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!