Hula Hooping Dancing

 

 

 

 

Hula hooping is a new hobby that I started recently that I thought I would never learn. I always felt embarrassed hooping in gym class in front of everybody because I could never get the hang of it. Hooping dates back to 500 BCE when Egyptian children made them out of dried grapevines. Great Britain used the hoops during the 14^th century to medically treat dislocated backs and heart attacks. Native Americans in the 1400’s used hoops to signify the circle of life. The term “hula hoop” came from sailors that had been to the Hawaiian Islands and thought the body motion was similar to their dance style. The most recent trend was the craze of the 1950’s. Childhood friends Knerr & Melin recreated the hoops and sold over 20,000 per day @ $1.98 each for the Wham-O Company. Buying a hula hoop today averages $14.99 each. Learning new skills can be liberating, fun and joyful. College has made me more confident and I do not really care what people think because I want to experience everything that college life has to offer. I owe a big thanks to Ben Berry for reintroducing me to this hobby by recently offering a workshop about the technique of how to hula hoop. When anyone has an enthusiastic teacher it makes learning so much easier. He taught the basics but also how to do tricks while hula dancing, but I mostly prefer to do the basics. Hula hooping can be lots of fun and it can be a form of exercise.