June session begins this monday!!

Halo to All!!

What a crazy time the past few weeks have been. I did my first ever performance and it was a blast! What beautiful feedback and loving support from my family and community! Love to you all!

I have a new session starting this coming Monday June 14. It will be the last session of the summer as things become more busy and people are away more, I thought I would take the opportunity to do so too! I'll be away from the city as much as possible this summer, but coming back every now and again to work and play! Keep checking here for updates on jams in the parks. These will be bring your own drum and play and pay what-you-can hoop classes. I'll host a little mini-class of half-an=hour and then hoop till you droop. FUN FUN FUN... yeeeeeeeeeeeeee....

In other news, after the "hoop-demo" at the GUELPH CONTEMPORARY DANCE FESTIVAL last friday was over, I felt a great relief, but also a surge of inspiration. I've been making things like mad to take with me to FAERY FEST this coming June 18-20th weekend. It's a lovely free festival open to all ages. I'll be doing two workshops there - free!! I think they are Saturday and Sunday both around 3:30. Come and find me and learn some basic hoop=fun...in costume, of course! You can also check out some of my crafty-goods. I've been necklacing like mad, and faery hat making, of course. Some goods will be on my other blog shortly (and etsy, of course)....

I will keep you posted here on news from the hoop=scene in and around Guelph and I hope everyone has a fun, dance-filled, life-loving summer!!

GUELPH CONTEMPORARY DANCE FESTIVAL!! Friday June 4 2010

Yay for dance and play!

I am so excited to do a little "Hoop-demonstration" tomorrow at the Noon-time series of the Guelph Contemporary Dance Festival. There are lots of amazing dancers, as always, so be sure to check out the noon-time series AND the Site-Specifics AND the crazy stuff going on INSIDE at the River Run. It's always beautiful and often boggling...

This will be my first "official" demo of any kind and I am excited and also a little nervous...Hope to see lots of people out enjoying the Arts and Contributing to the Pay-what-you-can box!

I also came across a great article about a fellow hooper in Toronto - great news and general info about hooping, check it out! You can also see her website through the link on the sidebar for HOOP TORONTO...Awesome!

Cheers for now - more info on hoop classes and jams coming very very very soon!

HOOPING OUTSIDE, teen class?? and Waldorf Fair

Halo!! EEps - it has been sooooooooo waaaaaaaaaaaay toooo long since I have posted! I got a new part-time job and on top of all my little dreams and stitches and hooping it seems to have caused a little bit of a traffic-jam in my head! But happily I visited my dream-home today (the forest) and that seems to have helped re-inspire the aspiration to get my bum in gear and share and move and groove and sail! Soooooo....

I am going to be working on upgrading the blog and I have the option to add pages now, so that is going to happen soon. I will have a page with the latest class info, and any events in the next month or so. I will also create a page with directions and such to the class, and another with video links and loves and tricks that we learn in the class so that things will be easily accesible if you want to remind yourself during the week on how to do something!!

This post is mostly just a little blurb about how things have been going and to watch out for little notes on the door...if it's nice we will be hooping OUTSIDE!! There is a lovely green space just between the Church and the River Run Centre, along the path there along the river. I think it should be big enough for all of us and any way-wanderers that chance upon us in the lovely evening air and want to join in! We will not have the music, but we will have soft grass, birdsong and the ever-fresh air of the Speed in Guelph (uh...yes, a little sarcasm, sorry!)...I am keeping my spot at the church, though, and keeping it close to there just in case there is rain or something!!

I have been leaving a little pink flyer note on the door with "Mitchell Hall" on it - to remind/tell people where we are in the church - soooo, if the note says "outside" then just turn around and you should see us!

ALSO....I have been asked to teach a "kids/teen" class - more older (mature 11) 12-18 year old or so...(Um, when do you stop being a kid? I am not sure about that...) but at this point we are thinking Tuesday evenings in Palmer Hall at St. Georges - sometime around 7pm. If you are interested and want more info, please email me. We need at least 7 to confirm to make it a go!! We'd love to do it soon, so pass it on!!

I am also doing some demonstrations and little workshops at the Waldorf Spring Fair at the Waldorf School in Guelph. This is an absolutely beautiful school and philosophy - if you have kids and haven't been before it is totally worth it. Lovely activities for kids and yummy foods and wonder-filled community. Pop by and see what it's all about MAY 8th...

Please please feel free to email me with any questions!

NO CLASS ON EASTER MONDAY

and not just because I won't be in town...

The Church is closed for user groups on Holy-days, so we won't be able to use the space. I think people might be too full of eggs, anyways, so may be best to wait till the following monday...

APRIL 12 when the new April session starts!! Come next week to the last class of the March Session to get a head start on April...

