Hooping

Here's another hoop drill that I learned in Sydney. The idea is simple and the training effect is strong. Using one hoop, you hoop on all your body parts for longer than you ever really would during a dance or performance. Why do you want to do this? It improves your control, strengthens your body and develops your stamina. You will discover weaknesses you never noticed as a hoop dancer; it's pretty amazing. Get ready to sweat and bruise - if you haven't trained like this before, these drills can be brutal. But they are worth it.

The video shows 12 different levels to hoop on from hands to knees. When we did these drills at SJC and Circus Fest we added a few more places to hoop, did the drills for a minute rather than 30 seconds, and added entertaining variations like turning with and against the hoop.

As with the previous hoop drill video, this isn't a tutorial as much as a guide for your training. Play it while you hoop, keeping an eye on the countdown timer to know when to change to the next level. If you are paying close attention, you'll see some prompts, tips and encouragements as the video plays. I plan to make more hoop drill videos for us to use as we advance through this basic one.

I picked music that I like to hoop to, but feel free to turn the sound down and crank your own tunes.

Happy training!

Here's a circus-style hula hoop drill to train your posture, condition your core and build strength. Get a stack of hoops spinning on your waist and then follow along with prompts for 5 1/2 minutes of tips, challenges and prompts to keep you going. This drill will carve you a six pack! (or a three pack, if you only go in one direction...)

The video is meant to be played while you are hooping through the drill, so it's not a tutorial as much as a set of instructions and prompts set to music. There is text (high contrast for when you've got your iPhone outside in the glare, though this drill is very indoor friendly, too) and some graphics to help you keep track of where in the drill you are. Glance at it to get your bearings and don't stop hooping!

How many hoops to should you put in your hoop stack? The Australian circus hoopers told me the "number of hoops you can split plus one or more." So if you can split 3, your hoop stack is 4 hoops or more. If you usually only use one hoop, start your stack with two. The hoops should be the same size and similar weight.

When you can do the whole five minute drill without dropping your hoops, do it again in the opposite direction, or extend to ten or twenty minutes.

I plan to make more hoop drill videos in the same vein: simple explanations in graphics and text plus the timings for each move and music. The next one will involve spinning the hoop on all parts of your body. It's a fun one.

Thanks to Jewelz and all the Aussie circus hoopers who helped me to learn this and other drills. You're wonderful teachers and so strong.

I dove into the Australian circus hooping culture last month and came away with some observations about how hoop dance and circus hooping differ.

Lexicon. Circus hoopers train and drill, hoop dancers practice and jam. This pretty much sets the tone for every other difference I noted.

Hoop Size. Circus hoopers prefer (and sometimes insist upon) hoops of a certain size - about hip height. I was told many times that the hoops I used were too small. Hoop dancers use whatever size they like or fits their groove.

Hoop Current. Hoop dancers use both currents with one dominant direction based on personal preference. Circus hoopers hoop counter-clockwise if they are right handed, and clockwise if they are left handed. This is to allow their stronger hand to perform the tricks. Circus hoopers really don't use their second current.

Speed. Circus hoopers spin consistently fast, especially so when drilling. Hoop dancers move at different paces, but generally more slowly.

Precision and Control. Circus hoopers have it in abundance and without fail. Hoop dancers don't always, because they have...

Flow. Being in the moment and reacting to changes in the hoop with a certain unconsciousness is what hooping is about for many hoop dancers. Circus hoopers don't flow. They train so they can perform the same routine flawlessly every time.

Persona. Both in the dance and circus worlds, some hoopers have a strong stage persona and others let the hoops themselves have the spotlight.

Ensembles. It seems to me that circus hoopers tend towards ensemble work, with duo and group choreography that tells a story or paints an entertaining picture for the audience. Hoop dancers seem to perform alone more often or in groups that don't interact as entertainment.

Community. Australian circus hoopers have a strong and vibrant community, with rivalries and partnerships among circuses all over the continent. They aren't too interested in the hoop dance community. In fact, some circus hoopers call non-circus hoopers "feral." When I mentioned hoop dance resources like hooping.org, and hoopcity, I got a lot of blank stares. Because the circus community is so tight, most hoop dancers haven't heard much them. I'll try to fix that soon with some links to the people I met in my travels.

Personally, after training with the circus hoopers for a couple of weeks, I identify more than ever as a hoop dancer. I admire the circus culture with my whole heart, and came away from training with a lot of new knowledge, inspiration and ideas. But I am a wuss and the rigid strictness of training and the pain of circus injuries isn't my cup of tea. Maybe if I'd run away to the circus a little earlier in my life...

On a whim last summer, I dreamed up and acted on a project for World Hoop Day: a choreographed hoop dance that would be done around the world.

It came together beautifully over the next few months. I made video tutorials for people to learn the moves. I taught the dance in the park and in the classroom. I lost a hoop to the trains. Stina, D, and I performed the dance in front of my heros and fellow hoopers at Hoop Camp. And then it all culminated in October with a public dance performance in 17 locations worldwide on World Hoop Day and a compilation video of the scores of happy hoop dancers who took part.

And now the event and the video are both finalists in hooping.org's annual Hoopie Awards. I am gobsmacked to have something I worked on recognised this way. You should see the list of nominees. It is a Who's Who of the hooping world. Wow.

I am so very proud of everyone who participated in the dance. There were hoopers from almost every continent - so many people took the time and effort to learn it, share it, perform it, and video it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the dancers and to the folks who nominated the WHD Dance for the Hoopies.

If we win a Hoopie, it is a group honor for everyone who joined in and supported the project. And if we don't win a Hoopie, it is still a great pleasure to have been nominated and make it to the finalists. Let's give ourselves a hand regardless. Yay, us!!

You can see all the inspiring hoopers up for awards and vote at Hooping.org until 9pm PST on Friday.

Tokyo has the best winter weather. The skies are blue, the sun warms the day just enough to let me peel off my coat and layers to expose shoulders and feet. January has perfect afternoons for hooping, though the legwarmers, shirts and woolly knits go back on as soon as the sun slips behind the rooftops.

I was out in the park with my hoops for two hours yesterday and for another two today. It was almost too beautiful to stop and I am scraped and bruised and ever so slightly achy all over, just the way I like it. I have 15 days to get myself back into decent hooping form to avoid embarrassment when I meet my friends and make new friends at the Sydney Juggling Convention and CircusFest.

