Reviewer Carolyn Warren: Carolyn is the author of Mortgage Rip-Offs and Money Savers, an Amazon bestseller and Book of the Month pick for The Washington Post (8/08). She also writes for the Christian market. Praying Through Your Pregnancy was a finalist in the 2010 ECOA Book Awards. She enjoys reading nonfiction, literary fiction, and women's mainstream novels. Follow Here To Find Out More About Carolyn and Here.Author: Jan Camp
ISBN: 978-1-939353-01-6
Author: Jan Camp
ISBN: 978-1-939353-01-6
During a recent vacation with my family at an upscale resort, all eyes turned to a 30-ish woman doing amazing things with her hula hoop on the beach. It brought back a flood of good memories playing with hula hoops as kids. I couldn’t be more delighted to see that there’s a new wave of interest in this artful sport.
Hoopdance Revolution by Jan Camp is the most complete book on the hula hoop anyone could ever wish for. Nearly every page contains color photographs, adding to the interest and fun of reading.
Her brief history of the hula hoop is fascinating and even includes a vintage French postcard of ladies in old fashioned swim suits hooping with the Arc de Triomphe in the background.
Instructions on technique guide both the newbie and experienced hooper. “If you are new to hooping, avoid using your body as a single unit like a paddle. Taking a rigid stance might help to keep the hoop up longer, but it will make dancing more difficult and ultimately cause strain. Instead, keep your posture loose and responsive,” says Camp. She goes on to explain that reversing direction improves balance and mental acuity by engaging both sides of the body and the brain.
But there is an abundance of information for advanced and professionals as well. There is obstacle hooping, unconventional postures including yoga poses, hooping on rollerblades, martial arts, and of course, dance. There is even a section on hooping through pregnancy.
According to personal testimony given in the book, hooping can dispel depression and help people of all ages deal with stress. Several people tell how they lost unwanted body fat via the fun of hooping. Julie of Las Vegas started out as a closet hooper, then graduated to doing outdoor hoopdance. As a result, she lost 60 pounds. Dana Moore began hooping to modern day hymns in order to work out her anger after a bitter divorce.
It seems that the spectrum of religions have incorporated the hula hoop. In Alabama, there is a hoopdance ministry associated with a local Christian church that gives away hoops that have been prayed over and anointed in oil. American Indians bring their culture to life through their sacred storytelling hoopdances. Buddhist Betty Shurin hoops to “awaken energy through intentional movement.” New Agers also employ hooping to balance energy. KaRa Maria Ananda says that “hoopdance not only keeps the human body in good health but strengthens the Milky Way as well.”
Readers may not agree with all viewpoints in the book, but one thing is for sure. You won’t find a more interesting, entertaining, better documented book on the hula hoop than Jan Camp’s Hoopdance Revolution.
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