Hip Circle Studio News

The virtual home to 300 Weeks and Zahara Fusion courses and services

“My journey, at its heart, has always been about building Confidence, promoting good Health, and helping people find their inner Joy. The path has been curvy (both for myself, literally, and my journey, figuratively), but it's always been grounded in these principles. This is my story......”

I have a passion for helping people create the best possible environment for their children, from the earliest moments of life.  In July of 2001 I started working with families as a birth doula.    My experiences lead me to extend my services from birth to the postpartum period, and to add a variety of parenting classes to my repertoire focused on helping parents to be the best, strongest people for the job of raising their families.   The business name I used for these classes and services was 300 Weeks, because it takes roughly 300 weeks to grow a child from conception to age 5, and this was the time-frame my classes and services focused upon.

My work as a birth doula led me to explore how the body works and what we can do, as women, to help ease the entry of babies into the world.  This exploration led me to discover the wonder of bellydance, and I was hooked immediately.  After taking classes for a few years and using some of the techniques while supporting mamas in labor, I started teaching dance classes on my own.  At the time, these classes seemed separate from the work I did with parents, although there was a clear overlap when it came to dancing with mamas as they gave birth.  What started as a simple dance class blossomed into several classes and the formation of a dance troupe that focused on the celebration of a woman’s body and all its capabilities.  I discovered Zumba©, a workout class that used dancing in such a fun way I didn’t even really realize I was “working out”, and the jump from dance to fitness was effortless.  As a part of my commitment to lead a healthier lifestyle and shed some unwanted and, unneeded pounds, I became certified as a Zumba instructor and started leading classes for other women.  I now teach several fitness classes for women and children grouped under the name I’d chosen for my dance troupe – Zahara Fusion.  Zahara means blooming in Arabic, and I saw the women learning with me as being in this blooming process for themselves.

After being in business for over 8 years, it is time for a new, all-encompassing name for the work I do with women and their families.  I am happy to unveil Hip Circle Studio as that name!  Every offering of Hip Circle Studio seeks to help women be confident, healthy, and joyful as they move through the stages of their life.  Confident women know they need to take time for themselves as well as finding ways to connect with their families.  Healthy women know that their body needs to be strong to meet the demands of the world.  Joy comes as a result of leading a life balanced between work, family, and personal growth.  Confidence. Health. Joy.  It’s never too early (or late) to start striving for these three ideals.

For now, Hip Circle Studio is a virtual place, and classes can be found all over the city and northern suburbs, though I do hope to open a real-world studio in the future. 

www.hipcirclestudio.com | 847/401-0820 | info@hipcirclestudio.com