Friday, January 22, 2010
Hoopies!
Voting for 2010 Hoopies is currently underway visit www.hooping.org to participate! Congratulations to all of the amazing nominees!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
An intention for fun in 2010
Have more fun. Connect more deeply with my body and my breath. Learn something new everyday. . . If you are like me, you have probably set a bunch of new years intentions designed to make sure that 2010 is the best year to date. How does hooping fit in? Don’t let the cold weather stop you from learning to hoop or take your hoop practice to a whole new level. I am offering a bunch of new classes this winter designed to challenge, inspire and move your body!
FREE CLASSES
Friday, January 8, 7-8:30pm Intro to Hoop
Blue Heron Wellness Center
10723-B Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20901
http://www.blueheronwellness.
Blue Heron Wellness Center
10723-B Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20901
http://www.blueheronwellness.
Wednesday, January 13, 8:30-9:30pm HoopGirl Workout Level 1
Thursday, January 14, 6-7pm Yoga Groove
Thursday, January 14, 7-8 Multi-Level Hoop
Contradiction Dance @ Roundhouse Education Theater
925 Wayne Ave Silver Spring MD 20910
PREREGISTER FOR FREE CLASS SPACE IS LIMITED: www.contradictiondance.com
Thursday, January 14, 6-7pm Yoga Groove
Thursday, January 14, 7-8 Multi-Level Hoop
Contradiction Dance @ Roundhouse Education Theater
925 Wayne Ave Silver Spring MD 20910
PREREGISTER FOR FREE CLASS SPACE IS LIMITED: www.contradictiondance.com
Winter Class Schedule
Sundays 1/10-1/31, Josephine Butler Center, Washington DC
4-5pm “Beyond Basics” You have the basics, you can hoop on your waist and you can do some fun tricks, but what’s next? How can you take your hooping to the next level? We will refine our hoop technique through challenging exercises and learn intermediate and advanced moves.
Register here: http://multilevelhoop.
4-5pm “Beyond Basics” You have the basics, you can hoop on your waist and you can do some fun tricks, but what’s next? How can you take your hooping to the next level? We will refine our hoop technique through challenging exercises and learn intermediate and advanced moves.
Register here: http://multilevelhoop.
5-6pm “HoopGirl Workout Level 1” is feel-good fitness! Learn to hoop on your torso, arms, legs, and off body in elaborate arcs, spins and jumps. Team-building activities build a sense of community and create laughter. Performance opportunities allow us each to shine and feel appreciation and joy. A variety of music -- from electronic house music, R&B to classical and world music will provide a rich tapestry of sound for your dance. Register here: http://hoopgirllevel1.
Josephine Butler Center is located at 2437 15th St., NW Washington DC
Wednesdays 1/13-3/24, Contradiction Dance@ Round House Theater Education Center, Silver Spring
8:30-9:30pm HoopGirl Level 1 Workout
Register here: http://contradictionclasses.
Thursdays 1/14-3/2, Contradiction Dance @ Round House Theater Education Center, Silver Spring
6-7 “Yoga Groove” Suitable for all levels, get into the groove in this flow-based yoga class designed especially for dancers, actors, performers or anyone who wants to move their bodies. Influenced heavily by both the Ashtanga and Iyengar systems of yoga, but with the creative approach to organic movement that Contradiction Dance is known, Yoga Groove will strengthen and stretch your muscles. So come wiggle with us and you may even find your perspective turned upside down.
Fridays January 15-February 5, Blue Heron Wellness Center, Silver Spring
7:30-8:45pm Movement Medley (Hoop class on January 15)
This four part series will include Hoop dance, Belly dance, Nia, and Zumba. Each Friday night come explore different types of movement. Learn to hoop on your torso, arms, legs and off body in elaborate arcs, spins and jumps. Enjoy traditional belly dance class plus chi gong inspired moving meditations. Nia is expressive, barefooted, dance/fitness practice that addresses the unique and ever-changing needs of your thinking and feeling body. Zumba® fuses hypnotic latin rhythms and easy to follow moves to create a dynamic fitness program that will blow you away. Reap the physical benefits from this wonderful movement medley and feel full of confidence, inner radiance, power and poise. Register here: http://www.blueheronwellness.
