hula, traditional Hawaiian dance usually performed standing with symbolically descriptive arm and hand movements and gracefully sensual undulations of the hips; it is also done in a sitting position. Hawaiian myth ascribes hula's invention to Hi'iaka, sister of the volcano goddess Pele, and its safekeeping to the goddess Laka. Originally part of religious ceremonies, it was danced by groups of specially trained women who illustrated the various accompanying texts (mele), which were chanted by men. Instruments were limited to percussion-sharkskin drums, gourds, stone castanets, and bamboo rattles. Missionaries, who arrived in Hawaii in 1820, labeled the dance heathen and succeeded in having it banned. Nonetheless, it continued to be clandestinely taught and danced. Hula was again encouraged during the reign (1874-91) of David Kalakaua, Hawaii's last king; in this period it was expanded in text, song, movement, and costume. Although it was again subject to official disapproval after American annexation (1898), the hula was revived in a commercialized form in the 20th cent. Chant accompaniment yielded to music, drums and gourds to ukelele and guitar. The sensual swivel of the hips was accentuated, and the dance became a tourist staple and a feature of Hollywood productions. In the 1970s, however, a Hawaiian cultural renaissance revived interest in traditional hula.

Hula, Lake, or Lake Huleh, Arabic Bahr al Hulah, near sea-level lake formed by a natural dam of basalt, NE Israel; the Jordan River exits from its southern end. In ancient times the lake was called the Waters of Merom. Between 1950 and 1958, c.12,350 acres (5,000 hectares) of the lake's swampy shore were drained. The land has been irrigated by the Jordan and is among the most fertile regions in Israel. Crops include grains, fruit, vegetables, and cotton; the lake is used for fishing. The area is rich in flora and fauna.

Sinuous Polynesian dance that combines undulating movement of the hips and mimetic hand gestures, often performed to chants and instruments such as the ukulele. Originally a religious dance performed to praise the chiefs, the hula now tells a story or describe a place and are danced exclusively by women. The typical costume is a raffia skirt and a lei worn around the neck.

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