu vacation packages, so book a trip, take a hula dance class, and enjoy the islands of Hawaii.