This four part series will include Hoop dance, Belly dance, Nia, and Zumba. Each Friday night come explore different types of movement. Learn to hoop on your torso, arms, legs and off body in elaborate arcs, spins and jumps. Enjoy traditional belly dance class plus chi gong inspired moving meditations. Nia is expressive, barefooted, dance/fitness practice that addresses the unique and ever-changing needs of your thinking and feeling body. Zumba® fuses hypnotic latin rhythms and easy to follow moves to create a dynamic fitness program that will blow you away. Reap the physical benefits from this wonderful movement medley and feel full of confidence, inner radiance, power and poise. Register here: http://www.blueheronwellness.
Happy New Year and I hope to see you soon!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
First Lady Hoops to promote Healthy US Schools
I have been really enjoying my work with kids over the last several months through hoop, yoga, and art. Fun to see that the first lady agrees that hooping is a fun way to stay in shape!
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/the-first-ladys-hoops/?hp
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/the-first-ladys-hoops/?hp
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Hooping Manifesto!
SaFire, an awesome hooper from Canada who has been getting international attention for her hooping tutorial's, her hooping community HoopCity, and for just being a general badass all the way around, has created a "Hooping Manifesto" which shows her process with the hoop. I think the lessons here are inspiring as life lessons beyond the hoop! I want to share this with all of my fellow hoop enthusiasts and especially my students who roll their eyes at me when I squeek with delight at their successes and act as a pep squad when they are learning telling them to keep practicing and it will come :)
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
A VISION and a PURPOSE
I think I have had a bit of a breakthrough tonight about my vision for my business! I have been working on building my hoopdance and yoga business. However, I haven't been able to escape the feeling that teaching hoopdance classes is only a part of the picture of what I want to be doing and I have been having trouble grasping that other piece.
I went to an event tonight about social entreprenuership. The speaker at the event told his story of how he started his nonprofit organization. It always charges me up to meet people who are motivated change makers, but I left the event feeling like I wasn't completely sure that I got what I wanted out of it. I was late to the event, so I didn't get a chance to hear what every individual story in the room, but it seemed like the topic of the discussion was generally just a discussion of nonprofit management and using a fancy newfangled title of "Social Entrepreneurship" to describe it. Those types of endeavors are noble, but in terms of my own work that kind of model just isn't resonating with me.
I realized that what has been inspiring me lately was people starting businesses with an aim toward creating social change. Just yesterday, I was having lunch yesterday with a local entrepreneur who was telling me about how he mentors inner city kids in DC and how his commitment to giving back to the community was part of his business model and it really got me thinking about what I really wanted to do to give back and what that meant to me. Quite honestly answering this question was causing me to draw a HUGE blank. I started thinking about the issues that I really truly care about. The issues historically that interest me are women's choice issues, protection of the environment, work/ economy issues, and self/esteem body issues.
Joel was the one to point out to me the obvious link to self esteem and body issues. I nearly dismissed his thought as it is something that I have thought before. I have said many times that to me, the most interesting part of teaching hoopdance is watching the evolution of my students who come in on the first day of class with all sorts of bad feelings about themselves that get in the way from learning how to do it. They tell me "I'm clumsy" and "I'm not graceful." On one hand these students frustrate me, because I can see so clearly how they way they are thinking about themselves is the only thing getting in their way. But more than anything, I just completely relate to these students, because I have struggled with these feelings about myself nearly every moment of my life.
When someone compliments my hooping or says something like, "You make it look so easy." I laugh because I know what a hard path it was to get even where I am now. I was not a natural hoopdancer or even a dancer! It took a lot of practice to give me the confidence that I have now. I still struggle with these feelings, but every day I feel stronger, and healthier, and more graceful of a dancer!
Relating hoopdance to self esteem issues is not a new business concept! In fact, three of my most pivotal teachers strongly include this type of messaging into their teaching. My first teacher in object manipulation was Isa "Glittergirl" her own story with her struggle with weight issues and how she overcame that through fire dancing has always inspired me. Likewise, my hoop guru Baxter teaches hoopdance as a way to overcome depression and he has been very forthcoming about how hoopdance helped him tackle depression. His retreats are incredibly powerful and healing to me partially because I feel like he is reading my darkest thoughts. Last, but certainly not least, the entire Hoopgirl business is built on a principal of "Feeling Good." I strongly connected with the techniques and discussions we had in my teacher training about how to help people feel good about themselves in my classes and through hoopdance and I have long admired Christabel for her authenticity and willingness to share her own story of going from an out of shape graduate student to a drop dead gorgeous glamazon.
