Hula Grows Hot At KEY On Tuesdays

Following on the heels of the Zumba craze is Hot Hula fitness, bringing some hip shaking to KEY Project in Kahaluu at 7 p.m. every Tuesday.

The Pacific Islands-inspired workout incorporates easy dance movements with drum beats and reggae. Fee is $5 per 60-minute class, and all ages are invited to participate. To register, call 351-9334 or send an email to puaneane@gmail.com. The Kualoa-Heeia Ecumenical Youth Project, and its multipurpose room, are located at 45-200 Waihee Road.

Hot Hula fitness, which opened March 6 at KEY, was originally created in 2009 by Anna-Rita Sloss, a Samoan fitness professional from New Zealand.

“Hot Hula fitness isolates your larger muscle groups, increasing strength and definition to your core with specific emphasis on the abs, glutes, quads and arms, providing a fun, new and exciting dance ‘total body workout,'” explained instructor Sheila Rich. “I don’t have a strong hula dancing background,” she noted. “I took hula classes when I was a child, on and off for maybe three years. But it goes to say that anyone can do this dance fitness format!”

Rich also teaches at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Kailua at 6:45 p.m. Fridays. Fee is $7 for drop-ins, with discounted rates for class packages. For details on the Kailua classes, call 263-2623. For a full listing of Hot Hula fitness classes being taught at more than 20 locations across Oahu, visit anna-rita.com.