Japanese Style Garden Lili'uokalani Park in Hilo. Big Island. The Origins of Hula Hula was born as a way to worship the gods . In antiquity, the hula is danced on a platform which in turn had an altar with the figure of the goddess Pele. The traditional costumes leis included a pau ( skirt ) and bracelets made ??from whale bones or teeth of dog in the ankles . The costumes of today are more modest and Hula Halau school require long skirts and a tank top for women , while men can choose to wear pants or bad ( a cloth wrapped under and around the crotch ) . Men and women playing in the hoops , just as they do today , but the singers or singers , were and are men. The song , or mele , tells the story , while the hula or dance, story emphasizes hands and feet movements that are part of a choreography . The men dance hula is more vigorous than the languid dances are performed by women. The hula is accompanied by instruments. Music helps to keep pace for both musicians and dancers. Traditionally , gourds, bamboo poles and sticks were used to create music. A gourd drum called ipu , was accompanied by a double gourd drum called ipu heke . The anklets made ??of dog teeth were considered musical instruments too. In the modern era , the ukulele is used to keep up, even guitars and basses can be used to add depth to the sound and enhance the pace . The Prohibition of Hula and Renaissance With the arrival of missionaries in the early 1800s , the role of the hula began to change. Protestant missionaries denounced the hula as a heathen dance and was soon banned . The missionaries condemned the moves, light clothing and worship multiple gods . The Hawaiian Royalty was prompted to report the hula, and they did soon after. But the hula did not die . It was practiced in secret and passed between families. With the coming of King David Kalakaua , hula revived and slowly began to undergo changes . King Kalakaua was very keen on the traditional Hawaiian crafts . Soon, practiced hula Hula Kui renamed , " old and new " , because it combined traditional style with new interpretations of the old dances . With the beginning of tourism as a business in Hawaii in the early twentieth century , the hula went through another change. The hula represented in films began with soft melodies and very different from the real hula . New songs were written for these new styles of hula as well as designed new and beautiful outfits with the idea of ??attracting tourism. They were very popular cellophane skirts and romantic melodies were performed especially for tourists . The schools which teach these dances or Halau Hulas , still teaching the traditional hula , which was practiced by adults. The traditional hula costumes are modest and do not reflect what is the Hollywood version .