However, I'm not going to be embarrassed even though I am soft from too many Christmas cookies and rusty from taking nearly two months off from hooping after Spin Matsuri. I am who I am and I can do what I do. I try to accept myself and my hooping as it is. There's no comfort in comparing myself to others. There are much better hoopers than me in every genre. They are young, fast, flexible, professional, creative and generally amazing. They are great inspiration but I do not strive to be them.

Which isn't to say I'm not trying to improve, explore, or make progress in my hooping. I am and I do, but it's a challenge that's internally motivated: Be strong! Be engaged! Figure this out! Be joyful!

Yesterday I decided that one of my weak points in hooping is using vertical space - namely getting down low. I tend to topple or lose my footing when I bend my knees in dynamic motion. So I worked on that and on some floorwork. I think I have "tossing a hoop from your foot in a random direction" perfected. I wish I could do the foot-to-foot pass as consistently. I played with some circus-y tricks and just danced for a while. It was fun. I smiled a lot.

Today I brought out my smaller hoops because they will be lighter to travel with and I want to get used to them again. These are 85 cm, rather than the 95 cm hoops I've been playing with lately, so they are enough smaller to make me work faster. I did a lot of core hooping to let my muscle memory recall the pace. Then I did floorwork again and some leaping. I puzzled through transitions on some poi-based moves and played with four hoops at once. I hit myself in the head frequently. It was fun. I swore a lot.

The weather reports for the rest of the week says partly sunny with highs between 7 and 12. Looks like I will be out in the park again!

Here's a (partial) list of hoop events and dreams I have for for Tokyo hooping in 2011. Where do you want your hooping to take you? What are you planning to make 2011 a memorable hooping year?

Hoopy New Year Lunch, Saturday, January 15th @ Shamaim in Ekoda.
Let's start our new year with a lunchtime party. Prizes, games and afterward, we'll go hoop. All-you-can-eat Israeli vegetarian food for 2,100 yen (plus extra for drinks). RSVP by 1/10, please.

4th Sunday Spin. 4th Sunday of every month @ Yoyogi Park. Free.
If the weather is clear and the ground not too wet, we'll be hooping monthly at Yoyogi! Music and spare hoops available. No Spin in January, as I'll be away in Australia learning juggling and circus-y stuff. But so much to share when I get back!! Details monthly on Facebook.

Golden Week Hoop Getaway. April 29 - May 5, Niijima.
A come-as-you-please camping and hooping week at the lovely (free) Niijima campground. Themed hoop workshops daily. Pay your own transport. BYO camping gear & food. Check the details on Facebook.

Indoor Hoop Jams. Various dates and locations. Donations.
One of my new year resolutions is to figure out the complicated systems for reserving space at the kumin, chiki and sports centers around town. When I do, we'll have a chance to play indoors. I'll accept donations to cover the rental costs.

Beach & Park Jams. Various dates and locations. Free.
Hooping outdoors in good weather with sand or grass underfoot is a wonderful treat. I'm hoping to get around to share the hoop love in more places this spring/summer/autumn, so if you want to help me host a jam in your area, let me know!

Edogawa Hanabi Hoop Jam. August 6. Iidabashi station.
A truly fun fireworks event with plenty of space to spread out with a picnic and hoops. We meet early and travel together to the river, spread out our picnic and play until the fireworks start. Bring your LED toys to add to the light show.

Spin Matsuri 2011. ???
I'm still mulling this one over. Spin Matsuri 2010 broke the bank and broke my heart. How can we do it differently in 2011? Your ideas and suggestions are welcomed!

World Hoop Day November 11.
We'll have another dance to choreograph and learn for this worldwide celebration of hooping. Let's see what sort of fundraising event we can create to send hoops on the Peace Boat to disadvantaged communities. If you want to help with the dance or the event, give a shout.

And other hopes for 2011 that haven't been dreamed quite enough yet: a hoop circus event, Flow Show Tokyo, workshops with visiting hoopers, a permanent practice space (I am so envious of the Vulcan and the Prop Box!), costuming workshops, spinning fire with Zatsugidan, more events from HOOPLOVERS like the fabulous Hoop Lounge, collaborations with Hoop Tokyo!

Teatoro Pavana's giraffes towered over the crowded street.

Daidogei World Cup in Shizuoka gathered 96 street performers together for four days of performances on street and stage.

There was so much to see and so much to be inspired by! Tod & I stayed the night on Saturday so we could take in two days' worth of the schedule, but we still only covered a quarter of the performers. We could easily have been there all four days.

It's possible to simply wander the town and stop by all 36 of the venues to see performers in every category from world-class invitees to local clowns. Or you can get tickets to showcase stage shows where half a dozen acts perform. We did both and thanks to strangers, here are some videos!

Gypsy Gomez, hula hoop and balance; Anastasini Brothers, acrobats; Miss KuriKuri, roue cyr; Les Vitamins, acrobats.

My favorite act was the first one we came across, Cru Cru Cirque. We saw a crowd and wandered over. Stood on tiptoe on the very edge of a park bench with half a dozen old men; Tod had one foot on the bench and steadied himself on a pole. People passed under his arm trying to find spots closer in. Despite our precarious perch, we watch the show with great delight - juggling, acrobatic, theatre, dance and fire. Everything to love and shirtless Japanese boys, too.

Kana and me after her act.

And I finally got to see my hooping friend, Kana, perform. This is her 6th year at Daidogei! She does a mix of hooping, balance, and dance all in super kawaii-style. Hers was the only show where the old men with cameras sat in the front row and the kids had to settle for places further back. Her true fans knew the act forward and backward!

I loved seeing so many different kinds of performers all at once. I learned a lot for my future hooping and circus-inspired acts.

• Acts of two or more people never slow down.
• Timing actions to music is exciting keeps the audience rapt.
• Well-practiced skill is important but flubs can be covered with stage presence.
• Patter is either important or unnecessary.
• Performers on stage together must interact with intention towards a conclusion.
• A sincere smile is engaging.
• Wooden or unsmiling performers are nasty.
• Repeating the same gag too many times makes the act flat and boring.
• Pausing for applause is good.
• Pausing to fiddle with props or music isn't so good.
• Audience involvement and engagement is crucial, especially if you want money in your hat.
• A big finish is easy for the audience to understand. Music stops, show over.
• When you have a crowd around you, doing things on the ground gyps the people standing in the back.
• Acrobatics always thrill me. I need to learn some.
• There is a lot of crossover among skills and a unique take on yours is smart.
• Exercise balls make brilliant props.
• Poi moves can be done with beads, kendama, hoops, and almost two of anything...

