There are two main forms of hula practiced in Hawaii. The hula performed with strict ancient traditions is called kahiko. There is another style that most are familiar with and that tourists are generally presented with called auana style in Hawaii. This style of hula differs greatly from the more historically-based kahiko hula
The auana style started seriously developing in the mid-1900s. This came with the advent of more Hawaiians coming into contact with the United States mainland and the rest of the world. Tourist travel brought contact with modern instruments and more modern forms of entertainment. The more modern form of hula lost the religious significance of the ancient form of hula. Auana uses instruments such as steel guitars, ukuleles, and even incorporate singing in a falsetto voice.
Auana hula seeks to tell the stories of Hawaii but does so in an often humorous and entertainment-based style. While the dance that is presented to tourists may be entertaining, the schools that function as training centers to learn the specific dance and its nuances are very serious and strict. It can take years to learn to properly hula dance even when the dance has a comedic flavor.
While the hula dances of old told the tales of Hawaii strictly via hand, hip, and arm movements, the modern dance actively sought English-language singers to perform over the dancing. This enables tourists who have come to Hawaii to more adequately understand the story being told. The traditional costumes have become more modest to not offend the sensibilities of visitors, as some may have found the historical garb more risque because the women would perform topless in the ancient form of dance.
While visiting the big island of Hawaii, one of the most prestigious places to reserve a spot to witness an authentic luau featuring hula in the Auana Style in Hawaii is Germainesluau.com. Packages can be purchased to ensure that the vacation to the islands is just as awesome as has been envisioned. Real hula from real practitioners of the dance is needed to truly understand how special this art form is to the native peoples.