Hoopies!

Voting for 2010 Hoopies is currently underway visit www.hooping.org to participate! Congratulations to all of the amazing nominees!

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.com/workshops.html#hoop

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

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.eventbrite.com

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.eventbrite.com

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.eventbrite.com/

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.

7-8pm “Beyond Basics”
Register here: http://contradictionclasses.eventbrite.com/

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.com/workshops.html#hoop

Happy New Year and I hope to see you soon!

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

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 :)

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.

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

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!

Solo hooping on a Monday afternoon!

I am feeling grateful that my schedule allowed me today to take advantage of the beautiful sunny day with a solo hoop session at the park by my house. It has been far too long since I had a hoop practice session by myself, just for the joy of hooping. I set my little ipod speakers and went at it. Feeling myself becoming more relexive and graceful with every beat and delighting myself by landing tricks that I have been working on for some time, but haven't practiced for a while. It was a good reminder that while classes and group hoop jams can be fun, solo practice is essential. Feeling blessed to enjoy such a beautiful day with myself.

Feeling lots of Gratitude for My Hoop Students!

(I recently filmed this demo for Arlington Independent Media.)

Tuesday evening was the last class of the Summer session at Contradiction Dance. I am truly grateful for the fun loving women that comprised my first SOLD OUT class session. It was a really nice experience to grow with a class of consistent students and be witness to their growth over eight weeks. Each week I looked forward to coming into class and put a lot of thought into both the principle and the body part focus for each class and how I could connect with the students and inspire them to find their own unique hoopdance. Each week I left the class blessed for their earnest willingness to try something new and for their constant feedback!

I have a couple weeks off before the new session begins. I am excited to be offering two weekly classes in the fall and one brand new class at a new dance studio Joe's Movement Emporium! (I am subbing my dear friend Noelle Powers regular class while she goes traveling).

Here is the Fall Schedule:

HoopGirl Workout Level 1
Wednesdays 7:00-8:00pm Starting September 9!
Joe's Movement Emporium
3309 Bunker Hill Road
Mt. Ranier, MD

Hoopdance Level 2
Thursdays 7:00 - 8:00 pm starting September 17!
Click HERE to register
Contradiction Dance @ Echo Park
7014 Westmoreland Ave, A
Takoma Park, 20912

Come see me perform at the Vixen Variety Show this Friday!

Ladies & Gentlemen

may I have your attention Please? Vixen variety is brining you our 1st birthday, one Year Anniversary Show... not Thursday, but Friday August 7th, 2009! This Retroactive Rarities Show will take us on a journey to re-visit some of our favorite performances form the Vixen Show over the last 12 months. Join Ginger Leigh the Burlesque Beauty, Private Tails the Tap dancing Tassel Turner, Andy Roginous as the Cat in the Hat, Suprise as Fox in Sox, Ken Vegas the Mad Hatter, Jayson as the White Rabbit, Poppy La Rouge as Eve, Moira Lee our aerialist and your host the Fire Dancing Belladonna! You don't want to miss this once in a life time opportunity to see these unique and entertaining performances all in one show. As Vixen Variety brings you Retroactive Rarities!

Come celebrate our Anniversary with us!

Palace of Wonders

1210 H st NE WDC

www.PalaceofWonders.com

$10

9:00 (show starts at 10, arrive early to get a good seat)

Festival Fun

I am finally catching my breath after three straight weeks of out of town festivals and performances. July has been an incredible and exciting time of sharing my love of the hoop with the masses. The first festival I was delighted to be asked to perform at was the All Good festival. I was asked my one of my best friends and one of the most talented hoopers I know, Michele Clark to come and hoop and help out as she taught workshops during this fun festival with many of my favorite bands. We were joined by Brecken Rivera and Julia Hartsell (HoopDrum and Hoop Convergence). I was beyond honored to share hoop time with these insanely talented and fun loving hoopers. (Search for them on Youtube if you want to see some amazing hoopers!)