Join up and learn some tricks to dazzle your friends with at your next family Bar-B-Q. Buy a hoop and watch the fun begin: there is just no resisting the swivel swivel HOOP of hoopdancing outside at family functions. It is sure to get people laughing and grooving. In a good way!

Play and Be Merry!

Tactical treats

Sooooo...I've been meaning to do this one for a while. . . here are some links to some tutorials and videos I love by some great hoopers out there....

This guy is AMAZING with the illusion/isolation hoops. Very inspiring...

Here is the tutorial I followed to learn "the vortex". . . fun...

Next week we'll be learning some jump throughs..., and another...

Here is a wonderfully inspiring hooper - I love her style and creativity. There are really so many out there - once you get into watching some of these, it's hard to stop...

Here is the waist to chest (and then to neck) video. This is a great one...

Let me know if there are more you are interested in - seriously you can just go on you tube and type in some kind of description of the trick you want to see and you'll probably find it. Otherwise let me know and I'll seek out some more links!

As most people who've been attending can attest to - the learning happens really quick when you learn right from someone. And even faster if you practice!! Come on out and enjoy some fun with fellow Hoop-dancers!!

MARCH SESSION begins today!!

Yay! And spring has been teasing us all weekend, just asking us to come outside and revel! And most of us probably did.

I was working on my pipes this weekend. In both senses! Wrestling that pipe into hoops is sometimes harder than you'd think. I did have to ask my Strong-Arm Man to help a couple times. They are pretty much done - some decorating today (hopefully in the sunshine) and they'll be ready to find new owners tonight!

If you haven't gotten a travel hoop yet - you might want to consider it. Especially if you like to bike and walk places. These hoops (CAREFULLY!) fold up and can fit into a bag, or be tethered and tied over your shoulder. ALOT easier to transport than a full-on open hoop. Believe me, I've biked and walked a good number of places with the open ones. They are cumbersome. I am working on hoop bags and tethers to sell alongside the collapsable ones. Keep an eye out for me at the GUELPH FARMERS MARKET some weekend soon, hooping and promoting in the back parking lot area (unless they'll let me go out front, which I am thinking of asking this time...).

Pictures of the new hoops will be up this week. I am trying out new tapes and such that feel less toxic to me. And I am sourcing RECYCLED pipe!! So excited to be able to make these things a little more sustainable. The upside: if you care for you hoop, it should pretty much last indefinitely.

Come stop by a class to see what it's all about, everyone is super friendly! Don't be shy if you think you "just can't keep it up." That's what the class is for! You can learn a few tricks and use a hoop that is THE RIGHT SIZE and weight for you, and it's infinitely easier. I don't think anyone I know can really keep those K-Mart lightweight plastic hoops up, either. These hoops are hefty and Large! (Well, some of them, I did make some pixie-hoops, too) They are designed to move with momentum and give you a great workout!

Come on and Get Fit for Spring!! Cheers!

Getting Ready for spring and making new HOOPS

eeee! The birds are singing, the air is warming! Spring is in the air!

I have been thoroughly enjoying winter, but after a good no-sleeved hoop outside this weekend, I think I have my first bout of spring fever! The warm sun, the bare arms, and soon, the bare feet in the mud.

That's one of the things I LOVE so much about hooping - you can exercise bare-footed! You don't need fancy clothes, you don't need fancy shoes, just your courage and a HOOP.

Really, you don't even need a hoop. You could just dance around the house and yard without a hoop - it really is fun, too, but the Hoop definitely lends you a little sense of purpose and I find keeps me going for longer. It would be rare for me to dance about by myself for 3 hours in the front yard - but HOOP? No Problem!

I am getting ready for the March session coming up. I found the last little bit of hockey tape in my house and am bringing it tonight to add some friction to some of the slippy hoops. I am going to make a new batch of hoops this week, too, so if you think you might like one, drop me a line and let me know which colours you would prefer! I am going to be using all cotton (hockey) tape on most of my hoops from now on, until I order some non-vinyl tape online or else get a specific request from someone.

This tape tends to get scratched up a little more easily, but in return it offers grip and less stinkiness, when new. The hockey tape can feel a little bit rough on your skin when it in it's infancy, but I have found that it softens up quite a bit over time. I recommend keeping these hoops inside or out of direct sunlight, though, if you don't want the colours to fade. I leave all my hoops outside in chaotic piles in the summer, and the bright cheerful colours of the hockey tape have definitely faded over time. I will be keeping my new friends indoors.

I have been very very very insanely busy (for me) lately and this week is a crazy one too, but I hope to get flyers and posters out this week or next. Please pass the word about Hoopdance classes, and help to save me from becoming a scullery maid! ;)

In the words of two wise tv personalities from my tween years, KEEP FIT and HAVE FUN.

cheers!