Dance? Exercise? A Way Of Life? Hula Hooping Offers All Of That And More
By Daniel Krieger
When filmmaker Amy Goldstein first came across a hula hooping community near her home in Venice Beach, California, she was intrigued. Some of her acquaintances had adopted monikers and were dressing differently, she recalls, "and they seemed a whole lot happier." That was in 2004, and two years later, she began working on a documentary about this subculture, called The Hooping Life, which came out last year.
Since her first encounter, she has watched the movement expand and evolve. "What's happening in hooping is just explosive," she says, "and it keeps growing and growing."
Now you can find vibrant hooping communities with gatherings, or “hoop camps,” all over — from California to North Carolina to Germany, Japan, Australia, Bali. Participants can hone their technique, learn how to run a hoop business, and connect with fellow hooping travelers. There's even a magazine, Hooping.org, covering all things hooping, and Hoop City, a site that helps you find hoopers to meet up with for a “hoop jam.” It's a means of fitness for some, while for many others it’s an art form, a moving meditation, and even a way of life, which one ...READ MORE...