A fun little photo shoot in the street with hoops surrounding me turned into a sweet article that gives some insight into the development and changes of my hooping life and HOOPLOVERS.
YouTube clip set this former teacher chasing hoop dreams
BY STEPHEN A RUSSELL
Did you know that HOOPLOVERS is on Facebook? It’s a space where we share inspiration, events, tips and giveaways. Yes, giveaways! Come on over and like us, if you haven’t already, when we hit 500 likes we are going to give away 5 HOOPLOVERS video lessons for free. With love.
Join the revolution! Learn how to move and groove inside a hula hoop with this 6 week beginners course led by Melbourne based hoop star Tekitah. Each class will have you feeling energized, stronger and more skilled as you learn the foundation moves both on and off your body. Ideal for total beginners and those wanting to improve their skills.
All students who sign up for this course will receive the HOOPLOVERS Beginners & Beyond On Body and Off Body Video lesson for FREE download; to support your learning.
Small classes mean you get the attention that you need at this level. No experience necessary. Hoops provided. Bring water and wear comfortable clothes.
6 weeks
Date: May 10 – June 14 Thursday 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Place: Preston Neighbourhood House 220 High Street (Church Building)
$160 Reserve your spot here
Message from Tekitah:
I started my hooping journey with circus style hoopla, I love this form of expression and play in the hoop. For the past year however I have been focusing on my hoop dance developing my own creative style as I make room in-between the tricks for personal expression.
My burning passion for hooping is fueled by freedom; for me hooping is not about how many tricks you can do or what kinda style it is or what someone else can do but it’s about finding and owning your own creative expression and flow in the hoop; because that space is yours and it is sacred. In the class it will be my goal to break down all the tricks and moves you want to learn as well as facilitating an atmosphere of freedom and play. Look forward to hooping with you all.
Name/Stage Name: Robyn DeLacy/ Pixxy Haze
Location: Lee’s Summit, MO
How did your Hoop journey begin?: I began my hoop dance journey 2 years ago at a place called Camp Zoe. I had seen hoop dance before many times but was always intimidated by the girls who made it look so easy and beautiful. Finally at Spring Jam 6 I decided to start my journey and learn how to hoop. Once I started I couldn’t stop, I became addicted and wanted to hoop all the time. As a trained dancer, I thought I would never dance after a car accident 7 years ago. Once I found hooping I knew I could dance again. Hoop Dance has actually helped my back injury. I couldn’t be any more grateful for that!
What color was your first hoop?: My first hoop was blue and purple taped with duct tape. I bought it for $10 from a girl selling it at her camp at Camp Zoe.
Describe Hoop Dance in 25 words or less… Hoop dance is an artistic movement performed with a hula hoop(s) ranging in all kinds of different weights and sizes. A hoop dancer can express themselves with this prop for fun, performance, mediation or exercise.
How has hooping rocked your world?: Hooping has rocked my world by giving me opportunities to express myself and share my love of the hoop with others. I now teach other hoopers wanting to learn the tricks of the trade, and have started performing for the band that started my interest for hooping in the first place; The Schwag from Camp Zoe in Salem, MO. I’m so grateful and honored to be apart of something that started my interest to being with.
What are your signature Hoop moves?: Some of my favorite hoop moves are the scorpion, the coin flip from all different directions, barrel rolls and sustained spinning.
What are your Hoop Dance goals?: Goals that I would like to accomplish with hoop dance is hopefully one day making it to Hoop Camp or any other awesome hoop retreat. I would love to meet other hoopers from around the world, and see how hooping has inspired or changed their life. I would also love to keep teaching and inspiring others to start hooping. I would love to learn unique tricks that have never been seen with fire hooping, and maybe one day win a Hoopie Award. J
What or who inspires you to continue your Hoop Journey?: I will continue my hoop journey mainly for myself. With all of the positive things it has done for me that in itself inspires me to keep hooping, and to keep reaching for new goals. As far as influences, I’m inspired by so many other hoopers who have also taken this journey some of my favorite hoopers are Shakti Sunfire, Brecken, Luna Breeze, Ziggy, Surka Noelle, Shredder, Baxter and Steve Bags. All of those people rock and have made a name for themselves, hopefully I will one day be one of those people that really inspires others like they inspire me.
Thanks so much Pixxy Haze. Check out that dazzling pic, you are an inspiration yourself!