Here's the final result of the World Hoop Day dance project - the global performances compiled into one video.

I am so proud of all these hoopers. Look at how many people danced! 17 locations in six countries filmed their performance and sent it it. Each dancer added his or her own flair and dance style to the routine and it turned out so beautifully in every single location. Solo dancers, small, medium and large groups participated. And I know there were lots of people who learned the dance and didn't film it. i hope they'll be brave next year.

Thank you all so much for your support of this wild whim of an idea. It's been such a success that I am excited to do it next year. In fact, I woke up this morning to an idea of how to edit hundreds of submissions together. So get ready for 11/11/11.

Over on Hoop City this week, Leah Shoemaker asked for some ways that hooping is beneficial to a community. She's writing a grant.

Though I've considered how hooping is good for individuals, I'd not really thought about the ways it can strengthen a community. So I came up with a list that I shared on Hoop City. Then I thought some more, and the list morphed into something longer and and a little deeper.

1. Hooping allows a diverse group of people to participate:
• suits all ages. Children, parents and grandparents can hoop and play together.
• sees no biases in gender, race, religion, or politics.
• practiced by people of different physical, emotional, and mental abilities.
• needs no common language, or any language at all.
• crosses cultural boundaries. Hula hoops are loved around the world.
2. Hooping grows with the hoopers:
• provides continuation - there's no end point, graduation or conclusion.
• enjoyed equally as a casual pastime, an alternative lifestyle, or a serious profession.
• allows expression from fitness to lyrical dance to clowning.
• can be done at any level of intensity from gentle rehabilitation to challenging workout.
• expands easily to fit new joiners.
3. Hooping increases individuals' happiness:
• opens and increases personal boundaries.
• buoys spirits with play and laughter.
• increases physical activity and health.
• generates self-confidence through accomplishment and skill-building.
4. Hooping increases community harmony:
• adds to the number of happy, cooperative people.
• encourages all members to participate.
• creates face-to-face connections with neighbors.
• realises shared goals, such as performances.
5. Hooping builds ties with people outside the community:
• connects hoopers worldwide through online and offline gatherings.
• welcomes participants from other arts, education, and sports interest groups.

I am sure there are lots of other benefits a community might see. What can you think of that might apply to your community?

I took sixteen workshops during Hoop Camp. Each of them was an amazing experience and even though the topics were varied, I noticed several themes creeping through them. I want to write about these themes because they are powerful ideas that will give me new things to explore as we head into the reflective season of winter hooping.

Grounded Energy
Imagine the power of our planet coursing up from your feet through your legs and into the hoop. Hooping with grounded energy allows your body to move more freely and expressively since the hoop is turning itself through your feet.
Teachers who shared this: Baxter, Luna Breeze, Brecken, Becca, Ann

Fearless Flailing
What happens if you jump, reverse, spin, or drop the hoop in mid-trick? Could be something amazing. Experiment. Flail. Fail. Don't care who is watching. Have fun. Unlock. Figure out how to make your failures look pretty and consistent.
Teachers who shared this: Malcolm, Brecken, SaFire, David, Baxter

Sharp Contrast
Explore the extremes. Find opposites and use them. For every fast move, use a slow one. For every graceful move, add a sharp one. Contrasts create drama and excitement for the audience. Play with speed, rhythm, height, mood.
Teachers who shared this: Malcolm, David, Rich, Spiral, Stefan

Creating Character
Performing with the hoop is often more about creating a character than it is about tricks. Whether you are a seductive hoopstress or an angry clown, your character needs to shine bright and bold. Be brave and discover your character and how she interacts with the audience.
Teachers who shared this: Stefan, SaFire, Kit, Revolva

The people of Hoop Camp - where to begin? There were 250 people at Hoop Camp this year - five times as many as 2008. Maybe an outline of the group attending.

We were a diverse crowd. Our ages skewed towards the middle thirties judging from visible crows' feet. I expected the crowd to be more youthful and was delighted to learn that Marjorie, one of the instructors, celebrated her 60th birthday during camp. Most of the hoopers were women, but there was a good handful of men, too. Sexual, political, and religious preferences covered the spectrum, as did skin tone.

Hair color, too, was widely varied. Natural and bleached ponytails, chocolate hued dreadlocks, black pixie cuts, and more than one brightly colored head. Let's not even start talking about the hoop fashions...frock watching galore!

Our skills and experience dotted the map. Mixed together were A-list hoopers, second tier spinners, hobbyists, the foreign component, people who came alone and unknown, those who arrived with a posse. There were buskers, go-go hoopers, circus trained spinners, festival hoopers, hoopdance legends, innovators, theorists, and and at least one person who wasn't a hooper at all.

There were several opportunities for all of us to hoop together and I took a few moments to step out of the flow and just watch the motion of so many people doing their thing with dance. It was amazing and mesmerizing.

250 was too many people to get to know in a weekend and I barely scratched the surface. I think, thanks to my pink hair and World Hoop Day dance performance, many more people knew me than vice versa. Still, I have a handful of lovely new hooping friends and next year, I'll make more.

In the meantime, Facebook.

Spin Matsuri is just around the corner! 14 more sleeps!! We have a great lineup of instructors, activities, and workshops this year. Check out this schedule:

Opening Ceremony with Heather Saturday at 16:00 Introduce yourself with flair, add to the intentions altar, shout a hoop hooray and snap a memorial photo.

Rock Your Hoops – Playful Sequences with Deanne Saturday at 16:30
Explore some cool and funky hoop dance sequences to use on stage or in practice.

Spin Party - Your Hoop Character! Saturday at 8pm
Create your hooping character. We’ll have rocking tunes, you bring your hoops and dance moves!

Spin Party Performances Saturday at 9pm
Show your talent with a song, dance, poem, joke or any sort of spinning arts.

Morning Yoga with Shanel Sunday at 7:30
A good start to the day to warm you up for a day of movement.

Hoopy Loopy Happiness with the La La Sisters Sunday at 9:30
Play hula hoop games that you can use as icebrekers at events and for fun in classes.

Integrating Dance Into Hoopdance with Caroleeena Sunday at 11:15
Add grace and movement to your hooping whether you are a beginner or a pro.

Poi Basics and Flowers with Yuta Sunday at 15:00
Spin a new toy and make patterns in time and space.

World Hoop Day Dance with Tink Sunday at 16:45
Learn a dance and make a video to celebrate an international charity event .

