It is May and 4 months of 2015 have already flew by. The snow has finally melted, and the weather is beautiful. Now if only I had a proper yard to hoop in! Soon it will be time to get back out to Sunset Point for some evening hoop jams. I can't wait.
I have not hooped every day, but I do hoop most days. Hooping is never far from my mind.
Two and a half weeks ago was Hoop Path. Initially I didn't think I would be able to go to any of the days over the two weekends that Baxter was teaching in Toronto, which was a little disappointed. But last minute my schedule rearranged and I was able to attend 2 out of 3 days from the Masters weekend. It was so great to take a break from my Dream Chest Circus practice and go be with the Toronto Hoop Community, even if it was only for a little bit. I don't get to spend a lot of time with them, so I still feel a little shy when I'm around them and tend to stick to myself, but I am happy enough to just share their space and their energy. As always they are friendly and welcoming. And as always Baxter was a joy to listen to and learn from. I love how much attention he pays to simple movement, and exploring dance and music as opposed to drilling tech all the time. It inspired me to let go and just dance. I'm so thankful to have been able to attend even just a little bit of his Toronto workshops.
Most of my time this year was spent coming up with and practicing my choreography for Aerial Silks Collingwood's Dream Chest Circus production. The theme of the show was very dream-like, with the main character experiencing all these wonderful circus acts in her dreams. My hoop act was upbeat and playful, and I spent a lot of time trying to come up with something that would wow the audience but that I would still be able to pull off effortlessly. I would have loved to have thrown in some crazy tricks but I didn't want to do anything that I would be too worried about messing up. I think I came up with a good combination of dancing using both one and two hoops at different points in the routine. It flowed nicely and was fun to dance, and hopefully was fun to watch as well. I was nervous but not as nervous as I thought I would be. My biggest fear was tossing one of my hoops at someone in the audience. The whole experience of being in the show was amazing, and my routine went off without a hitch. I was so thrilled with how it went. I also performed a bellydance routine as well that I choreographed with the help of my bellydance partner, Lisa. That went well too and the whole show was a huge success.
I had spent so much time focusing on my routine that I started to find myself in a bit of a hooping rut. My hooping only seemed to revolve around practicing the routine, and it was getting a bit stale otherwise. Now that the first show is out of the way I've been able to relax and let go a bit, and my hooping has opened up and blossomed. That is usually the way, periods of rapid growth following periods of plateaus. I am loving my hoopdance and flow more than ever.
We have another Dream Chest Circus performance coming up on May 22 in Barrie, check out the Aerial Silks Collingwood website for ticket information and don't miss it!
So that is what I have been up to in 2015 so far. Classes have continued to run and will end at the end of May, and then outdoor hoop group will start. Stay tuned!
Monday, 4 May 2015
Friday, 2 January 2015
Day....???? Hoopy New Year! 2014 in Review
I guess I can stop writing what day of the year it is, since 2014 has come to an end. And you know what? I did it! I spun my hoop every.single.day for an entire year. A few days barely counted, but the intention was there and I made sure I never went to bed without having picked up my hoop that day. 365 days of hooping. Hooping 365. Can I do it for another 365? Only time will tell!
So tonight, just a few minutes ago, I was spinning away in my living room, thinking/hoping/wishing I could do more with my hoop(s). More skills, more tricks, more flow. For a moment I felt discouraged at the thought of all the things I still don't know how to do, all the things I wish I could do. All it took to break that negative train of thought was to remember where I was a year ago, and everything I have accomplished this past year.
One year ago I made a commitment to myself to hoop every day. One year ago I had never been to a hoop workshop, never worked with a professional hooper, never spent time around any number of hoopers, never even made a hoop. In one year I have done all those things and more. Let's take a look back and see what happened in 2014:
In February I started Hoopla Hula hoops and embarked on the journey of learning how to make my own hoops.
Also in February I had the opportunity to attend 3 days of Hoop Path with Baxter.
In March I started teaching hooping at the YMCA.
In May I started and completed Deanne Love's online course to become a Hooplove Coach. I also held my first workshop that month.
Also in May I did a two day workshop with Hoopalicious.
In June I applied for and won the FlowBot Award which would allow me the opportunity to attend in the InFlow Festival. I also started my hoop classes at Head Over Heels Gymnastics.
