- by Kumu Hula Michael Canopin
Hula, hula, hula…
For decades from the shores of Waikiki, at a lu’au or a Hawaiian feast, and at various places throughout Hawai’i, our cultural dance, music, and hula dancers have romantically captivated millions of visitors worldwide. Hula’s popularity has grown immensely. So much so, that the multitudes today are not just dancing, they’re actually seeking out Hawai’i’s kumu hula or hula masters, to learn the dances. The hula is now being taught across the continental United States as well as in other countries such as, Germany, Mexico, China, the Netherlands, but mainly in Japan.
The modern hula that we see performed today is commonly enjoyed as a form of “entertainment” and is usually accompanied by a small group of musicians singing and playing stringed instruments. This form of hula is known as the ‘auwana, an adaptation from Hawaii’s ancient dance known as the hula kahiko.
Hula Kahiko… The Sacred Hula Pahu
In Hawaiian society, the hula kahiko was divided and sub-divided according to rank, class, and hula protocol. The highest form of Hawaii’s cultural dance was the hula pahu, or drum dance. The hula pahu is considered sacred; the hula steps, movements, hand gestures, chanting, and the esoteric poetry associated with this type of hula, is entirely different, from the hula that is performed with the drumming of the ipu heke. The dances were ritualistic and closely related with ceremonial dedications for the Gods. These dances were reserved for the temple.
Not ALL kumu hula were trained to learn the hula pahu. There were few hula masters that were considered experts in this field. Their pupils were the “chosen ones.” The hula student studied for decades before being selected to take on the arduous task of learning about all the fine intricacies involved with the pahu drum.
In the hula master’s eyes, his pupil needed to be dedicated, committed, and disciplined. Hence, it took years and years for the “chosen one” to master the dances and drumbeats. In due time, the student achieved and fulfilled the necessary requirements needed to attain a ‘Uniki Hula Pahu – becoming a Graduate of the Sacred Pahu Dances.
Respect for the Hawaiian Culture
It is clearly disrespectful and brazen, to see an outsider with a pahu drum – “pretending” to know the drum beats and chants associated with our sacred Hawaiian dances. It is “doubly scandalous” to watch the dancers who are mislead to believing that they’re actually performing an authentic hula pahu. These innocent students should be wary of the teachers that claim to be experts in this field.
A true Hula Master had a great kuleana or responsibility, and that was to pass on the torch - to the next generation. Money played absolutely no role upon selecting the chosen student. Today, there are many outsiders pretending to know the hula. Some have foolishly paid large sums of cash – desperate for certification. As worldwide as hula is, the community knows of all such incidences.
Learning the hula is an ongoing process and a lifetime of learning. There is no such thing as “instant kumu hula.” To us Hawaiians, the sacred dances should be left for the Hawaiians to pass on to the next generation of committed, dedicated, and qualified students or family members; not for outsiders to bastardize it. Unfortunately, there are many illegitimate teachers who make no bones about this matter.
I have engaged in discussions with my students and my hula colleagues, and raised the question: How would the people of Japan feel if they saw an outsider desecrating the Ginja, or performing a Japanese Tea Ceremony using Western or modern concepts, or changing the drum beats of the Taiko, or modifying the odori – for their own personal satisfaction?
Hula Competitions
With all due respect for the preservation of Hawaii’s culture, hula competitions have gained popularity in the mainland, Mexico, and Japan. These competitions were specifically designed to keep our hula at the forefront of our culture. Hula practitioners gather yearly to participate in these competitions to showcase their dancers. The competitions have grown and the hula has evolved. “Flair or drama,” has played a major role for television and worldwide audiences. Not all hula practitioners agree with the “outcome” of these hula venues; more so, the winners of such contests should never be viewed as “number one” in the hula. These events have a specific purpose, but unfortunately to the laymen, the prize is the important factor.
Let the hula live, but perform it with respect and dignity. Don’t be misled by teachers who claim to be kumu hula. It is easy to make an announcement to an audience that doesn’t particularly know much about the hula, or to an innocent novice dancer. My words of advice to the newcomers and students inquiring… “Make a conscious effort to do your research beforehand and get your information from a credible source.”
15-May-07