Chill Night Sunday 8-10pm
* Yoga Stretch - relax your body after a long day with a yoga stretch lead by Shanel
* Mandala Creation - help to make a beautiful circular artwork for our closing ceremony
* Costume Workshop - bring a t-shirt and learn how to remake and embellish it into a costume
* Theta Healing - mini sessions to heal your spirit and put you on a forward path with Tomoko
* World Hoop Day - 1000 yen buys a hoop for a child who needs some fun.
* Hoop Jam - for those who haven’t had enough spinning

Free Market Sunday 8-9:30pm
Spin market shopping! Accessories, hoops, and more.

Rhythmic Gymnastics: Hoop and Ribbon with Naomi Monday at 9:00
Style your hoop movements the gymnastic way - and get a taste of the flowing ribbon, too.

How to Flow with Ayumi Monday at 10:45
Ayumi from Hoop Tokyo shares her flowing hoop dance style.

Closing Ceremony with Heather Monday at 12:15

If you're keen to come, three-day retreat tickets are available through Wednesday 9/29. We also have one-day tickets for the Sunday 10/10 (World Hoop Day!) activities. And for a very limited time, you can win a ticket to Spin Matsuri. Tweet your 140 character reason for coming to spinmatsuri before Monday at 5pm. Check out all the details and get y our ticket at http://spinmatsuri.com

For the last few weeks, I've been playing with something I'm really excited about. I wanted to try choreographing a hoop dance. So this is it. I've had great feedback and suggestions from hoopers online and had several chances to try it out with my local hooping friends. Thanks to all of them, it's a pretty good dance.

Since I like big projects and bringing communities together, I decided this was going to be a dance that could be done by any hooper on the planet to celebrate World Hoop Day on 10/10/10. It's suitable for beginners who are eager to practice and for experienced hoopers who can add their own style, variations, and charm to the moves.

I've kept the dance steps bold and simple so they look great when there are lots of people doing them in a group. They are mostly off-body tricks with smooth transitions and there are lots of "catch up points" in case you misspin or lose the beat. All of the moves can be learned in about an hour.

There are a few interesting tricks, like Ole (which I should rename Oops, since it is the one where I threw my hoop onto the train tracks), and the Full Body Isolations. If you need help learning these moves or any of the others, shout out and I'll try to find or film a tutorial for you.

So hoop friends near and far, here's the real plan: learn this dance and dance it with your hoop group on World Hoop Day, October 10th. Film it, put the video online somewhere, then send me the link. After WHD, I'll compile a video of all of us dancing this together! If you want to declare your commitment, you can sign the roll call at PledgeBank .

In addition to the video tutorial above, there are printable notes on the moves with counts, lyric cues, and alternates.

And an iPod version of the video (18MB m4v) for your rehearsal convenience!! (and with correct link now, thanks!)

Wednesday, September 8. 6:30 - 9:30 pm. Circle @ Yoyogi Park FREE
Sunday September 26. 12:30 - 4:30 pm. 4th Sunday Spin @ Yoyogi Park FREE
Sunday, September 26. HOOPLOVERS Beginners and Beyond Instructor Training. Contact Deanne to register

A light schedule so far, but check in for possible additions over the September holidays, or friend "Hooping in Tokyo" on Facebook for event announcements.

Two years ago today, I took my first hoop class with Deanne of Hooplovers. Today, I was Deanne's substitute teacher in the same "Beginners and Beyond" class.

How cool is that?

I sure do love hooping. It is pretty much all I ever do either directly or indirectly. I don't see this changing any time soon. In fact, there maybe a hooping tattoo in my future. Maybe one of these:

I also celebrated my second hoopiversary by choreographing a verse of the World Hoop Day dance. More about that soon...

I was so very happy about getting the next section of the World Hoop Day choreography sorted out that I was dancing with joy and flair - and not enough grip.

Sunday, August 1: Inopoi @ Inokashira Park from 1:00 FREE
Saturday, August 7: Edogawa Hanabi Hoop Jam @ Iidabashi from 4:30. FREE
Wednesday, August 11: Circle (hawaiian edition) @ Yoyogi Park from 6:00. FREE
Thursday, August 12: Hoop Lounge @ Super Deluxe from 7:00 FREE
Sunday, August 22: 4th Sunday Spin @ Yoyogi Park from 12:30. FREE

Details are on Facebook on the “Hooping in Tokyo” page. Impromptu hoop jams are bound to spring up, so Like the page and get the updates. We're also on mixi!

Plus there are all the regular classes around town, including Deanne’s hoop classes at FAB Academy (and I'm teaching on the 6th and 20th), Ayumi’s classes at Hoop Tokyo.

Tickets for Spin Matsuri are now on sale and we have an amazing lineup of workshops this year: choreography, flow, poi, spiritual connections, gymnastics, dance, games - all suitable for any level of hooper.

On World Hoop Day on 10/10/10, hoopers around the planet will unite to dance together. This is the first section of our routine. Will you join in? Practice with friends, dance with joy, and video your performance on 10/10/10!

Check my YouTube channel for tutorials on these moves...and you can follow the developments over at hooping.org to get the next section.

Music: Dynamite by Taio Cruz
World Hoop Day: http://www.worldhoopday.com/

The Choreography for part 1:
8 counts: clap on even beat
8 counts: arms up, out, grab, up
4 counts: circus start
4 counts: cowgirl
8 counts: low lasso
4 counts: sparkle down
4 counts: sparkle up
4 counts: plane change front
4 counts: spin
8 counts: baseline pass
8 counts: isolations

You may recall the first time I tried a fire hoop in November 2008, I fell over and banged myself up. I did a little better this weekend at the beach, when Roon Roon generously allowed me to spin with her fire hoop and air fire toys. Tod and I shot some video of the action and I edited together a little memory piece:

The fire adds an interesting complication to my hooping. Many of the tricks I do automatically and the way I transition between moves would catch me on fire. The rich experience of the sound and light in the fire hoop is overlaid with a constant stream of internal chatter: hey, no you can't do that outside break; watch your eyebrows now; will jumping through the hoop singe my legs; oh, hotter than I expected; whew, safe!

Should I make the effort to become proficient with a fire hoop? I think the obvious answer is yes. So now maybe I need to go play/practice with the fire people at Shinjuku Zatsugidan and buy myself some quick wicks from hoopdrum

Here's what's on the schedule (so far) for July.

