I disagree.

If it wasn't for a little commercialism I wouldn't have been able to have access to the HoopGirl DVD and the power of Hoop Dance.

People who become involved with hooping (from my own personal experience and reading that of others) even if they get into it from a fitness/weight loss/weight management angle can still experience that sacredness. It just happens.

You could say the same thing about Pole Dancing. It went from circus to strip clubs and now is a 'fitness trend' as such.

I see commercialism as a good thing as it will allow even more people to be exposed to something that they otherwise probably wouldn't have been exposed to ... and that can only be a good thing esp. when it comes to Hooping as it is a postive force in the world.

I know whenever I pick up and use my hoops I feel happy. It just tends to do that.

What a great thing to share hooping with the world! Sometimes, actually, most times, it takes a mainstream approach and a creative eye to reach the masses. Especially in our country where obesity, self-image (especially for young girls and women), and respect for our bodies is an issue everywhere we turn - out in the open or spread across editorial pages, behind closed doors or at the lingerie shop - most of us can't seem to fully tap into their self-confidence and self-worth 24/7 without a message of some kind promoting many specific looks that are often unrealstic in a very real world. Hooping really takes us out of our minds and back into our bodies and our creative core. YIPPEE!! Hoopdance creates a sacred space that is magical, as one turns around and around and around in a vortex of love energy that nourishes our soul. It's pure ecstacy! Whether hooping is packaged as fitness, art, modern dance, rave/hippie sport it is and always will be special and sacred, because we are all unique and want to feel good and radiant! Now everybody should have access to that. ;)