Fellowship of the rings: Class is taking part in revolutionary workout
MID-CITY — They range from 13 to 84, some fit and nimble, others not so much.
They are students in a local woman’s hula hooping class, rolling their hips for 90 minutes at a time in an effort to keep trim, build endurance and show some style.
“A lot of people are nostalgic for hula hooping. It taps into all these childhood memories for them,” said Christabel Zamor, who started the classes a year ago. “These hoops are so amazing that anybody can do them. It’s kind of a breakthrough for a lot of people.”
Weightier and larger than a traditional hula hoop, Zamor’s hoops are coated with friction tape, which helps them stay on students’ hips during workout. A final class will be held tonight in a studio at 19th Street and Broadway before Zamor temporarily takes her class to Marina del Rey.
Kathi Fuentevilla, of Van Nuys, a sales administrator for a medical company, said she was hooked by Zamor’s classes and plans to attend again. Two sessions cost $35.
“First of all, she got us really nice and warmed up — and then she kicked our butts,” Fuentevilla said. “We kept those things going pretty much the whole time she was teaching.
“First of all, she got us really nice and warmed up — and then she kicked our butts. We kept those things going pretty much the whole time she was teaching.” — – KATHI FUENTEVILLA Hula hoop student
“I think everyone should try it at least once.”
In addition to being a certified hooping instructor, Zamor sells her homemade hula hoops for between $25 and $40, depending on what material they’re wrapped with. Some are wrapped in vinyl, others in cloth. The more expensive hoops have holographic designs.
Zamor is one of a group of 10 hula hoopers — “The Good Vibe Hoop Troupe” — who met at the Burning Man festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada. They’ve performed at numerous shows and events in Los Angeles, including backstage for Cirque du Soleil performers.
“In society today, we don’t have a lot of situations where we’re encouraged to shake our hips, and dance and celebrate life. I wanted to create a place like that,” said Zamor, adding she integrates yoga, freestyle dance, conscious breathing and acrobatic tricks in her “Liquid Hoop Dance” classes.
The classes will have an added bonus next month in the Marina, Zamor said. She’ll be holding free, 90-minute “Hoop Jams” after each class, where students can practice their newly learned moves to a live DJ. Says Zamor’s Web site: “One and a half additional hours of freeform, unstructured hoopdancing to play, socialize, practice and create your own amazing dance style!”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 26, 2004. Read the original PDF.