- By Bonnie Williamson

Hula hoops have been around for centuries. Yes, those plastic hoops that can be twirled around the waist, neck, or limbs have been part of the world's culture since about 500 B.C. They were traditionally made from willow, rattan, grapevines, and stiff grasses. Fast forward a bit: the lovable rings officially gained international popularity in the late 1950s, when a California company called Wham-O made the hoops out of Marlex plastic. You could say the idea caught on; the company sold more than twenty-five million hoops in less than four months.

In 1958, the singer Teresa Brewer had a novelty hit song called "The Hula Hoop Song." Even singer Billy Joel includes hula hoops as an important historical invention in his song "We Didn't Start the Fire." Over the past several years, the hula hoop has experienced a resurgence in popularity. There's even a holiday called World Hoop Day. Every year, hoopers dance all around the world to raise money for those who can't afford hula hoops. You can join in on the action this year, this month actually—World Hoop Day 2011 is on November 11th.

In 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama hosted a "healthy kids" fair at the White House for about 100 youngsters. Mrs. Obama swiveled a hula hoop for about 142 spins, according to the Associated Press. Even West Virginia's own first lady, Joanne Jaeger Tomblin, the wife of Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, tried hula hooping during a recent stop in Martinsburg. Melody Bruch of Boomtown Hoops, in Hedgesville (WV), was right there to give her some tips.

Boomtown Hoops is a family-run business that specializes in designing hula hoops for people of all ages and skills. Bruch has been running the business from her home since 2005. "I'm a crafter. When I see something, I'll make it—jewelry, fancy hula hoops. Over the years, I saw shows where dancers danced with hula hoops. It looked like a great thing to do, a great way to teach fitness.

"Hula hoopers have their own community of people. Organizations are all over the world." Boomtown Hoops offers its customers a variety of hoop styles, colors, and sizes. One type of hoop is a weighted fitness hoop. The hoops are filled with water to provide pushpull resistance for a workout. Some of the designs include shiny silver, red, and black gaffer tape wrapped around the hoop for a better grip. And that's literally just the tip of the iceberg as far as design options go, with names like: Purple Lovin', Sea Goddess, Bad Azz, and Pretty in Pink.

Bruch is a firm believer in getting people off of the couch. "Too many adults and kids today are couch potatoes," she laments. And, unfortunately, statistics bear her out. About a third of Americans are considered obese, and this includes about twelve million children. Regrettably, West Virginia's obesity rate is consistently higher than the rest of the nation.

Bruch travels around the Panhandle teaching hula hoop workshops for groups, including schools—as well as private lessons. "We've gone to health fairs, hospitals, and nursing homes. There's nothing we haven't tried in order to show people what great exercise hooping is," she smiles.

Getting healthy and staying healthy are two huge concerns for Bruch herself.

"I had four surgeries in less than two years. Hooping was a way to heal, so I jumped into it. It strengthens the muscles in every part of your body. It helps with metabolism, posture, balance, and coordination." Bruch suffers from degenerative disc disease, leaving her with four collapsed discs that cause pain in her back and neck. She had a titanium plate put in her neck to ease the bone-rubbing pain. Doctors said she would need back surgery, as well. She says hooping has allowed her to avoid more surgery and lessened her pain. She also believes it sped up her healing process.

And this is where the reader should lean in and perhaps re-read these words: In three months, working with the hoop for just fifteen minutes a day, Bruch lost forty pounds. The additional benefits of hooping are many: it's a great cardiovascular workout; it makes your lungs and heart stronger; it strengthens body awareness, relieves lower back pain, relieves stress, boosts selfconfidence, and increases libido.

"And this type of exercise is for people of all ages," Bruch emphasizes. "I had one student who was seventy-eight years old. She did really well."

Another person who really took a shine to the art form is Stephanie Connell, Bruch's daughter. Connell had been experiencing her own health problems. "This has benefited me so much. Physically, emotionally, and it's good for the mind. A great creative outlet," she explains. Part of Connell's creativity involves doing choreography for her dance troupe: The Astral Rhythm Dancers. The other members of the group are April Hersh and Angel Benner, of Hedgesville; Jobeth Perdew of Winchester (VA); and Ashley Britner of Greensboro (PA).

But it isn't all about fitness for The Astral Rhythm Dancers—it's also about entertainment. Included in their diverse repertoire is fire hooping and hoops emblazoned with multi-faceted lights.

According to their website, the Dancers are described as, "…another side of Boomtown—the one that burns bright in the night…that flies in silent spirals—that whooshes with the spinning flames.

The Astral Rhythm Dancers are a fire and light performance group. Their performances incorporate a wide variety of fire and glowing props, including LED hoops and fans, as well as contact juggling and fire eating—all choreographed to a mix of rock, blues, and country music. "I saw other dance troupes with hula hoops at different events, and they really weren't that good. Not very exciting. The fire got us attention," Connell says.

Bruch has motorcyclist friends who wanted performers for rallies. As Connell's agent, she used her connections to get performances. Now Connell and the Dancers perform all over the country. Recent appearances include: the Triple S. Harley Davidson Anniversary party in Morgantown (WV); the MountainFest Motorcycle Rally, also in Morgantown; the Ocean City Bike Fest in Ocean City (MD); and appearances in Pennsylvania and Michigan. Future plans include auditioning for "America's Got Talent."

This past summer, the troupe performed as The Legendary Buffalo Chip Hula Girls for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally at the Buffalo Chip Campground in Sturgis, South Dakota.

"Dancing and choreography hardly seems like work to me. I love it," Connell admits.

However, precautions must be taken when dancing with fiery hoops. Connell took fire safety training and makes sure the audience and the venue is safe. "We make sure we have crowd control and spotters. We're ready and prepared. You just have to use common sense." Bruch adds, "You never spin alone."

In addition to fitness and overall health, Bruch and Connell offer training in fire hooping. "We are always looking for other dancers to join our troupe. We can train you to do this," Connell assures.

For more information on Boomtown Hoops, call Bruch at 540-247- 5754 or visit the website at www.boomtownhoops.com.