The hula is the folkdance of the Hawaiian people which interprets the words and meanings of the rhythmic dance chants called the mele hula. In the commonest form of the hula, the dancer's body remains relatively stable, his feet mark the time, and his arms and hands describe or interpret the meanings of the words in the mele hula. In the more exuberant forms the dancers move about entertainingly using the body as well as the feet and hands.
Facial expressions vary according to the type of hula being danced.
The dances and chants were taught by a kumu hula, a skilled man or woman of great dedication. After long and arduous training, the students were ready to graduate with a ritual called the 'uniki. After a ceremonial bath in the sea, they sat down to the feast of ai-lolo where they ate the pig which was prepared especially for them. Songs and chants lifted the kapu, relatives and friends came to congratulate the graduates, who performed the dances and chants which they had learned. The missionaries, early in their labors of teaching and preaching, attempted to stamp out the hula, which they found most objectionable.