Monday, April 2, 2018

Hula, the Heartbeat of Hawaii

Aloha Mai 
 I come with love.

Hula is a highly ritualized Hawaiian dance expressing praise and worship to the Aloha spirit of Hawaii. The ancient Hawaiian Hula is a way of life linking humanity to spirit. It teaches about nature, respect and all that is sacred. 

Hula is referred to as the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people.

Many Kumu Hulas (Hula teachers) and Haumanas (students) dedicate their life to the art of Hula. Purification, rituals, and ceremonies have always been a prelude to this sacred dance which expresses love and humbleness. The beautiful movements tell stories about the wonders of nature, the creation of the world and much more.
Chants give life to Hula. Chants possess great Mana (spiritual energy) through the power of words.

Ke Ao Nani 
(The Beautiful World) 

I luna la i luna
Na manu o ka lewa

I lalo la i lalo
Na pua o ka honua

I uka la i uka
Na ulu la`au

I kai la i kai
Na i`a o ka moana

Ha`ina mai ka puana
A he nani ke ao nei

He inoa no kamali`i
______

Up above, above
Birds of the heavens

Below, below
Flowers of the earth

In the mountains, mountains
The forests

In the sea, the sea
Fishes of the ocean

Tell the refrain
Of the beautiful world

In the name of children

(Nona Beamer Collection)

Dancers often accompany themselves using a variety of traditional Hawaiian instruments which add the thrill of percussive sound to the Hula.
Vibrant colored feather gourds, called Ulu'uli, enhance the excitement of the dance.


Uli'uli

Together, the chant, the dance, and the instruments contain a magic that fills both, 
dancers and audience, with the spirit of Aloha.

The spiritual power of this beautiful dance inspired the creation of Uli'uli.
Hula dancers follow strict traditions when gathering the plants and materials for their costumes and instruments. Uliuli’s costume and accessories follow these traditions as closely as possible. A lot of love and energy went into her creation.

Eventually Uli'uli became alive with the magic of Hula.


Uli'uli 
(Feather Gourd)

Birth Date: ʻApelila 2, 2018 (04/02/18)


Aloha Mai
I come with love.


Uli'uli’s Hula honors the miracle of creation.
Join her in her celebration of life’s joys and abundance.


Uli'uli dances the ancient Hawaiian Kahiko Hula in unity and harmony with the Mana (spiritual energy) of the 'Aina (land).
The beautiful movements of her hands and body tell stories about the wonders of nature, the creation of the world and the Menehune Ohana (family). Uli'uli’s traditional feather gourds add sound and excitement to her dance. 

Together, the chant, the dance, and feather gourds contain a magic that fills both, 
the dancer and the audience, with the spirit of Aloha. 

Uli'uli's Tutu (grandmother) is her Kumu Hula (Hula Teacher). She taught her the powerful movements of the Kahiko Hula.
Uli'uli is named after the Hawaiian Uli'uli (feather gourd). Tutu and Uli'uli made the feather gourds out of wood, raffia and bright red and yellow feathers. Tutu blessed them with Hawaiian salt and special prayers. The gourds are sacred now. They were created for Uli'uli and only she is allowed to touch them.
Tutu also hand crafted the traditional Hula skirt for her Mo’opuna Wahine (granddaughter). She sewed a green top and matching pants.
She wove a green and red feather Haku (head lei), wrist and ankle leis for Uli'uli. In Hawaii the Hulu (feather) represents spiritual strength, unity and love. It is believed to link to the divine.
Last Tutu wrapped a white conch shell necklace around Uli'uli's neck and adorned her hair with a fragrant yellow Plumeria flower.
All these precious things were Tutu’s gifts of Aloha (Love) to her Mo’opuna Wahine.

Uli'uli is a 10” tall cloth doll who was individually handcrafted on the Big Island of Hawaii with the greatest love and respect for all that is Hawaii. Her body is made out of doll skin and stuffed with high quality poly fill. The body is wired for flexibility. The eyes and mouth are intricately embroidered onto the face. All accessories were individually hand crafted.

Uli'uli is an original design and comes with a booklet and a certificate of authenticity.
Uli'uli is a one of a kind Hawaiian Art Doll. Every bit of her has been lovingly handcrafted, to create a new friend who will last a lifetime. 

Uli'uli's Hula teaches about all that is sacred. 
She is ready to be your new friend and dance her way into your heart.