Caroleeena's Circles Of Joy

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…

Meet a Master Hooper with almost 40 Years Experience

By Caroleeena December 6, 2011Hooping, Uncategorizedmat, matt plendl hoop master

In the above video, Mat is hooping last month at the World Diabetes Day Extravaganza on 11-14-2011. The following one is of Mat in 1975 on Dinah Shore:

Teaching Hula Hooping to the Blind

By Caroleeena December 5, 2011Hoopingblind, hooping, teaching1 Comment

The Governor Morehead School for the Blind has started bringing kids on field trips to our hoop jams. It is such a delight!!! It has also been a learning experience. There are some challenges to teaching hooping to non-sighted people and I'd like to share what I've learned so far. I…

How to Craft a Square Hoop

By Caroleeena December 5, 2011Hoopingcraft, diy, how to, how to make a square hoop, make a square hula hoop, make a squoop, square hoop3 Comments

For the Hoop Convergence a couple of years ago, I made this crazy square hoop, just for fun. And it was fun! Afterward, so many people asked me how I made it that I thought I would share it with you here. Here goes: I used 4 90-degree connectors and plumbing…