December 2011 - Caroleeena's Circles Of Joy

The Beauty of Stillness in Hoopdance

By Caroleeena December 21, 2011hoopdance, Uncategorizeddance, hoop dance, hoopdance, hula hoop, stillness1 Comment

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…

Music for Learning the Three-Beat Weave

By Caroleeena December 18, 2011Hooping, Poi, Uncategorized

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…

Spins and Turns: How to Prevent Dizziness and Maintain Balance

By Caroleeena December 15, 2011hoopdance, Hooping, Poi, Uncategorizeddizziness, dizzy, prevent, spin, spinning. turn, turning, turns3 Comments

Turns and spins are a beautiful part of hooping. However, there a challenges related to turns and spins -- specifically, keeping our balance, staying in one location, and dizziness. Let's talk a bit about each one. Sometimes in hooping it can be challenging to keep our balance. It can be even…

The Six-Pack vs. the Three-Pack: The Importance of Hooping Both Directions

By Caroleeena December 15, 2011Hooping, Uncategorized5 Comments

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…

Mastery and the Beginner’s Mind

By Caroleeena December 13, 2011hoopdance, Hooping, Poi, Uncategorizedbeginner mind, beginner's mind, caroleeena, mastery1 Comment

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…

Cultivating a Gentle Smile

By Caroleeena December 12, 2011hoopdance, Hooping, Poicarikeeeba, cultivate a gentle smile, face, neutral face, smile1 Comment

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…

Aspects of Dance: Notes from my Curriculum

By Caroleeena December 10, 2011hoopdance, Uncategorized

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.…

Creating Lines in Hoopdance

By Caroleeena December 9, 2011hoopdance, Uncategorizedcaroleeena, creating lines, dance, hoopdance, lines, poi dance1 Comment

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…

The Big Finish!

By Caroleeena December 8, 2011hoopdance, Uncategorizedbig finish, caroleeena, hoop dance, hoopdance, ta da ending

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:…

Winter – The Time of Roots Growing beneath the Soil

By Caroleeena December 7, 2011hoopdance, Hooping, Poi, Uncategorizedcaroleeena, growing, growth, hoop, hoopdance. hoop dance, hooping, hula hoop, movement arts, poi, roots, time, winter3 Comments

When we look at trees in winter, we think of them as dormant. But they are not dormant. Even if, to the naked eye, they do not appear to be growing, they are growing. After bursting forth with new growth in springtime, trees bud and blossom, burgeon and bloom, branch out…