Hooping in my Community

Last week I was interviewd by Sarah Nail for our local newspaper "The Sedalia Democrat" I've embedded the video they created. The article was very nice, despite a few errors. For those interested in making your own hoops, you'll need to find 3/4 in. tubing NOT 3 1/4 inch.

Alter Ego

Handling books all day is nice, but the best part of working at the library is playing dress-up. My look is typically a fusion of hippie and house-wife, so wearing button-up shirts is a real treat. It feels a little sneaky to look professional, when there are mix-matched socks hiding under the cuffs of my new slacks. The first morning I dressed for work my daughter announced, “I love your costume, mommy!” She knows Mommy's a quiet library assistant by day and a twirly ninja by night.

The Alphabet

"Because it's time to stop babbling the alphabet and to start speaking in complete, poetic sentences ( choreographically speaking)." -Shimarella

Angled hooping
Barrel roll
Continuous step-through
Duck in
Eagle roll
Flight time
Good ol’ waist hooping
Helicopter
Isolations
Jump-in
Kick start
Leg hooping
Matrix
Ninja toss
Overhead turn
Pizza toss
Quick break
Rising sun
Shoulder pop
Threading the needle
Union hooping
Vortex
Weave
aXis switch
Y
Z

Thanks to Lulu Hoop and Safire for helping fill some of the blank

Introduction to Hooping

Hooping is a performance art that combines dance, yoga, and tricks performed with the hoop. Most hoopers share a common "alphabet" of tricks and techniques used to compose poems, songs, and goofy limericks of motion and joy. Most importantly and perhaps most accurately, hooping is fun! The following video is a recording of the hoop dance demonstration I shared with my public speaking class at State Fair Community College.

Hoop Dance Demonstration Project from Heather Hughes on Vimeo.

Hoop Love!

Live Handmade

I think there are parallel currents reshaping and redefining American life. On one hand, corporations and government continue to formalize and commercialize our lives. On the other hand, the green and handmade movements highlight our interest in recognizing a social interconnectedness independent of big business.

With the stock market heaving and the government scooping up broken financial institutions, I think we are definitely looking at increased government control of the economy. Additionally, the G-8 and other global powers are already talking about banding together to combat the global economic crisis. If there’s one thing that increases government power quickly and mercilessly, it’s a crisis. Just look how the Patriot Act expanded executive power, trampled civil rights, and justified the discrimination and detention of Muslims. On a more individual level, I think the shaky economy will force more families to choose inexpensive, corporate businesses like Wal-Mart instead of alternative markets. Many families who would rather buy organic tomatoes from the farmer’s market simply don’t have the extra 2 dollars.

At the same time, for the very same reasons, I think some individual and families are trying to step away from big box stores and commercialization. Christmas is coming and our bank account is dry. I realized over the summer that times would be hard, so I bought gifts for my kids during garage sale season and then purchased handmade puzzles. With the national economy in a messy transformation, I feel it’s important to send the message that I support independent artists and craftspeople, not big business and the exploitation of underpaid workers. The economy is also a reminder of how dangerous it is to spend unwisely and get into debt. Therefore I hope more families choose to focus less on buying, and more on making, recycling, and trading for wonderful, meaningful gifts.

The Wars America Forgot

As the stock market lurched down the morning after Election Day, most Americans were more worried about our economy than our wars. Exit polls show that only 1 in 10 voters considered Iraq an important election issue.