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| If you're near Sedalia, Missouri you can learn more about hooping or connect with other hoopers through Spin Gypsy. |
Hooping is a holistic flow-art that combines ecstatic dance, yoga, and Sufi spinning...inside a whirling plastic circle. Hoop dancers combine circus inspired techniques with playground shenanigans as they spin hoops around their waists, chests, arms, hands, and legs.
Hoopers use handmade hoops that open up more possibilities for movement than the small, flimsy hula-hoops popularized by Wham-O in the 1950s. These hoops are often bigger and heavier. The slower rotation helps hoopers keep spinning for longer lengths of time. It also creates opportunities to dance inside the hoop, and lift the hoop up off the body. In the hooping community, this style of hooping is called body rocking because the hooper rocks out wicked dance moves while the hoop rotates around their body. When hoop dance first emerged from the music festival and Burner communities, West Coast pioneers like Anah Hoopalicious and Hoop Girl popularized a sultry, tribal style of hoop dance. In North Carolina another tribe of hoopers, the Hoop Path, began experimenting with smaller hoops. They conceptualized hoop dance as a kind of moving meditation. Their small hoopers are lighter, faster, and easier to move through the air. This off-body style of hooping focuses on moving the hoop in circles, weaves, and lines. Together the hoop and the hooper dance create dazzling geometric patterns in space. Taken off-body, the hoop shares many similarities with forms of prop-manipulation like poi and baton twirling.
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| Hooping ~ strengthens core muscles ~ improves coordination ~ relieves back & shoulder tension ~improves balance ~improves flexibility ~ builds positive body image ~ is a fun alternative to typical workouts ~ helps overcome shyness ~ clears the mind ~ inspires laughter ~ builds communities |
As the years have past, hooping has grown more diverse as hoop enthusiasts create new styles and movements. Teachers like Baxter, Ninja Hoops, Deanne Love travel the world teaching hoop dance. Hoopers meet in local parks and in online communities like hooping.org and hoopcity.ca. Though many cities now boast hooping fitness classes and hooper meet-ups (called hoop jams), the hooping community thrives online. Hoopers post tutorials, demonstrations, performance clips, and practice videos.
I hope this page can guide you to some online resources that will help you along your hoop-journey.
More Hoop History
Hoop dance reviews, articles, and more from Tangle and Spiral
A Guide to Negative Product Reviews
More Than Just a Pretty Dance: Inspirational Hoop Videos
The Journey: What Hooping Means to Me
Beads, Hoops, and the Pursuit of Happiness
You Might Be a Hooper If...
The Hooping Alphabet
Hooper's Landing: A Love Poem
Lighted Lifestyles LED Hoop Review
Quick Wick Fire Hoop Review
The Hooping Body: An Interview with Groovin Megs
Interview with Yogini Hooper Lindsay Love
Polypro Hoop Review and Thoughts
Springtime Hooping Suggestions
View From A Hooping Plateau Part 1
View From A Hooping Plateau Part 2
Defining Flow: Appearance vs. Experience
Explore Online Hooping Communities
Hoop City - join discussion boards, post videos and photos, read product reviews, purchase online classesHooping.org - news, articles, videos, and photos updated daily. A central hoop-hub since 2003.
Unity of the Hula Hoopers - an active, inspiring, and informative Facebook group
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