Anne Josselyn is a big fan of hula hoops.
And can you blame her? Those lightweight circles are perfect for amazing just about anyone, especially a certain member of the local newspaper staff. She can spin them around her waist and over her head, and isn’t afraid to toss them in the air to show off one of her many technical tricks. She’s even been known to use two at the same time.
As a kid, Josselyn was an avid hooper, spending her days with a hoop around her waist. But like most young hoopsters, Josselyn just lost her desire for spinning. It wasn’t until last year that her niece brought it back into her life. Josselyn was dealing with the loss of both her sister and brother and needed something. Enter the world of hula hooping.
“It just came back to me,” Josselyn said. “And what I found was that when I was hooping, it took my mind off of my sadness.”
Once Josselyn put that plastic wonder around her waist, she was back to spinning like a pro in no time. Now she’s passing along her skills to a new generation. She is the founder, operator and hooping wizard of AJ Hooping. And we don’t like to throw the word wizard around lightly.
“It feels good that I’m bringing something from my childhood into their world,” Josselyn said. “I just got this thing in my head, ‘I wonder if any kids in the neighborhood would want to do some hooping?’ ”
She created the teaching and hoop-making business last summer as a way to grow the hooping community in Concord. For the last two summers, Josselyn has held a weekly Saturday session for children in her Eagle’s Bluff neighborhood. She uses a big open area between some of the townhouse buildings, and with close to 30 kids between the ages of 5 and 10 on any given weekend, it can get a little chaotic.
“I set up my boom box music, and I bring all the hoops,” Josselyn said. “I like to think it keeps the kids out of trouble. Go around the neighborhood and you will see kids hooping all over the place.”
But Josselyn likes to keep some order to her free, two-hour teaching sessions with the local children. So there are games and some free hooping where the kids can mess around, but then it’s time for some listening. The goal is to give each one five minutes of one-on-one instruction so when it comes to circle time, they can show off their skills.
“The older ones are starting to learn some tricks,” Josselyn said.
And many have been working outside of the Saturday session for an upcoming show Sept. 17 at the West Street Ward House on the corner of West and Badger streets. It will be a hooping extravaganza where about 15 of the children will perform to music. The show begins at 6 p.m. and is expected to last about an hour – and the best news is that it’s free and open to anyone who wants to watch.
“This is a big deal to them,” Josselyn said. “They’re going to be the stars of the show.”
But Josselyn doesn’t just work with kids. She works with adults, both inpidually and in groups, like the Waist Widdlers Club. She’s gone to schools and nursing homes and offers a free try-and-like-it class so you don’t have pay up front. For those who know they’ll like it and want to bring back those fond childhood moments, it’s $25 for a two-hour session and includes your very own hoop. Now that’s a good deal, because Josselyn typically charges $25 for one of her custom circles.
“I can go anywhere there’s a space,” Josselyn said.
What she does to build custom hoops is buy 100 feet of tubing and the connectors. Since it will be made especially for you, Josselyn takes some measurements, finds out what groovy colors you want to spin with and then does her magic.
“I customize them to each person,” Josselyn said. “And my hoops will last a lifetime.”
Now if that’s not better than a factory warranty, we don’t know what is.
The Saturday afternoon children sessions will run through the end of September and maybe a little longer depending on the weather. So there’s still time to get out there and try it, assuming you’re a kid.
For more info on AJ Hooping, call 228-3471.
