dance Archives - Caroleeena's Circles Of Joy

Integrating Armwork into Hoopdance

By Caroleeena January 2, 2015Dance, Gif Story, hoopdance, Uncategorizedarms and hands, armwork, dance, hoopdance, using arms in hoopdance1 Comment

Hoopdance is made up of more than just a hoop moving around the waist. It also includes armwork, footwork, directed gaze, gestures, traveling steps, turns and spins, characterization, beat punctuation, musicality, and, of course, hoop moves. For many hoopers, though, the first question is usually, "What do I do with my…

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…

Pre-Cues in Beat Punctuation

By Caroleeena April 5, 2013Uncategorizedbeat punctuation, cues, dance, pah, pre-cues

Beat punctuation is the execution of a specific move at a specific point in the rhythm or lyrics. Before we can beat punctuate we have to do three things: - decide the beat or lyric we want to punctuate - decide what move we're going to do on that beat or…

Choreography: Tips for Soloists

By Caroleeena March 14, 2013Dance, hoopdance, Uncategorizedchoreography, dance, hoopdance, poi dance, solo1 Comment

Before the show, arrive early, go on stage, pick a spot at the farthest point, in the middle, to spot on and anchor. Project your energy there! Take the Stage. When you take the stage, make an impression. Don't wait til your music starts. Take the stage like a professional. Leave…

Dance Composition – An Introduction

By Caroleeena March 14, 2013Dance, hoopdance, Poi, Uncategorizedchoreography, composition, dance, hoopdance

"Choreography is simpler than you think. Just go and do, and don't think so much about it. Just make something interesting.” - George Balanchine The following is a synopsis of several aspects of the choreographic process. Over time I hope to elaborate on many of these concepts. This is the framework…

Directed Gaze – Directing Energy in Dance

By Caroleeena April 27, 2012hoopdance, Hooping, Poi, Uncategorizedcaroleeena, dance, directed gaze, hoopdance3 Comments

Directed Gaze is a dance concept, a way of directing focus, a way of directing energy. We can make people look at things by looking at them. Don't believe it? Go out on any street, stop and look up in the sky. Watch what happens. By directing the gaze, the…

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…

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 Subtle Dance of Musicality

By Caroleeena December 5, 2011Dance, hoopdance, Poi, Uncategorizedbeat, dance, hoopdance, hoopdance. musicality, melody, musicality, rhythm1 Comment

Musicality is a major aspect of all kinds of dance, including hoopdance, but absorption in tricks, technique, choreography, even costuming can get in the way of dancing musically. Even people who have taken dance classes often struggle with the concept of musicality. It can be hard to define and even harder…

Playing with Beat Punctuation (and Pah!)

By Caroleeena November 25, 2011hoopdance, Poibeat punctuation, caroleeena, dance, hoopdance, poi dance2 Comments

When I dance with my hoop, I emphasize different places in the music with my hoop or my body. If the tempo of the music moves from fast to slow, my movement moves from fast to slow. Where the melody rises and falls, I also tend to rise and fall. And…