Cook Island hula...as soon as they can walk

Cook Island hula is one of the first types of motion Cook Island children learn as they begin to walk. In their first months, my children were the same. I would drum on an ice cream container, a book, the couch arm, even on my thighs, and my girls would go for it. It wasn’t the hula hip swaying movement of adults. But you could see the beginnings of hula. Our Cook Island hula tradition is sacred to our people. Their dance traditions continue to be passed from one generation to the next. I am passing the traditions to my children and grandchildren. They are doing the same to continue to preserve our hula heritage.

FIFTEEN HULA STYLES & FIFTEEN ISLANDS

Each one of the 15 islands, in the Cook Islands group, has its own special dance style. Each island practises its style, religiously, from early childhood. Their techniques are slightly different but that’s what makes their performances unique.

Hula Dancing

WOMEN HULA DANCING

Women dance the Cook Islands hula with a swaying hip movement that slides slowly from side to side. At other times the women's hips swing and sway so rapidly that the word vigorously doesn't even begin to describe the mesmerising effect upon observers.

Cook Islands women are taught to dance, the hula, with their feet firmly on the ground. Typically when hula dancing in one spot, Cook Island women do not lift their feet off the ground. For many women, this is difficult! Especially if the hips are swaying. The experienced female hula dancer achieves the required effect by alternately lifting herself onto the balls and toes of each foot while doing the hula. This on-the-toes posture introduces a graceful, relaxed, fluid motion, to the female hula. Not to mention that an on-the-toes posture makes it easier to hula from one spot to another.

Girls and young women are judged on how still they keep their shoulders while dancing. The less the shoulder movements the better female hula dancer.

MEN HULA DANCING

Cook Islands male hula dancers bend their knees slightly - and knock the knees in a scissoring motion that is synchronised to the drumbeat. The male hula dancer's grinding motion and overall hula dance style is masculine and jerky in comparison to the smooth, sultry, swaying hips of the women.

Experienced male hula dancers lift their feet, slightly, off the ground to give more control of the scissoring, knee knocking, movements. This makes it far easier to add lifts, jumps, squats and other movements to the male hula dance.

WOMEN'S HULA COMPARED TO MEN'S HULA

Cook Island hula ...dance styles for female and male are different. In fact the female hula styles and movements are completely opposite to those of the male hula dancer. But when performed together they create a hula dance that is exhilarating, eye-catching and seductive.

The Hawaiian hula and the Tahitian hula (tamuré) are better known than the Cook Island hula. But the Cook Island hula is far more sensual and fierce, demonstrating grace, art and skill.

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