This past weekend, I went to FloydFest with my Fire Performance Troupe DanceAFire where we performed our piece "Nacho Fuego" each night and facilitated a safe fire performance area for other fire dancers. The festival was incredibly well run and we were treated exceptionally well and once again it was an honor to perform with Michele Clark and Julia Hartsell. I also managed to catch several AWE INSPIRING hoop performances by Spiral who performed with Blues Traveler, the Yard Dogs Road Show and many other fantastic bands.

I also discovered a new FAVORITE BAND. . . EOTO. Their music totally rocks, and at the end of their set the band sent out some beers to a few of us hooping at the side of the stage. "These are from the band, thanks for hooping" we were told as we were handed an ice cold beer.

New Class Session Starting June 30!

Starting Tuesday, June 30 6:30-7:30pm I will be offering the Hoopgirl Beginner Workout at Contradiction Dance. This class is suitable for all ages! The class will be 8 weeks long and will cost $104. You can register here: http://summeradult.eventbrite.com/

WHAT IS THE HOOPGIRL® WORKOUT?
The HoopGirl® Workout is feel-good fitness! Learn to hoop on your torso, arms, legs, and off body in elaborate arcs, spins and jumps. Hoopdance can help you feel full of confidence, inner radiance, power and poise. Explore pleasure as your primary motivation for movement. You learn how to navigate using feeling instead of sight or thought -- becoming responsive, breathing deeply, and creating fluid transitions. Special attention is given to micromovements of the body, working with the downbeat, freeing the head, unleashing your own style. Guidance for performance given throughout class. Free yourself in ecstatic undulation, experiment with vocal release, and express attitude and spunk! 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.

What is covered in the HoopGirl® Workout for Beginners?
No experience neccessary! The extended class time in this series allows for lots of one-on-one attention and detailed instruction. You will explore dancing while hooping, with ample time to master moves. Each day is devoted to increasing awareness in a different part of the body while working with a specific principle of hoopdance.

Bring your Hoop Day at Artomatic!

I just received some bad news about our planned fire performance at Artomatic. . . the powers that be have deemed that there will be no fire at Artomatic tonight. While this is disappointing, it does not derail our plans for an awesome performance, especially since the cornerstone of the act tonight involved a 10-person hoop routine featuring many awesome people from our community (including a few that may surprise you). We had also planned to pepper the fire performances with LED and regular hoop performance anyway. To fill the other time in our two hour performance slot, I am declaring tonight BRING your HOOP to Artomatic day. After our planned performances we can have a good ol' fashioned hoop jam in front of Artomatic.

We will be hooping from 9-11. Hope to see you there!

PS If you are dying for fire dance, I would go to the Tilted Torch at the Palace of Wonders tonight. Awesome performers lined up!
PPS I will post tomorrow an update about fire for tomorrow. But you shouldn't miss Artomatic tomorrow. . . Flush Gordon vs. The Criminal Union of Nefarious Treachery at 10:30 and more hoops and hopefully fire from 8-10.
PPS Final hoop classes at Contradiction Dance until June 29 Sunday at 3:30pm and a special class on Tuesday at 6:30pm

Final Weirdo Show at the Palace of Wonders

(Photo from May 2 Tilted Torch Show at Palace)

It is a great honor to be sharing the stage at the Palace of Wonders tomorrow with so many amazing DC performers, including the amazing Malibu (who I will be doing a fun choreographed number with). I also participate with something of a heavy heart since I am sad that the Weirdo Show will be ending. Professor Sprocket has been hugely supportive of my performance endeavors since I arrived in DC and I look forward to seeing his new projects develop.

So come one and all to the FINAL Weirdo Show and check out Malibu and Surprise! with our special show closer number.

Demo a Success!

At noon today I taught a Demo at Thomas Circle Sports Club and it was really fun. The students all picked up the moves really easily and had wonderful attitudes about picking up the hoop. There was even an experienced hooper in the room! It was fun for me to see that my classes really do translate well into the fitness setting. It was also awesome to see that a few people would venture out on their lunch hour to take a class. I would like to teach more classes during the week days since my evenings and weekend days fill-up so quickly. I can really see the benefit of taking a break during the day to get moving and hooping. When I think of how great hooping feels, it is clear that a mid-day session could have the power to transform the entire rest of your day!

I would love ideas about other gyms or locations that might work well for lunchtime classes.