A recent article in TIME magazine: http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1925330,00.html highlighted the transformational benefits of hooping. While I was super excited for national spotlight on hooping (I heard about it all weekend long from people I met at my festivals and performances), I was a little unsettled by the focus of the article on weight loss. Weight loss is sexy. Weight loss sells magazines. Weight loss sells hoops. Weight loss can be a very healthy thing for people. Especially people who are very overweight, and positive examples like these can help people reach their goals. But when someone asks me if hoopdance will help them lose weight I stumble a bit when I answer. I stumble because I can't guarentee that. Weight loss occurs when one is burning more calories than they consume. An exercise regime can help, but nutrition has to play a key role as well. I have no doubt that hoopdance can help people achieve their fitness goals. Early on in my hoopdance practice, I also lost some weight (there were other factors as well) but hoopdance certainly played a role.
Beyond the mere fact of not wanting to make false promises, I realize that I am just sensitive to messaging involving weight loss. I have struggled with body and eating issues for nearly my entire life. And I am pretty sure that I am finally free of it, because I find myself weighing more than I ever have in my life, but feeling the best about myself than I ever have! Between hoopdance and yoga, I am getting more exercise than ever. A funny side note to this story is that I was shocked to discover upon finishing my yoga teacher training program that I had gained 5 pounds in that month! In the past this discovery would have devastated me into a spiral of self-loathing and depression that would have lead me into to destructive behaviors. But this time, it has me giggling and wanting to pick up a banana instead of a chocolate bar, and motivates me even more to stay even more active with my yoga, hoop and dance classes. I know that by doing what I love I will easily maintain a healthy weight.
In terms of my business, I am feeling really charged up to integrate this even more fully into my vision for the future. I love teaching people to be amazing hoopers and yogis, but what really excites me is getting people to feel better about themselves. (And the best thing is that as I help others, I also ended up helping myself and making myself stronger as well).
This idea has my mind spinning about all of the possible directions this can go from nonprofit partnerships, book ideas, articles, and curriculum for seminars and youth programs. My mind is whirling with possibilities! And this feels good because it is the first time in a long time that I have felt VISION and perhaps even more importantly a PURPOSE.
I went to an event tonight about social entreprenuership. The speaker at the event told his story of how he started his nonprofit organization. It always charges me up to meet people who are motivated change makers, but I left the event feeling like I wasn't completely sure that I got what I wanted out of it. I was late to the event, so I didn't get a chance to hear what every individual story in the room, but it seemed like the topic of the discussion was generally just a discussion of nonprofit management and using a fancy newfangled title of "Social Entrepreneurship" to describe it. Those types of endeavors are noble, but in terms of my own work that kind of model just isn't resonating with me.
I realized that what has been inspiring me lately was people starting businesses with an aim toward creating social change. Just yesterday, I was having lunch yesterday with a local entrepreneur who was telling me about how he mentors inner city kids in DC and how his commitment to giving back to the community was part of his business model and it really got me thinking about what I really wanted to do to give back and what that meant to me. Quite honestly answering this question was causing me to draw a HUGE blank. I started thinking about the issues that I really truly care about. The issues historically that interest me are women's choice issues, protection of the environment, work/ economy issues, and self/esteem body issues.
Joel was the one to point out to me the obvious link to self esteem and body issues. I nearly dismissed his thought as it is something that I have thought before. I have said many times that to me, the most interesting part of teaching hoopdance is watching the evolution of my students who come in on the first day of class with all sorts of bad feelings about themselves that get in the way from learning how to do it. They tell me "I'm clumsy" and "I'm not graceful." On one hand these students frustrate me, because I can see so clearly how they way they are thinking about themselves is the only thing getting in their way. But more than anything, I just completely relate to these students, because I have struggled with these feelings about myself nearly every moment of my life.
When someone compliments my hooping or says something like, "You make it look so easy." I laugh because I know what a hard path it was to get even where I am now. I was not a natural hoopdancer or even a dancer! It took a lot of practice to give me the confidence that I have now. I still struggle with these feelings, but every day I feel stronger, and healthier, and more graceful of a dancer!
Relating hoopdance to self esteem issues is not a new business concept! In fact, three of my most pivotal teachers strongly include this type of messaging into their teaching. My first teacher in object manipulation was Isa "Glittergirl" her own story with her struggle with weight issues and how she overcame that through fire dancing has always inspired me. Likewise, my hoop guru Baxter teaches hoopdance as a way to overcome depression and he has been very forthcoming about how hoopdance helped him tackle depression. His retreats are incredibly powerful and healing to me partially because I feel like he is reading my darkest thoughts. Last, but certainly not least, the entire Hoopgirl business is built on a principal of "Feeling Good." I strongly connected with the techniques and discussions we had in my teacher training about how to help people feel good about themselves in my classes and through hoopdance and I have long admired Christabel for her authenticity and willingness to share her own story of going from an out of shape graduate student to a drop dead gorgeous glamazon.
