Kalākaua
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Kalākaua, sometimes called The Merrie Monarch, was the last king and penultimate monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, reigning from February 12, 1874, until his death in 1891. Succeeding Lunalilo, he was elected to the vacant throne of Hawaiʻi against Queen Emma. Kalākaua had a convivial personality and enjoyed entertaining guests with his singing and ukulele playing. At his coronation and his birthday jubilee, the hula, which had hitherto been banned in public in the kingdom, became a celebration of Hawaiian culture.
Kalākaua at the age of fourteen, c. 1850
Kalākaua, photograph by Joseph W. King, c. 1860s
Kapiʻolani, the wife and future queen consort of Kalākaua
Hula
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Hula is a Hawaiian dance form expressing chant (oli) or song (mele). It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Native Hawaiians who settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visual dance form.
Hula kahiko performance in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Hula in Hawaii. Kumu hula Frank Kawaikapuokalani Hewett performs during a ceremony transferring control over the island of Kahoʻolawe from the U.S. Navy to the state.
In the 1890s and early 1900s, hula dancers and Hawaiian musicians toured the U.S. mainland. This advertisement appeared in an Ohio newspaper in 1921.
Hula kahiko performance at the pa hula in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park