Sunday, July 4: Hooplovers Teacher Training from 11:00. contact Hooplovers for details
Saturday, July 10: Shizuoka Hoop Picnic @ Sunpu Koen from 2:00. FREE
Wednesday, July 14: Circle (glow edition) @ Yoyogi Park from 6:00. FREE
Saturday, July 17: Hoop Making @ Tokyo Hacker Space from 11:00. 4000 yen
Saturday, July 17: Hackerspace Hoop Jam from 2:00 FREE
Sunday, July 25: 4th Sunday Spin @ Yoyogi Park from 12:30. FREE

Details are on Facebook on the “Hooping in Tokyo” page. Impromptu hoop jams are bound to spring up, so Like the page and get the updates.

Plus there are all the regular classes around town, including Deanne’s hoop classes at FAB Academy, Ayumi’s classes at Hoop Tokyo.

Tickets for Spin Matsuri are now on sale and we have an amazing lineup of workshops this year: choreography, flow, poi, spiritual connections, gymnastics, dance, games - all suitable for any level of hooper.

Laughing and enjoying while attempting a new trick.

This week, I hooped an awful lot. It's been a while since I felt so eager to hoop. I just can't stop myself from setting aside what I am supposed to be doing in favor of spending time spinning. Maybe it's the weather or just a bunch of hoop events in a row that's amping up my passion.

And something unexpected happened as a result. Finally, my hoop is an integrated part of me. No more thinking. Now hooping is being.

Not that my skill has changed dramatically this week - I still drop the hoop, bruise myself and look generally dorky as I try new stuff (see video above). But the hoop knows its business and I know mine and we are cool with that.

You know when you set yourself a goal to master - or at least to get to a certain point - and no matter what you do, it eludes you? You might make some progress but the leap to actually calling it your own, having it in your repertoire seems impossible. Frustrating.

The three beat weave with hoops has been one of those goals. I learned to do the three beat weave with poi in a workshop in June last year. It took until today get get it with hoops. Now and forevermore, I will be able to do the move continously. It's gawky right now but it will smooth out and become refined with practice. The thing is that I can finally feel it!

Many thanks to Deanne, as always, who gave me just the right guidance and push on Friday. I didn't get it then, but 24 hours later...it worked! I was so excited when I saw the figure forming around me (there is a really beautiful double hoop wheel that the alternates on each side) that I spun it a few times to prove I could sustain the motion, then dropped the hoops and did the happy dance.

The kids smoking in the margins of the park were amused.

June is shaping up to be a great month for hooping. Hope to see you at one (or more) of these events:

Wednesday, June 9: Circle @ Yoyogi Park from 6:00. FREE
Saturday, June 12: Beach Jam @ Kamakura from 1:45. FREE
Sunday, June 13: Sacred Spirals Hoop/Kundalini workshop @ Yoygi Uehara from 11:00. 3500 yen
Wednesday, June 16: Hoop Lounge @ Super Deluxe from 7:30 FREE
Thursday, June 17: Hoop Making @ Tokyo Hacker Space from 7:30. 4000 yen
Sunday, June 27: 4th Sunday Spin @ Yoyogi Park from 12:30. FREE

Details are on Facebook on the "Hooping in Tokyo" page.

Plus there are all the regular classes around town, including Deanne's hoop classes at FAB Academy, Ayumi's classes at Hoop Tokyo.

The new range of Hooplovers hoops launched this month. You can have your own hoop named after my alter ego, Tink! Or any of the other gorgeous hoopers in the range...

While out hooping in Yoyogi park last month, some photographers asked to shoot me for cafe chain Pronto's free monthly magazine. I was included in a two-page feature of "girls' voice" in the issue that came out last week. It's very silly.

I'm not the first Tokyo hooper to be featured on hooping.org, but I am the latest. I join an illustrious club: Deanne, Masao and Kana, Ayumi, Soness, and J-ster among others have appeared on hooping.org in the past year.

Yesterday was a photoshoot with Deanne for Hooplovers new line of hula hoops. This is my alter ego, Tink, with her namesake hoop. She likes it, really. You will like the new hoops, too, when they go on sale soon.

You can see more photos from the shoot on Deanne's Flickr set. They aren't quite all so rebellious.

On stage in the light of flashbulbs

Saturday night's performance was a blast. Was it rehearsal perfect? Not at all. Did that matter? Not at all.

I jumped around backstage while D and Mix did their gorgeous mini hoop routine (video here). Then I bounced onto the stage, did my thing and it was over before I had time to be scared. I spent the rest of the night dancing, smiling, laughing, and applauding the other amazing performers.

Watching the video of my part (the first 90 seconds of this video) is weird. I ended up changing the choreography on the fly and my brain was in overdrive trying to compensate. Oddly though, my body was in charge and just made it work. So watching the video is like observing both sides of a split personality, There I did this with the hoop, but I was imagining the next move and trying to keep my arms activated. And there I was wondering if I would hit the ceiling - just before I did hit the ceiling.

The original dance involved a lot more clowning around with a naughty hoop. But with the lighting lower than expected, you couldn't see me looking mad or confused or scared by the hoop's antics. So I skipped the rehearsed clowning and just sort of hooped with big gestures and lots of smiles. It ended up too repetitive, but the crowd hooted and the energy stayed high for Deanne's next number. It was a success.

It is especially interesting that this performance happened when it did. This week I started doing The Artist's Way (again after a 12 year break) with a group of people. In week one, you are supposed to list some "imaginary lives" that you would like to have lived. The day before Deanne asked me to perform, I listed my imaginary lives: architect, circus performer, costume designer, astronaut, explorer. How satisfying to get to experience circus performer and costume designer!

Tomorrow night, I am performing onstage with my hoop in a talent show at Exit Bar in Shinjuku Nichome in front of a paying audience of (I assume) drag queens and gay men who are voting for the best act. I am only a brief 90 second entre'act in a larger Hooplovers performance, but I am very excited. And more than a little nervous.

This is the first time I've performed a solo. It's the first time I've had to do my own choreography. Thank goodness it's only a 1'30" circus march. I guess I could just get up and wing it but I won't let myself do that. Instead, I am learning how to prepare a performance piece:

1. Edit music to length. This is pretty easy since I do it for videos often enough.
2. Listen to the music. Over and over.
3. Break it into sections. Write them down. Count.
4. Visualise some moves. Freak out that you can't think of enough moves or tricks to fill the sections. Scour YouTube for ideas.
5. Chocolate.
6. Play with the moves and the music. Find some that work. Write them down.
7. Video the result.
8. Freak out during the playback. Revise and refine.
9. Repeat 4-8 until you have something that works.

