Abby Albaum | Joyful Ringleader

Courtesy of Hoola Monsters

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It may come as a surprise that hooping wasn’t a favorite childhood activity for Hoola Monsters founder and lead instructor Abby Albaum. In fact, she says it wasn’t until she was 27 years old that she picked up her first hoop.

“I saw my friend Kacey hooping and was mesmerized that it had evolved into this gorgeous performance art, movement meditation practice and form of holistic health and well-being,” says the Florida native.

As Abby began learning more about modern hooping, she soon realized that she would have to reach out well beyond the Tampa Bay area to become educated about a still not yet familiar art and fitness form to most, watching hooping videos from people all over the country and world through online forums such as YouTube and connecting with others who shared their passion for the practice and new moves. She says the concept of hoop fitness was a difficult one for the marketplace to fully grasp, an audience that had only come to know the Wham-O plastic hoop of the late ‘50s. So Abby began taking her hoop out to public places like Treasure Island Drum Circle and St. Petersburg’s Saturday Morning Market to demonstrate.

“People became curious and wanted to know where they could do it and buy hoops,” she says. She launched Hoola Monsters, opening the first full-service hoops dance company in the state of Florida, as both an avenue for performance with others like Abby who enjoyed the activity and as an outlet for many others to experience the physical, social and mental health benefits that she herself had unexpectedly realized and could now help others achieve. It’s not uncommon for Abby to hear success stories about significant weight loss and physical fitness milestones, but for her, hoops dance and fitness has enriched mind and soul, as well as body.

“It wasn’t just exercise. It felt as if ten minutes would go by, and I had done an hour and a half workout. It was so much fun, and a mind-body-spirit practice similar to yoga,” she says. “I had battled depression for much of my life, and I credit my movement meditation practice with the hoop and change in my diet as a means for fighting depression. It became almost my duty to share with others.”

The full-time marketing manager for a successful restaurant management soon found herself pulling double duty by adding nighttime hoop class instruction to an already full plate. By summer 2009, Abby decided to make a move that surprised even her: she quit her marketing job to develop, promote and lead Hoola Monsters – full time.

A year and a half later, Abby’s still taking part in hooping troupe performances and teaching others the joy of hooping every day. She and one other instructor in the group teach classes throughout the Bay area including St. Petersburg, Clearwater, North Tampa, South Tampa and more. Instructors are licensed, insured and certified through a program accredited through the American Fitness Association. Typically, classes are held at vlocal recreational centers and dance studios, but the group continues to expand its whereabouts to meet the needs of its participants. Some of Abby’s favorite venues are Sunken Gardens and Hip-Expressions Belly Dance Studio in St. Pete, and Mary-Jo’s Academy in North Tampa. Classes, locations and cost information are listed on the organization’s website at www.hoolamonsters.com.

This holiday season, Abby offers DVDs for those interested who would prefer to practice in the privacy of their own home. She’s also made gift certificates available to redeem for upcoming classes or hoops which she designs and handcrafts herself.

“These hoops are completely different from what most people remember growing up. They’re proportional to your body now, so the taller you are, the bigger it’s going to be,” she says. “My hoops are my heart. I constantly like different color combinations and spirals, and custom-order for people according to their favorite colors, body type and height. I make it an artistic, functional tool."

Recently, Hoola Monsters launched  a not-for-profit arm of the organization, through the initiative of one of its most devoted members. On Monday Dec. 6, the new effort Hoola for Happiness held its official launch party, led by Hoola Monsters participant Carissa Caricato, to raise funds to bring hoops over to Haiti, to as Abby puts it, “transcend language barriers with laughter and play.” She explains the new organization's mission and future direction.

“We’re planning to bring hoops all over this country to get children in underprivileged areas moving, laughing and smiling because in some of these areas they really don’t have this kind of joy in their lives,” she says. Abby also says they will be partnering with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay on suicide prevention/depression awareness, a topic of personal importance to Abby.

“I’m also writing a book, and my vision is to become an advocate for depression awareness and suicide prevention through hoop dance performance art.”

When she’s not leading a class or spreading the word about Hoola Monsters, Abby simply explores the joys of life in the Tampa Bay area, residing in St. Pete with her dog, checking out live shows and concerts with friends and taking part in water sports, tennis. Single, she jokes she’s married to Hoola Monsters.

“I have new students coming in all the time and some students who have been coming to my classes for three years now. It says a lot for this practice being such a powerful forum of movement, meditation and exercise. It’s definitely not a fad. It’s here to stay,” she says. “If I was able to leave an eight-year marketing career and make this my full-time job, I think there’s lots to be said for the power of the practice.”

For more information about Hoola Monsters, visit its website at www.hoolamonsters.com.