Movement Archives - 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.…

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…

Building Strength for Pirouettes … Safely

By Caroleeena December 18, 2014Dance, hoopdance, Movementbalance, demi pointe, half demi pointe, hoopdance, pirouette, training, yoga toes2 Comments

Demi Pointe is a ballet term that means to support the body's weight by balancing on the balls of one or both feet with heels off the floor. Being able to lift the heel or heels is essential for pirouettes because you literally spin on the ball of the foot. Having…

Baby Doll Hands – the Fingerwork of T-Rex Arms

By Caroleeena December 5, 2014Dance, hoopdance, Movement, Performancebaby doll hands, caroleeena, dance hands, doll hands, fingerwork, handwork2 Comments

Baby Doll Hands are the fingerwork of T-Rex Arms and Chicken Wings. They are common among both new and experienced hoopers. This is the hand pose of baby dolls that are made to hold bottles. Baby Doll Hands are slightly rounded with the thumb almost touching, or touching, the thumb.…

Creating A Character In Dance

By Caroleeena October 30, 2014Dance, hoopdance, Hoopdance, hoopdance, PerformanceCharacterization, create character in dance, dance, dance character1 Comment

Characterization is a writing concept that can also be applied to creating a character in dance. It refers to the little details an author uses to convey information about a character's personality, mood, and/or story. In writing, these details can be described. ("Sarah was grumpy.") but in dance, they must be…

“I Like Big Hoops!” – A “Baby Got Back” Parody

By Caroleeena July 24, 2014Hoopdance, Hooping, Poetryhoop parody song, I like big hoops, poem

[Intro] Oh, my, god. Becky, look at her hoop. It is so big. [scoff] It looks like, one of those exercise hula hoops. But, you know, who understands those exercise hoops? *scoff* They only use them, because, they're like, totally easy, 'kay? I mean, her hoop, is just so big. I…

How To Create A Video Hoop Tutorial

By Caroleeena April 9, 2014Hooping, Movement, Poi, Tutorial, Uncategorized, Videohoop tutorials, make tutorials, make videos, video tutorials3 Comments

More and more helpful hoopers are generously making hoop tutorials. This blog is for you. I hope it will help you make more effective, organized video tutorials that make you proud while helping others learn and retain what you have to teach. This blog is based on my own trials and…

How to Break Down, Describe, and Name Hoop Moves

By Caroleeena January 3, 2014Dance, hoopdance, Hooping, Movement, Uncategorizedhoop journal, hoop teacher4 Comments

One challenge of keeping a hoop journal is figuring out what to call a move and/or how to describe it. It's also a challenge for hoop teachers. Hopefully these tips will help. I try to start with a short metaphor or analogy for the name (lasso, stir the pot, infinity, beam…

A Restorative Yoga Sequence for Hoopers and Dancers

By Caroleeena August 31, 2013Dance, Hoopdance, Hooping, Movement, Poi, Yogalengthen spine, stretch, yoga, yoga for hoopers

After a lot of hooping or dancing, or even sitting, my spine and all the muscles around it feel compacted. This yoga sequence helps me stretch and lengthen and loosen all those core muscles and lengthen my spine. It's very restorative. I recommend it for everyone but especially for hoopers. 20…