A recent article in TIME magazine: http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1925330,00.html highlighted the transformational benefits of hooping. While I was super excited for national spotlight on hooping (I heard about it all weekend long from people I met at my festivals and performances), I was a little unsettled by the focus of the article on weight loss. Weight loss is sexy. Weight loss sells magazines. Weight loss sells hoops. Weight loss can be a very healthy thing for people. Especially people who are very overweight, and positive examples like these can help people reach their goals. But when someone asks me if hoopdance will help them lose weight I stumble a bit when I answer. I stumble because I can't guarentee that. Weight loss occurs when one is burning more calories than they consume. An exercise regime can help, but nutrition has to play a key role as well. I have no doubt that hoopdance can help people achieve their fitness goals. Early on in my hoopdance practice, I also lost some weight (there were other factors as well) but hoopdance certainly played a role.
Beyond the mere fact of not wanting to make false promises, I realize that I am just sensitive to messaging involving weight loss. I have struggled with body and eating issues for nearly my entire life. And I am pretty sure that I am finally free of it, because I find myself weighing more than I ever have in my life, but feeling the best about myself than I ever have! Between hoopdance and yoga, I am getting more exercise than ever. A funny side note to this story is that I was shocked to discover upon finishing my yoga teacher training program that I had gained 5 pounds in that month! In the past this discovery would have devastated me into a spiral of self-loathing and depression that would have lead me into to destructive behaviors. But this time, it has me giggling and wanting to pick up a banana instead of a chocolate bar, and motivates me even more to stay even more active with my yoga, hoop and dance classes. I know that by doing what I love I will easily maintain a healthy weight.
In terms of my business, I am feeling really charged up to integrate this even more fully into my vision for the future. I love teaching people to be amazing hoopers and yogis, but what really excites me is getting people to feel better about themselves. (And the best thing is that as I help others, I also ended up helping myself and making myself stronger as well).
This idea has my mind spinning about all of the possible directions this can go from nonprofit partnerships, book ideas, articles, and curriculum for seminars and youth programs. My mind is whirling with possibilities! And this feels good because it is the first time in a long time that I have felt VISION and perhaps even more importantly a PURPOSE.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Time Magazine recognizes Hoopdance Revolution!
Wow, it was fun seeing this article about Hoopdance in TIME magazine this week. I particularly related to Christabel Zamour's story about getting into hoopdance. When I first started hoopdancing I was overweight and clumsy. My hoop path has been slow, but steady and now 6 years later I am still LOVING getting my groove on with my hoop. My hoop is the one piece of exercise that I have ever owned that doesn't collect dust in a corner.
Hula Hoops: From Child's Play to Real Exercise
Hula Hoops: From Child's Play to Real Exercise
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Yoga, Hoopdance and Carfree Celebrations!
So far this week has been a whirlwind of fun opportunities to introduce people back to the Hoop! On Saturday, I had a fun opportunity to work with my colleague Jocelyn Gordon doing a choreographed hoop performance and demo at Glolal Mala, a fun yoga event attended by over 100 people! (After we did 108 sun salutations and whew my hamstrings are still talking to me about it!) This event was really special for me as I just finished my 200-hour Yoga Teacher training and I am eager for opportunities combining these two passions.
On Tuesday, I hosted a hoop jam at CarFree DC a festival held to encourage people to get out of their cars for a day. I have to say this event hit the mark for me as the type of event I want to do more of and I was really grateful for the opportunity! First off, it was for a great cause that I totally believe in, secondly, it exposed hoopdance to a whole new group of people and I was really excited about the openness and enthusiasm shown by adults wearing their work clothes. Third, it once again proved that hoops make every event way more fun!
So far my classes this week have been really fun too and I am feeling very energized towards my mission of getting people moving and hooping!
On Tuesday, I hosted a hoop jam at CarFree DC a festival held to encourage people to get out of their cars for a day. I have to say this event hit the mark for me as the type of event I want to do more of and I was really grateful for the opportunity! First off, it was for a great cause that I totally believe in, secondly, it exposed hoopdance to a whole new group of people and I was really excited about the openness and enthusiasm shown by adults wearing their work clothes. Third, it once again proved that hoops make every event way more fun!
So far my classes this week have been really fun too and I am feeling very energized towards my mission of getting people moving and hooping!
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