It’s been 54 years since the hula hoop was introduced in the United States. It’s a simple toy that gives hours of joy. The hula hoop craze reached its peak in the 1950s. It became a National Toy Hall of Fame inductee in 1999. And the humble toy indeed has come a long way. It has entered other modalities – exercise, art and dance. The hula hooping has taken movements from rhythmic gymnastics, fire dance, twirling, freestyle dance and hip hop to develop its own style.
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| Folsom Hula Hoop |
But rather than being a new invention, hula hoops had been existent in Greece since the 5th century and used for play and exercise. It has long been used by patients with back problems and those who had suffered heart attacks in 13th century Scotland. Thank the American sailors who saw the hip movements of the hula dancers in Hawaii for attaching the word “hula” to the hoop.
Hooping
Individual and group hula hoopers have emerged, delighting spectators with the grace, flow, daring and creativity of their hooping performances. Cirque de Soleil has featured spectaculars using hula hoops. Fire dancers have incorporated specially-constructed hula hoops in their routines. Expert hoopers use not just one but multiple hoops, twirling them around their necks, legs, arms and waists. The current record is 132 hoops twirled simultaneously, set in 2009 by Paul “Dizzy Hips” Blair.
