Dancing is the latest trend in fitness, particularly of the belly, salsa and exotic variety. What about Hawaiian Hula dancing? Here, it seems to be considered no more than a fun way to burn some extra calories but apparently, it's serious business in Japan -- and it's bringing in some serious dollars ... um .... yen. The Hula craze is spreading like wildfire throughout Japanese fitness clubs, and stores are cashing too in by selling traditional hula outfits.

Hula dancing is based on balanced motion between the left and ride sides of the body. According to instructor Yayoi Iida, the bottom half of the body is used to keep the rhythm of the dance, while the upper half expresses the meaning behind it. Wow, sounds complex ... and kind of fun. What do you think?