I wanted to share this fantastic picture from the Tilted Torch at the Palace of Wonders on May 2, 2009. The theme was "Bipolar" so during the first set we were sweet and during the second we were evil. This is from the evil set.

Converging at the Hoop Convergence

Wow, what an awesome weekend! It is very rare where I can go to a movement class and learn something new in every single class. I can't wait to share tons of new tricks. Also, I have a new obsession. . . MINI HOOPS.

Connecting with hoopers from all over the place was amazing, but connecting more deeply with our local hoop crew was a definite highlight for me. My friends Michele and Brecken are quickly turning into international hoop celebrities. It has been a true honor to watch them progress and grow into their mind blowing and unique hoop styles and recieve the recognition that they deserve. It was also a pleasure to see local hoop teacher Jocelyn Gordon play a key role in grounding out the conference with her peaceful and loving meditation and yoga, I deeply admire her energy and have deep gratitude towards this energy (it recently got me through a successful film shooting). It was also awesome to share space with local hoopstars Noelle, Shanna, Beth, Max, Jaguer Mary, and Tina B. were just plain fun to hang out with and hoop with and I was so proud to know such an amazing crew and consider them my peeps.

The best part is that we all left the Convergence, with a renewed excitement to hoop more together and to collaborate more deeply.

This weekend there are two fun opportunities to hoop together. On Saturday a group is meeting at the Tidal Basin at 5:00pm and on Sunday a group is meeting at Malcolm X Park at 5ish to rock out the drum circle. I will be at Malcolm X and I hope to see you there!

T-shirts have arrived!!

Yay! I picked up the t-shirts yesterday and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them! I am offering $5 off through the Hoop Convergence. Email me if you want one: info@surprisehoops.com

CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO SEE A BIGGER VIEW.

Design 1 DC Hoopin'

Medium Camo Tank $25 (feels more like a Small)















DC Hoopin' Eggplant Style Dress Tank in either PINK or LIME GREEN available in Small, Medium, Large $35















DESIGN 2: Hoop Zen Dancing with the Cosmic Flow of the Universe
Available in Women Black Tank Small, Medium, Large or Men's Large T-shirt $25

Going blind

Yesterday morning I listened to a Dharma Talk Podcast by Tara Brach, a Buddhist meditation teacher here in DC that I have recently been turned on to. In the talk she was discussing how frequently our intentions are narrowly focused and self serving and the importance of being more expansive in our intention setting. I started thinking about how this applied to the practice of hooping, so frequently in class we are focused on learning new tricks and we are also very concerned about how we look and how we are performing.

Hoopdance can be an incredible connective and performance oriented experience, but it can also be an internal and meditative experience.

I am mentally gearing up for the Hoop Convergence a meet-up of some of the most incredible hoopers from across the country this weekend. In this setting, it is easy to be awed by the grace and talents of others. And I must admit that surrounded by such gorgeous and talented beings, sometimes I struggle with insecurities about my own skill, or appearance, or grace.

Reflecting on this, I decided that it was a good class to explore blindfolded hooping in my class to encourage my students to deepen their internal practice. Blindfolded hooping was first introduced to me by my hooping "guru" Jonathan Baxter.

Whenever I go blind, at first I feel a little tentative, but then slowly the world starts to dissolve and I am left with the sensation of the hoop making contact with my body and the feeling of the motion, velocity and gravity of the dance. I no longer care how I look, I get lost in the motion and the feeling of sincerely experiencing the NOW.

In my class, I took extra time to set intention for the practice and then I provided a safe space for students to go blind and then served as a guide to facilitate stretching, breathing, and releasing into the flow of the hoop. It was beautiful to watch as the dance went from tentative to full on release into the darkness and the moving meditation. The whole experience was beautiful and I am going to work on integrating this approach even more into my teaching style.

Tilted Torch presents Bipolar Show at the POW FRIDAY

I have spent most of today working on my routines for the inaugural Tilted Torch show at the Palace of Wonders on Friday evening. I am honored to be sharing the stage with DC legends of burlesque and fire dance. Mwah hahahahaha tee hee

Synchronized Hoop Dance