Caroleeena's Circles Of Joy

My September Journey Into Splits

By Caroleeena September 18, 2017health, Hooping, splits, Uncategorized, Yogacaroleeena, splits, yin yoga

This month, I set a goal of trying to get better at forward splits. I've made a lot of progress very fast and I want to share how. I can tell you some things about splits. Most people who teach them teach them in ways that are painful and not very…

Top Hat Hoopdance Award Winners 2015!

By Caroleeena March 10, 2016Dance, Hoopdance, Top HatCircles of Joy Hoopdance Award, international hoopdance awards4 Comments

Thank you to everyone who shared dances with me!!! Thank you to everyone who made hoopdances and shared them with the world! I have had the honor of witnessing hoopdances for fathers, mothers, and husbands as well as dances for audiences and dances in living rooms, back yards and interesting places.…

International Hoopdance Award Nominations

By Caroleeena December 31, 2015hoopdance, Hooping, International Hoopdance Awards, Top Hat1 Comment

2015 was an amazing year for hooping. It gave birth to new forms of dance, new blogs, new podcasts, new service projects. I want to hear from you about what inspired you in each of these areas. A tip of the Top Hat to all of them and all of you!…

Tips For Beginner Hoopers

By Caroleeena December 9, 2015hoopdance, Hooping, Tutorial, Uncategorizedbeginner, beginner hoop

Picking Your Hoop: Start with a Big Groove Hoop. One that stands up to your nipples when it is on its side is ideal. It is slow and wonderful for grooving in. The bigger around the hoop is, the slower it moves, meaning it hits your belly less frequently and you…

Creating Mood In Hoopdance

By Caroleeena December 2, 2015hoopdance, hoopdance, Hooping, Performance, UncategorizedCreating mood, Creating Mood in Hoopdance

A mood is a temporary emotional state. Our mood affects how we process information and experiences. Setting the scene to create a certain mood affects how receptive the listener or viewer will be to the story we have to tell. Ideally the mood we create in dance aligns with the music,…

Leaving for the German Hoop Convention – A Travelogue after the fact

By Caroleeena August 2, 2015German Hoop Convention, hoopdance, Hooping, travelogue, UncategorizedGerman Hoop Convention2 Comments

Europe was amazing. The German Hoop Convention was amazing. The whole experience was amazing. I have been trying to start this blog for a week. How to summarize something so life-changing in words, especially when I know I haven't even begun to process all of the experience? I definitely feel changed…

Making Shapes in Hoopdance – Circles

By Caroleeena June 15, 2015hoopdance, Hooping, Uncategorizedarm work, circles, footwork, shapes in hoopdance2 Comments

Circular shapes and movements are perfect for hoopdance. A bent arm is easier to take in and out of the hoop, moving a single hand in a circle from a still arm is a beautiful semi-resting piece of armwork that doesn't take much effort and is a wonderful use of the…

How to Rock Flowers in your Hair

By Caroleeena June 10, 2015Costuming, Hoopdance, Uncategorizedcaroleeena, costume, flowers, hair, how to rock flowers in your hair2 Comments

Yesterday I saw two young girls walking down the street in my neighborhood. One had on a red dress with a red flower behind her ear. It was like a breath of fresh air. So pretty and sweet. I love wearing flowers. Flowers are fun! Real flowers, fake flowers, all the…

Suck In Your Belly for Balance, Elongation and Power in Hoopdance

By Caroleeena June 8, 2015Dance, hoopdance, Hoopingabs, posture, stomach vacuum, suck in your belly, suckng in your belly3 Comments

In a previous blog, I have talked about a ritual for building powerful posture for hoopdance. One of the instructions in that ritual is "Tighten your abs". The reason we do this is to pull our organs in and up, to center at our midpoint both horizontally and vertically -- the…

The Value of Sharing: Growing Flow Arts Together

By Caroleeena June 3, 2015Uncategorized

The influence of social media on the development of flow arts can be hard to quantify but I know for a fact that the more we share freely, the more we grow hooping itself. This story is an example of that. Hoopers and hoopdancers are budding rhythmic gymnasts without coaches. Rhythmic…