I've been at it since 9 am. I am still on step 9 and it seems to be getting farther and farther away from finished. I think step 10 is drill the dance until it is smooth and looks easy. Step 11 involves costuming. Or possibly chocolate.

OK, back to step 9. I wish I had a collaborator to work with; it is easier for me to bounce ideas around with someone until ideas gel. In any case, I aim to get to step 10 before bedtime.

Me hooping in costume for World Hoop Day. (photo by Greg)

In the late 70s my parents, in an unusual show of judgmental speech, mocked the neighbors and friends who would overdo it with athletics on the weekends. "The weekend warriors are at it again," they'd say as we passed by any league game. Former football players turned desk jockeys, these middle aged guys would go to the playing field and give it their all. Afterward they found themselves cramped, injured and exhausted from too much enthusiasm for the game combined with too little fitness.

I think I might be a weekend warrior. Even though I hoop frequently even during the week, my body is complaining after two days of intense activity. My finger joints ache, my back is creaky and I am plum tuckered out. But I am so happy that our weekend was successful. Maybe that's how the Weekend Warriors of my childhood felt, too.

And a funny thing happened on my way to World Hoop Day yesterday. I was standing on the train with 11 hoops and a cart full of toys, popcorn and prizes when something dropped at my feet and hit my shoe. Did something fall off my costume? I looked down. It was a button - the sort of gold-toned shank button that goes on a coat - embossed with an anchor design. Nobody on the train was wearing or carrying anything that looked like it might have lost such a button so I decided it was a magical gift from my father, who would have been 72 yesterday. I think Dad would have enjoyed World Hoop Day, if not for the hooping, then for the enthusiastic smiles and huge fun that we all had. Plus, costumes, theatre and wholesome silliness. That was Dad's kind of thing. Apparently it's my kind of thing, too.

Of course, he would have mocked me for overdoing it weekend warrior style. I'll have to hoop more (lots of more) to get myself in top form to enjoy Spin Matsuri next month without any aches or pains.

Where have I been lately? Helping to organise & promote hoop events! Here are a few happening this week. If you have time and are in Tokyo, come along. No hooping experience required!

Alishan Market Day - Saturday, September 5. 2:00 - 4:00pm @ Alishan Organic Center Tracey, Tod & I are taking hoops out to Saitama to give free hoop lessons. Plus, we'll have a delicious lunch at the cafe before we start and check out the fun stuff on sale at the market. I know I'll be coming home with some tasty treats. http://www.alishan.jp/en/?p=336

World Hoop Day preview in Harajuku! Me, D, Stina and Kana. Photo by Stina

World Hoop Day: Circus Extravaganza! - Sunday, September 6. 1:00 - 4:00pm @ Yoyogi Park I've been preparing for this event for weeks! It's a free afternoon of hooping fun - lessons, games, prizes, face painting. We're collecting donations for World Hoop Day and will send hoops on the Peace Boat to be given to kids around the world. 1000 yen donates a hoop. More info at Hooplovers

Spinning glowing poi at Yoyogi. Photo by John Politowski

World Hoop Day: Glow - Wednesday, September 9. 6:00 - late @ Yoyogi Park 9/9/9 is the global World Hoop Day and we are celebrating by getting into the spin with a glowing hoop jam. LED hoops, glow poi, anything that glows and spins. Come along and enjoy the night. Again, donations for hoops are warmly welcomed.

And of course, we are still getting ready for Spin Matsuri October 9-11. There are a few tickets left, so if you were considering a weekend of hoop, poi and dance fun, don't wait to book. We have day passes for Saturday only, too, if you are busy or on a budget.

It's been exactly a year since I took my first Hooplovers hoop class. That week, I bought two hoops from Deanne and spent the next few months obsessed with learning to spin, dance and whirl - hooping mania. A year later, I'm enjoying hooping just as much as Day One but with more depth to my experience.

When I first started hooping, I asked Deanne why she loved to hoop. She gave me long list of her reasons and I promised I'd have my own set soon enough. Here are some of them in no particular order:

Wellness: Hooping has increased my energy. Maybe it's because of a fitness boost, maybe it's a more positive outlook, maybe there's something magic about spirals. Anyway, I am genkier.

Extroversion: I'm introverted and need my alone time, but I don't mind being on stage or in the public eye. It's been a while since I've been there, though. Hooping has really brought out the show-off in me.

People: My group of friends & acquaintances has become wider and more diverse. I've met some really great women who I am happy to call friends. The Tokyo hooping community is growing and I know that I am part of it and have helped the growth a little bit. This is satisfying.

Notoriety: In my neighborhood and on the trains, its hard to miss the foreigner with the hula hoops. The guards at the university sometimes say hello. All the old guys in the park know me and stop to chat.

Dance: I can! I'm not brilliant, but I can move. I'm no longer afraid to. "Everything is OK" is one of Deanne's mantras that resounded with me.

Sharing: What is more uplifting than sharing your fun and getting someone to smile? I enjoy hooping with strangers in the park, beach, street.

Craft: I love making things, including hoops. If pipe were more readily available in Japan, I'd spend all my money on making hoops to give away.

Performing: Though I don't like impromptu performance, I have learned to accept people watching me when I practice at the park. It spurs me to spin well. I definitely enjoyed rehearsing and being on stage with the Spinbirds. And I'll get to do it again for Spin Matsuri in October. Rehearsals start soon.

Costumes: Hooping is a great excuse to play with shiny fabric and try out unusual shapes and designs. I have a long wish list of costumes to make for myself and hooping friends.

Poi: Not hooping but a related flowtoy, spinning poi is relaxing and meditative. I really like poi a lot.

Color: From head to toe, I am a more colorful person now. No more black and grey clothes. Funkier hair colors. Thanks in great part to Style Smart Sensei Jeanette, but I wouldn't have consulted with her except for hooping.

Boundaries: Every new trick is a challenge to push my physical boundaries and there have been revelations in my thinking, too. Fewer limits. More acceptance. More happiness.

Events: I like planning and participating in events and I've had a year full of getting ready for two big ones. World Hoop Day on 9/9/9 will be celebrated on Sunday the 6th in Tokyo with a Hoop Circus in Yoyogi Park with hooping, games, prizes, face painting and more. And my big project, Spin Matsuri is coming up on Otober 9-11. I've been busy planning and promoting this weekend hoop retreat. It is going to be an amazing group of people; I'm excited about it.