Name/Stage Name: Loony Legume
Location: Portland, Oregon
How did your Hoop journey begin? I work at an elementary school and began fooling around with the kids hoops during recess…
What color was your first hoop? White with red and orange gaffers.
Describe Hoop Dance in 25 words or less… A syncing up of energy, molecules, muscles and rhythm. Creating one’s own current and playing within it.
How has hooping rocked your world? It’s inspired me to enter into the wonderful world of acrobatics, aerial arts, yoga, and physical expression!
What are your signature Hoop moves? Flips, flicks, and tosses!
What are your Hoop Dance goals? Smooth and successful acro-hooping!
What or who inspires you to continue your Hoop Journey? Music, sweat, green grass.
Do you have any cool/funny/interesting/unsettling/scary hoop related stories? Backpacked in Australia for 5 weeks, was so very warmly welcomed by many amazing and inspiring hoopers/people and was elated to be offered a spot hooping in the Sydney Mardi Gras 2012 parade! So much love and good energy!
Thank you Loony Legume for your sweet stories and dreamy hoop pic!
Name/Stage Name:
Vanessa aka HoopiNess
Location:
Ipswich Queensland
How did your Hoop journey begin?
I started Hooping around 3 years ago, a friend made/gave me a hoop. At the time I was going through the greif of losing my brother. My physical and emtional health had deteriorated and I needed to get in shape. Hooping helped me do just that and feel good about life again. The more I looked online I found there was a whole world of Hoopers out there. I bought my first Hooping DVD from Home of Poi ” Hooping for Beginners” featuring the one and only Bunny Hoop Star. And that set the foundations to something that was going to start a whole new exciting chapter in my life.
What color was your first hoop?
Red, green and black
Describe Hoop Dance in 25 words or less…
A form of Dance where you manoeuvre a hoop on and off the body. It is defined by incorporating your individual style and natural grace while creating your own personalized genre.
How has hooping rocked your world?
I have discovered something I love doing and sharing that is just so positive and Happy : )
What are your signature Hoop moves?
Corkscrews & I am not sure what the other move is called lol, but it looks like the hoop is suspended in front of you while your hand continuosly travels the perimeter of the hoop.
What are your Hoop Dance goals?
To share what I love doing well, either through teaching or performing.
What or who inspires you to continue your Hoop Journey?
My students and really anybody I see hooping because of there love of it : )
Do you have any cool/funny/interesting/unsettling/scary hoop related stories?
My first and one of my few (so far) hoop performances I decided to wear platform shoes as they just made the costume. I practiced and practiced the routine with the shoes to ensure I was confident in dancing in them. When I did perform however my legs were shaking so badly that when I was hooping on them I couldn’t get the hoop to come back up. I had to bend down and grap the hoop, it threw my routine a little but I think managed to cover it up okay.
Thank you Vanessa for being a fabulous, Super Hoop Lover…check that stunning photo.
Consider yourself a Super Hoop Lover? All you have to do is answer the following questions and send me a pic to hooplovers@gmail.com with the subject SUPER HOOP LOVER…. voila you are FAMOUS! Well kinda…you will feature on the HOOPLOVERS blog as a Super Hoop Lover
Name/Stage Name:
Location:
How did your Hoop journey begin?
What color was your first hoop?
Describe Hoop Dance in 25 words or less…
How has hooping rocked your world?
What are your signature Hoop moves?
What are your Hoop Dance goals?
What or who inspires you to continue your Hoop Journey?
Do you have any cool/funny/interesting/unsettling/scary hoop related stories?
HOOPLOVERS Beginners & Beyond Instructor Training
June 3 & 10, 2012
10am – 2pm + optional 2 hour jam/practice/ q&a/ role play time each day
Early Bird Special – Secure your space with a $150 deposit before April 30 and pay only $300 for the HOOPLOVERS 2 Day teacher training program (remaining $150 due by May 30, 2012)
Only 7 spaces available
Learn the foundations of hoop dance instruction including best practices in educational theory, marketing, and hoop dance techniques suitable for beginner hoopers and beyond.
Learn How to
Teach hoop dance tricks and techniques including essential hoop dance foundations, on and off body moves and hoop dance sequences.
