Caroleeena's Circles of JoySize Matters
I am a total size queen There I said it I like ‘em big Big as I can get ‘em Big as I can manage High as my nipples So fat I can just close my fingers barely Hold ‘em comfortably Big as I can get ‘em and still pull off my favorite moves Yeah I [...]
The Beauty of Stillness in Hoopdance
Sustained spinning is beautiful. It is a hoop-related art all its own. And art, heck, Life, is filled with duality. There is black and there is white, there is earth and there is sky, there is up and there is down. So what is the opposite of constant movement? Stillness. I want to encourage you [...]
Music for Learning the Three-Beat Weave
When you’re learning the three-beat weave, whether it be with hoops or poi, it can be helpful to learn it to three beat music. Some slow waltz music is good but I have some personal favorites I thought I’d share. Here they are: · “Kiss Of The Rose” Seal · “Rainbow Connection” by Kermit the [...]
Spins and Turns: How to Prevent Dizziness and Maintain Balance
I think one of the biggest reasons people lose balance is not dizziness … it’s that they haven’t built their foundation from the ground up. They’re up on their toes so the slightest little thing can make them fall over. Add a little dizziness or bumpy ground and you’re all over the place. Try putting [...]
The Six-Pack vs. the Three-Pack: The Importance of Hooping Both Directions
Most of us have a favorite direction for spinning our hoop while hooping. To determine your dominant direction, look down at the hoop as it rotates across your belly. When it is full and open in front of you, notice which way it is heading. If you were a clock and this place in front of [...]
Mastery and the Beginner’s Mind
Sometimes I hear a new hooper who is rushing breathlessly to learn the next trick say, “I’ve mastered everything but this…” and I have to smile. Mastery? Really? I’ve been hooping since 2003 and I don’t feel like I’ve come anywhere close to mastering any aspect of it. I just keep learning how much more [...]
Cultivating a Gentle Smile
As part of our hoop practice, it can be helpful to cultivate a gentle smile while hooping. It is more than the antidote for “ugly face”. There are health benefits, community benefits and hoop benefits as well. When we concentrate, we have a tendency to frown. Frowning locks the jaw and freezes up more than [...]
Aspects of Dance: Notes from my Curriculum
This the the outline of the class I’ve been teaching on Integrating Dance into Hoodance along with some additional resources for continued study. I can’t share all the exercises but hopefully this will help people remember them and remember these concepts. It was my pleasure and honor to teach this class. Thank you for coming. [...]
Creating Lines in Hoopdance
In hoopdance we don’t often think of creating lines. Hooping is round and we tend to relate to it with a round mindset. There are many ways we can utilize lines in hoopdance though. We can travel in lines, we can create lines with our posture, our arms, our legs, we can even imagine lines [...]
The Big Finish!
When it come to polishing your dance, few things shine as much as “The Big Finish”. The Big Finish is one of the things that differentiates between dancing and performing. It’s also one of the things that distinguishes between a hooper and hoopdancer. The Big Finish is comprised of three parts: 1. A Ta Da! [...]