Deanne at Hooplovers is running an online hoop boot camp in the month of August. I don't think it is going to be a drill sergeant style boot camp, exactly. It's a chance to set some specific and measurable goals in public, then spend 30 days making them happen and reporting in with the other participants. Every day, Deanne will send us e-mail with encouragement and inspirations (and some training exercises, too, I hear!)

Here are my goals:

• get my weight back to 60 kg (summer makes me fat)
• hoop daily for at least 30 minutes, even when it is too hot
• improve my dancing balance with 20 minutes of balance movements daily
• swim twice a week & do light weight training at least once a week
• achieve a 90% success rate on foot-to-knee pop-ups
• add three new (or remastered) step-in/step-out moves to my usual mix
• develop a 3-4 minute routine and perform it without toppling over
• in general, focus of footwork, strength and posture - videoing myself at the start and end of the boot camp to compare.

They seem reasonable goals, though deceptively difficult to acheive. Overall my control and precision could use refinement and better balance will be a big step in that direction. By the time Spin Matsuri comes, I will be a stronger hooper than I am now. Practice, practice, practice!

It's not too late to sign up. Go over to the Hooplovers Hangout and join the Hoop Boot Camp group. List your goals and get ready for a month of self-transformation.

Today we announced the Spin Matsuri instructors and sessions. I'm really excited about our lineup - we have hooping, poi, and dance on the schedule, with instructors from Japan, the US, and Australia coming to teach. It is going to be a great weekend with lots of surprises and fun for everyone.

Now I'm off to Circle, a weekly hoop gathering in Yoyogi park. The sky is cloudy but I have fingers crossed that it won't rain. I have a packed neon pink tulle skirt and umbrella, so I am prepared for anything.

Last autumn, just after I'd learned to hoop, Deanne went off to Hoop Camp, a weekend hooping retreat in the US filled with hooping classes and all the most inspirational hoopers. I wished I could go, too. "Maybe next time," I sighed. But Tracey is never one for wishing. She suggested we do one here. Great idea! Slowly and in halting steps, our wishes and plans gelled into reality.

So it my great happiness to announce Spin Matsuri, a weekend hooping and movement event scheduled for October 9-11. Deanne and I are hosting what we hope will be a fun and active three days at Seimei no Mori Resort in Chiba, about an hour by train from Tokyo. There will be a series of hoop, spin, dance, and yoga workshops taught by amazing Japanese and international instructors, plus glowing parties, costumes, food, fun, and frolics with interesting people.

Tickets go on sale starting June 22nd and there won't be many available. If you'd like to get notifications and reminders about the event, please sign up for the Spin Matsuri announcements.

Hooper trading cards! Thanks to a funny comment by my husband, hooper trading cards are unleashed on the Internet. Collect them all! Trade online - use them a profile photos - print them out - add stats on the back as you like. There's a group at Flickr to share them, too.

These are the first four in the series - me and some of my hooping friends. Let's make hooper trading cards for all our hooping buddies and superstars.

Make Your Own
Download this Photoshop CS3 template. Place your photo, type in your name and location, then adjust the visibility of the colored bits. Save as a jpg and Voila! Your own trading card. Use the template back to organise your hooping stats.

Hooper Trading Card template (PSD, 572KB)	Hooper Trading Card template back (PSD 488KB)

Request a Card
If you don't have Photoshop, I can make your card for you. E-mail me (kristen@mediatinker.com)
1. your full-body hooping action shot (640x480 or larger),
2. your hoop name,
3. city, state/country,
4. preferred border color from these options:

Please note that card production may be delayed until the end of April.

The Spinbirds: Amanda, Christina & me

I designed us a logo.

Our debut performance (The video is dark and from the wings, but you'll get the idea...)

A sunny rehearsal (Have fun watching our mistakes!)

Me hooping. Photos by the gentlemanly goth-loli photographer at Yoyogi.

I am developing a love/hate relationship with the photographers and videographers in the park on Sunday while I am hooping.

Someone who asks permission or chats with me first is welcome to photograph or film. I might even take pains to turn in their direction or do a showy trick. I am extremely grateful when they e-mail me the pictures or give me prints, like the ones above. Last weekend, I was asked to hoop in a music video for the Intercontinental Music Lab. That was a fun experience - and as it turns out, one of the musicians is a friend of a friend that I'd met once before.

The passersby who pause and a snap a quick shot or two don't bug me at all, even when I notice them. I figure that I probably only see a quarter of them, anyway. I am busy hooping, after all, and there are a lot of people strolling through the park.

But I really don't like folks who stand and shoot for minutes on end without making contact with me. I notice them because they stick out as stationary in my whirling world. That disturbs my flow. And breaking my concentration pisses me off. So sometimes when it happens, I stop hooping and stare at them. Or wave. Or give them the finger. Or suggest they come try the hoops.

I need to learn to ignore them.

During the grey, cold phase of winter, I suffered long weeks of uninspired hooping and general lassitude. But February always brings blue skies and pink plum flowers to Tokyo and the days grow noticeably longer. Sunny afternoons, even chilly ones, fire my enthusiasm for living life fully.

But "living life fully" focusses on almost entirely hooping at the moment, as I am slated to do a performance and workshop with Mandi and Stina in early March. I rehearse our routine and refine my solo in the hope of avoiding embarrassment. I don't want to be the worst dancer in our trio, which could easily be the case!

So I've had my hoops out and about almost every day for the last two weeks. From the hours of exercise I get, I can feel my muscles unlock, my strength return and my energy increase. As a result of daily practice, I've entered trick acquisition mode. Have a look at all the new tricks I've gotten in the last couple of days:

That last one - the twin arm/elbow thing - has been eluding me for months. It just clicked today and I was so excited that I jumped around and squealed, frightening the other children in the park.

In addition to what's in the video, I am on the verge of vertical chest hooping - sometimes I can get it, but usually not. Maybe tomorrow it will fall into place. I wouldn't be surprised. I will keep my video camera handy, just in case.

I've been hoop dancing for five and a half months. I work hard at it, but I am still such a beginner. However, yesterday I took the leap into teaching a class as a substitute for Deanne while she is in Oz for a couple months. I've given casual help to people at the park and such, but I've not taught a structured class before.

It was not the best of classes, I have to say. I was anxious. I forgot my hooping clothes. I forgot my cheatsheet of class routines. My period started during class. I was flummoxed by my two students who spoke different languages and had somewhat different hooping abilities. Fortunately it wasn't a total disaster. I did not forget my music. The brand-new-to-hooping student left being able to waist hoop and do a variety of hand hooping tricks. Both students seemed to enjoy themselves. I hope they will return.

