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Hula: The Dance of Hawaii Trivia Quiz

Hollywood and tourists' dreams have romanticized Hawaii's indigenous dance. How much do you REALLY know about the hula?

A multiple-choice quiz by lykita. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
lykita

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
312,641

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
647

Awards
Top 5% quiz!

Last 3 plays: Guest 98 (10/10), Guest 66 (8/10), Guest 72 (9/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Let's start with the basics: What does the word "hula" mean in the Hawaiian language? Hint

enrapture

spirit

dance

hips

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. If you want to learn hula, you need to find a kumu. What's a kumu? Hint

a musical instrument

practice skirt

school

teacher

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Only women can dance hula.

True

False

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. The key to dancing hula beautifully is to keep your upper body stable while swaying your hips. How can this be achieved? Hint

keep your legs straight and stiff

bend your knees and keep a low center of gravity

bend over forward at the waist

keep your back loose and let it sway freely

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. If you are not into moving your hips or remembering steps, you could learn a hula noho. How is hula noho danced? Hint

standing still

lying down

in the water

sitting

6. Every April, the sleepy town of Hilo on the Big Island of Hawai'i hosts the most prestigious of hula competitions. It is named after King David Kalakaua, who revived the hula in the 1880s. What is this king's nickname? Hint

Jolly Jubilee

Merrie Monarch

Royal Rally

Entertaining Emperor

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Grass skirts are not traditionally made of grass.

True

False

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Hula that is most often seen is auana (modern) style, in contrast to the kahiko (ancient) style. Kahiko is characterized by chanting and percussion instruments.

What combination of instruments are usually heard accompanying auana dances? Hint

ukulele, guitar, and upright bass

violin, cello, and bass

electric guitar, bass guitar, and drum set

flutes, gongs, and drums

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. One of the key instruments for maintaining the beat in kahiko (ancient) style hula is the ipu. Handheld ones are used by dancers, and a double-attached large one is used by the lead chanter. What plant's fruit is dried, seeded, and hollowed out to make an ipu? Hint

banana

coconut

gourd

pineapple

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Despite a renaissance of traditional instruments and costuming, the colorful long dress of Hawaii remains a crowd-pleaser. Name this garment, which may have started as a way for missionaries to cover up naked flesh on native women. Hint

lavalava

mu'umu'u

wikiwiki

holoholo

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Let's start with the basics: What does the word "hula" mean in the Hawaiian language?

Answer: dance

So when you say "hula dance," you're really saying "dance dance."

2. If you want to learn hula, you need to find a kumu. What's a kumu?

Answer: teacher

"Kumu" is the general word for "teacher." Technically, you want to find a kumu hula, someone who has had the knowledge of the dance, language, songs, religious protocol, and aloha passed down to him/her through the generations.

3. Only women can dance hula.

Answer: False

Both men and women dance hula. In some traditional dances, the religion dictated that only men dance certain ceremonial dances. Major hula tournaments will have a kane (men) and wahine (women) division for competition.

4. The key to dancing hula beautifully is to keep your upper body stable while swaying your hips. How can this be achieved?

Answer: bend your knees and keep a low center of gravity

Most imitations of hula involve someone gyrating wildly or undulating their body like a snake. The true beauty of hula comes from keeping your upper body stable, which can only be done if your knees are bent to allow the legs to move freely.

Most hula lessons involved basic step practice for the first half of the class. That's how important the lower body is to hula.

5. If you are not into moving your hips or remembering steps, you could learn a hula noho. How is hula noho danced?

Answer: sitting

Some dances are choreographed to be done sitting. Sounds easy, but some of the moves involve bending over backwards and raising your body upright again.

Answer: Merrie Monarch

The Merrie Monarch Hula Festival was actually started as a way to get more visitors to visit Hilo. It has evolved into an invitation-only hula competition that is considered the most important of all the contests.

7. Grass skirts are not traditionally made of grass.

Answer: True

Surprise! Grass skirts were an import from the Gilbert Islands (Kiribati) in the 1830s. Originally, women wore skirts made of kapa (barkcloth), ti leaves (long, flat leaves from the cordyline fruticosa plant), or pandanus leaves. Traditionally, women didn't wear anything on the upper body.

Men wore loincloths made of kapa. For dance, they sometimes wrapped yards of kapa around their waist in a ceremonial costume.

8. Hula that is most often seen is auana (modern) style, in contrast to the kahiko (ancient) style. Kahiko is characterized by chanting and percussion instruments. What combination of instruments are usually heard accompanying auana dances?

Answer: ukulele, guitar, and upright bass

The classic Hawaiian trio is the ukulele (a Portuguese import), guitar, and upright bass. Perhaps you were serenaded by one as you sipped a cocktail and enjoyed fresh seafood at an oceanside table watching the sunset...ahhh...

Answer: gourd

Gourds were specially grown to reach three feet in length and 18 inches in diameter for these purposes. The thin walls lend a deep, hollow, resonant sound. The ipu is hit with the fingers or the heel of the palm. By varying where you hit it and what part of the hand you use, a wide range of rhythms can be produced.

Answer: mu'umu'u

Lavalava are Samoan waist wraps. Wikiwiki means to hurry. Holoholo means to wander around.

Pronunciation note: The mu'umu'u is not a cow, so instead of "moo moo," stop at the apostrophe (acutally a glottal stop mark) and say "moo oo moo oo."

Hope you learned something new about this old dance. Visit Hawaii someday and enjoy hula in its true form. Aloha!

Source: Author lykita

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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