Another symbol of Hawaii is the hula, often popularly represented by a beautiful young lady in a grass skirt, swinging her hips and gracefully moving her hands while someone strums on the ukelele ('ukulele). It's actually a lot more complicated than that. Hula has a long, ancient tradition. A sacred form of storytelling performed by both men and women, hula was accompanied by chants and percussion instruments such as drums and gourds. The original hula bears little resemblance to modern varieties, which sometimes feature women in beautiful mu'umu'u, dancing slowly to romantic tunes in English and Hawaiian.

With the coming of missionaries, hula was condemned and eventually outlawed. Then, with the rise of King Kalakaua to the Hawaiian throne, the tradition returned and was even encouraged. The dancing began to evolve in many interesting ways and continues to do so. There are many hula schools (halau hula) in Hawaii today, and hula competitions abound. The ancient hula is still taught, while its more modern manifestations continue to evolve. Many of the best hotel luaus will feature hula shows, and some will even trace the tradition's development from the ancient styles to the present.