Plus: Hunting for sea glass; magic tricks that are science; a ‘bioblitz’ challenge
|  | Sunday, March 27, 2022 | | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY PHOTO RESOURCE HAWAII, ALAMY STOCK PHOTO | | By Amy Alipio, TRAVEL assistant managing editor
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I’ve seen my share of hula shows over the years during visits to Hawaii, where I have relatives. But it wasn’t until a trip to Maui a few years ago to watch Hula O Na Keiki, an annual hula competition for solo dancers ages 5-17, that I got a glimpse of the nuances of the dance.
These seriously impressive kids not only had to perform a hula, in both kahiko (traditional) and ’auana (modern) dance styles, but also an accompanying chant in native Hawaiian. The contestants train for months, design their own costumes, and make their own plant-based adornments. Part of the competition involves an interview with a panel of judges.
As I learned, hula is more than just a pretty dance, but a complex cultural and spiritual practice with an ancient history for Native Hawaiians. “Hula is our highest expression of who we are. It’s our language put into motion,” master hula teacher Māpuana de Silva told Nat Geo. (Above, dancers compete in the annual Merrie Monarch festival on the island of Hawaii.)
As Rachel Ng reports, Hawaiian chants and dances honor gods and tell stories about weather patterns, the stars, the movement of the earth, and the genealogy of the chiefs. Each specific curl of the arm—or the precise position of feet or the gentle sway of the hips—conveys meaning.
During the 19th century, the dance was outlawed by missionaries and went underground. A craze for Hawaiian kitsch beginning in the 1930s led to flashy hula shows for tourists that were more like Hollywood productions. Now, Hawaiian cultural organizations are reclaiming and safeguarding a more authentic version of hula both for residents and visitors.
One of the best ways for families to learn more about—and help preserve—hula is to take part in lessons led by cultural ambassadors at many resorts on the islands. Or you might even look up a halau, a hula school, near where you live.
Taking the time to learn more about Hawaiian hula—or other cultural dance forms such as Irish step dancing or Cuban danzón—goes beyond just studying steps. Families also learn respect for the artistry and diligence it takes to carry on lasting cultural traditions. Check out this article for more surprising hula history.
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 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY REBECCA HALE, AUTHENTIC SEA GLASS COURTESY RICHARD LAMOTTE’S PRIVATE COLLECTION | | | Hunting for sea glass. One of the best things about the beach? Beachcombing! It’s a treasure hunt that’s also an excuse to dig around in sand. One coastal treasure that’s getting harder to find is sea (or “beach”) glass, which are pieces of bottles and jars transformed by time and tide into colorful jewels of the sea. One unfortunate reason for that is the rise of throwaway plastics. Now artificial glass, manufactured for uses such as in fish tanks, is supplanting the real thing. (Pictured above, machine-made white shards contrast with colorful found fragments of sea glass.) Find out how to tell a fake—and on which shores you can still find the real thing—in this article. | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY SAULIUS T. KONDROTAS, ALAMY STOCK PHOTO | | | Tillamook Bay, Oregon. Speaking of beachcombing, the coast along Oregon’s Tillamook Bay is perfect for just that. At low tide, spots such as the Three Graces rock formation (pictured above) invite beach and tidal pool exploration, as well as bird-watching and sandcastle building. (There’s also ice cream at the Tillamook Creamery!) Just don’t bother the gooseneck barnacles, which look like the toes of a sleeping dragon sticking out from the rocks. They are a briny seafood delicacy but are actually quite fragile, so conservationists urge visitors to avoid disturbing them. For more on their beautifully wild and wave-battered coastal habitat, read this. For the drive there, consider keeping kids occupied with Nat Geo Kids’ Ultimate U.S. Road Trip Atlas. | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY LOURENS SMAK / ALAMY | | Magic show. If your child likes to put on shows for relatives during family visits, check out these “magic tricks” that are actually science experiments. They’ll mysteriously move a can with a balloon, amazingly poke holes through a water-filled bag (with no leaks), and magically fill up an empty soda can—all while learning about principles like air density and pressure. Get the details here.
Go on a “bioblitz.” Spring is the perfect time for outdoor exploration—so show children what’s living in their backyard with a bioblitz challenge. A bioblitz is an event that focuses on finding and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area over a short period of time. Use this activity to create a backyard bioblitz with your kids. Then use the iNaturalist app to play a game of BioBlitz Bingo.
This newsletter was edited and curated by Amy Alipio and Rachel Buchholz, with David Beard and Monica Williams. Have a healthy and a sane (as possible) week ahead!
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