Create your own hoop dance classes and events
Support students of all levels and age groups
Use multiple student intelligences to your advantage
Convey the physiological and psychological benefits of hoop dance
Market yourself and classes for success
Kick start your career as a Hoop Dance Instructor
Create a safe and fun environment for all learners
Bring joy and energy to every hoop dance gathering
Enjoy…
Open, in-person discussion forums
Question and answer time
Classroom role plays
Brainstorming and mapping session
Hoop dance drills
Relaxation techniques and body/mind awareness methods (essential for instructors on the go!)
Included…
8 hours of training + bonus 4 hours of jamming, practice, role play time
HOOPLOVERS Beginners & Beyond Instructor Training Manual
Access to online HOOPLOVERS Beginner’s & Beyond video library
Certificate of completion
Discounts on HOOPLOVERS hoops and accessories
Healthy lunch and refreshments
For years I have dreamed of, planned for and crafted up a way that I could come and hoop with you anytime we both felt like it. So it is with super excitement that I present you with my solution to our long distance hoop relationship. You download me and I can play with you anytime you like!
The first in a series of downloadable HOOPLOVERS video lessons are up on the site and ready for you to play with.
HOOPLOVERS Beginners & Beyond Double Trouble Part 1 is the first in a series of hoop dance tutorials with twin hoops. In part one we explore foundation twin spinning, directions, reversals, turns, transitions, tricks and twin super powers. Beginners use this collection of lessons as a support on your beginning journey with twins, it is never too early or late to start. For twin hoop rockers this has been crafted to pop some more tricks and transitions in your bag, use this first guide as a checklist, a top up, a reminder of double trouble.
For this weekend only as a launch celebration, Double Trouble Part 1 is just $7 for this 27 min downloadable hoop lesson with over 20 tricks and transitions to play with. Simply use the coupon code: HOOPLOVERS when purchasing this weekend for the lucky $7 price.
Hope you love them, we have crafted up a fun filled series for you so watch out for more being released very soon.
When Bunny Star called me a few months back, via speaker phone driving in Sydney traffic, eager to share a project I was all ears. Her idea to combine our hooper powers and offer a weekend creative immersion to support community and individual growth was received happily from my side of the phone. We had both been sharing hoop dance teacher training for many years, Bunny was my first hoop mentor and had strongly supported me. Our synergy as creators had blossomed over time; call it cosmic, blame it on the blonde or put it down to mutual hoop love; so this was a YES project for me. The Hoop Journey was born. An intimate immersion of training, dancing, styling, photo shoots, jams, music, costuming, hoop making, business practices, inspiration, sharing performance, all documented for the purpose of growth; supported by a 13 step creational process.
Based on Bunny’s wonderfully inspired idea and a 13 step creational process evolved on the Mayan dream spell, the planning of such an event came with joy and ease as we combined our ideas and energy; an affirmation we were absolutely on the right path. As hoopers also felt the calling we saw our 11 spaces fill up with a variety of hoopers from around Australia.
The whole process felt strangely maternal. The night before leaving Melbourne, two days prior to the beginning of the weekend, Bunny and I felt our strongest labouring over the whole project; sans the pain. Our baby was arriving. We were overjoyed to celebrate and welcome it into the world.
11 talented women and two divine men gathered for Hoop Journey Sydney 2012; 13 – a numeric affirmation. They came with the brief to present a project; their project. Keeping it open and alive at all times Hoop Journey set no parameters; simply asking the journeyers to come prepared to share and experience, to immerse and create. Hoop Journey manuals set out the process, Bunny and I guided the experiences and the journeyers took their projects to new heights of actualization. In hindsight I don’t think any of us were prepared enough; prepared for the magic that was created.
Day 1 kicked off with a round circle sharing of journeys, dreams and projects; continued with training, visioning, expansion and mentoring; culminating with a slumber party, hoop crush projections and toasting our collective growth. Day 2 kicked us into overdrive, the day of presentation, designed specifically to allow all journeyers the authentic experience of putting their projects out there, performing to the audience, sharing their art and soul; including the emotional and spiritual expectations, the egoic surrender, the physical and time restraints, the styling, make up and lights, camera, action of it all. The results were nothing short of phenomenal. We all collapsed on the coach at the end of a lively day two for a heartfelt, emotional and life affirming feedback session. The journeyers, collectively and individually, had expanded not only their projects but their future visions and action plans. Transformation had taken place; for us all.