In July I started weekly hoop jams at Sunset Point. Much of the time it was just me out there, but slowly people did start to join me towards the end of the summer.
In August I attended the InFlow Festival, a life changing experience for me. I got to have time to myself, and got the opportunity to connect with so many other hoopers. I learned from some of Ontario and Quebec's best hoopers, as well as the lovely Beth Lavinder from North Carolina. I got to try fire hooping for the first time.
In September my fall session of hoop classes began and I had a great turnout for the whole session.
Also in September I did a two day workshop with UK's Emma Kenna.
In December I had the opportunity to perform not only as a hooper, but as a bellydancer and an aerialist as well at the Circus Tribe production put on by Aerial Silks Collingwood.
In addition to all the hooping I have done this year, I have also started taking aerial arts classes which include silks and lyra. I absolutely love these activities and plan to continue them throughout this coming year. I have also gotten back into bellydancing a bit which has been long overdue for me.
And here I am, it is January and I am excited for all that 2015 has in store for me.
Some days I still don't know where my hooping is going to take me. I confess I am probably not as highly motivated as many other hoop dancers and instructors out there, I'm not pushing my classes or hoop sales aggressively. Rather I wait for people to come to me. I think I am ok with that little niche. I like being here when other hoopers need me. I love that I have inspired others to hoop and have started a small hoop community here.
It is winter and outdoor hooping, for the most part, will have to wait. But I am finding ways to hoop every day, and be inspired every day.
2015 is going to be another amazing hoopy year, I can feel it.
So tonight, just a few minutes ago, I was spinning away in my living room, thinking/hoping/wishing I could do more with my hoop(s). More skills, more tricks, more flow. For a moment I felt discouraged at the thought of all the things I still don't know how to do, all the things I wish I could do. All it took to break that negative train of thought was to remember where I was a year ago, and everything I have accomplished this past year.
One year ago I made a commitment to myself to hoop every day. One year ago I had never been to a hoop workshop, never worked with a professional hooper, never spent time around any number of hoopers, never even made a hoop. In one year I have done all those things and more. Let's take a look back and see what happened in 2014:
In February I started Hoopla Hula hoops and embarked on the journey of learning how to make my own hoops.
Also in February I had the opportunity to attend 3 days of Hoop Path with Baxter.
In March I started teaching hooping at the YMCA.
In May I started and completed Deanne Love's online course to become a Hooplove Coach. I also held my first workshop that month.
Also in May I did a two day workshop with Hoopalicious.
In June I applied for and won the FlowBot Award which would allow me the opportunity to attend in the InFlow Festival. I also started my hoop classes at Head Over Heels Gymnastics.
In July I started weekly hoop jams at Sunset Point. Much of the time it was just me out there, but slowly people did start to join me towards the end of the summer.
In August I attended the InFlow Festival, a life changing experience for me. I got to have time to myself, and got the opportunity to connect with so many other hoopers. I learned from some of Ontario and Quebec's best hoopers, as well as the lovely Beth Lavinder from North Carolina. I got to try fire hooping for the first time.
In September my fall session of hoop classes began and I had a great turnout for the whole session.
Also in September I did a two day workshop with UK's Emma Kenna.
In December I had the opportunity to perform not only as a hooper, but as a bellydancer and an aerialist as well at the Circus Tribe production put on by Aerial Silks Collingwood.
In addition to all the hooping I have done this year, I have also started taking aerial arts classes which include silks and lyra. I absolutely love these activities and plan to continue them throughout this coming year. I have also gotten back into bellydancing a bit which has been long overdue for me.
And here I am, it is January and I am excited for all that 2015 has in store for me.
Some days I still don't know where my hooping is going to take me. I confess I am probably not as highly motivated as many other hoop dancers and instructors out there, I'm not pushing my classes or hoop sales aggressively. Rather I wait for people to come to me. I think I am ok with that little niche. I like being here when other hoopers need me. I love that I have inspired others to hoop and have started a small hoop community here.
It is winter and outdoor hooping, for the most part, will have to wait. But I am finding ways to hoop every day, and be inspired every day.
2015 is going to be another amazing hoopy year, I can feel it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)