Today, needing to shake off the bad vibe from yesterday, I took my hoops to Ueno park. I hadn't done that before, because it isn't a park where people seem to practice stuff. There are lots of museum visitors, tourists, zoo attendees, licensed buskers, and homeless guys. Not so many people are "doing their own thing" at Ueno, but it was OK.

Every time I hoop in a park or public place, I connect with people; this afternoon an older lady, a PhD student, & a little boy all tried the hoops. Passersby smiled, took pictures, even applauded. But most memorably, I taught an entire band to hoop! My Morning Jacket, who are on tour from Nashville, stopped to say hi and give the hoops a spin. I'd never heard of them, but I'm going to their show tomorrow in Shibuya. You never know what blessing a hooping encounter is going to bring.

After three hours of hooping and meeting people, I am feeling much more relaxed and happy. For next Monday's class, I will smile more, use armloads of positive affirmations, and hang on tight to this good hoop vibe - I really want to share it with everyone.

Here is what park people saw today - a lot of trial and error:

Hooping in Washington Dulles airport

My two weeks in the States had hooping as a subtext. In between moving, Thanksgiving, wedding, set decoration, and banking I spread the hoop love as thickly as I could.

In Pittsburgh, Jean swept snow off the patio so we could hoop. She liked it and we found a hoop class not too far from her. Cousin Goldie, who I discovered is a certified NIA dance instructor, hooped it up in the living room with me. I didn't have hoops to leave behind there, but I hope I planted a seed of desire.

At Jenn's we decorated hoops that I'd had delivered from Betty Hoops. We had ten naked hoops and a box of fabric and tape. Our different personalities really came out. Mom's hoop was neatly and beautifully cross taped in sky blue and yellow. Helen patiently patchworked a hoop with all different fabrics and shiny tapes. I did two hoops with different designs. Jenn used purple fabric and pink tape on one of hers, and attempted a candy cane spiral on the other but ended up with a zebra striped hoop instead. I snagged a third hoop to decorate later and left the remaining three for them to decorate and enjoy.

Jenn & Helen learned to hoop in time to work off their Thanksgiving dinner.

Jenn's living room is just big enough for two to hoop carefully, or if three people line up just right, we can all do vertical hand hooping. The day before the wedding, Jenn & I bundled up and hooped in the backyard as the sun set. I clocked myself good on the side of my nose and had this funny red square on my face for the rest of the trip.

We took the hoops by car to Mom's house in Ephrata. Hoops are not so car-friendly, especially with luggage involved. They sort of fit in the back of Mom's station wagon, did not fit in the town car we rode in to the airport (Tod sat with them around his neck), did fit into the capacious trunk of a Volkswagen Jetta, and did not get anywhere near fitting into the trunk of a Tokyo taxi (I sat with them over my legs).

I'd hoped to meet up with some Harrisburg-area hoopers while I was in Ephrata, but I was conscripted/volunteered to help at the theatre and there was no time for hooping.

Kris & I show off our hoop matierials.

When I got to Chicago, I gave Kris one of the hoops I'd done at Jenn's and we played indoors and outdoors. When I suggested we could make more of them, we ran around town for hoop-making supplies. 3/4" 160 psi polyethylene tubing is available in Chicago, but not common.

I called in an order to Grainger, a B-to-B wholesaler who kindly accommodated my needs, and we were the only women in line at the warehouse will-call window. The guys at Home Depot were interested in our project, too. I wonder if they checked out the YouTube link I suggested?

Shiny, pretty hoops in progress

The FoxCam captures winter hooping action

I came home with four new hoops, 75 feet of tubing and a ratcheting pipe cutter, too. For the record, hoops travel well by air when tied into a bundle and wrapped with bubble wrap.

"Oh, no! I left the travel hoop in the car!" I remembered at O'Hare

Sorry, Tracey. I will be buying you a new travel hoop in the very near future.

Hooping in costume. Photo by StinaSparkle.

There are some things I really love about hooping: my new hooping friends, the challenges of improvement, the physics of moving with or against the hoop, and flow of hoop dance. And you can't beat the exercise benefits.

Another thing I like is the excuse to make and wear costumes frequently. Yesterday I attended a outdoor hoop party wearing flowery bloomers and matching flared pants, my favorite multicolor fur collar, a headpiece shaped like goggles, and an LED pendant that I programmed to read "SEE TINK HOOP." Deanne said I looked ready to attend Burning Man. I am pretty sure that was a compliment.

Deanne fire hooping. Photo by StinaSparkle.

The thing I don't like about hooping is when I injure myself. I did a good job of that at the party last night.

After the sun set, Deanne brought out her fire hoop. The fire hoop has kerosene tipped spokes protuding from it and looks beautiful moving in the darkness. I was keen to have a try though some of the other hoopers were afraid they would catch themselves on fire. They may have had something there.

It was amazing to hoop in the fire hoop - the scent of the fuel is heady and the sound of the fire whirling around is a like synthesized rush of wind. And then there is the brilliant golden light. I couldn't see anything beyond the flames. It is very focused and intense - just me, a moving circle of fire, and the occasional cheer from an onlooker.

I stood in the center of the flames and held the hoop at waist level before lifting it over my head and back down to my hips. I spun it on my waist, shimmied it up to my shoulders and then pulled it off it over my head and started a slow lasso turn. It was at that point that I slipped on the river gravel underfoot. I didn't see the large rock that I tripped on, but I sure did feel it when I landed on it. I ended up with scraped and bruised knees, feet and a swollen hand, but fortunately I managed not to singe myself at all.

I don't know if anyone captured my tumble on film or video, but if they did, I'd like to see it. Next time I fire hoop (and there certainly will be a next time) I will be more aware of my footing.

Yoyogi Park on the weekend is a gathering place for lots of people who practice and play everything from instruments to frisbees. Jugglers, dancers and now hoopers group together and enjoy the fine weather while doing their thing. The park also attracts photographers who capture all of this activity.

We hoopers get a fair amount of attention from the photographers. We have been the background of photoshoots, are often snapped with cell phones, and sometimes we become the subject of what seems like hours-long scrutiny by middle aged men with big lenses. More often than not, the photographers do not ask permission or talk to us. I'm sure much of the time we don't even notice them.

But yesterday a lovely woman with a camera asked if she could take my photo before she started shooting. Sure, of course! I just kept on hooping. When she was done, she introduced herself and asked for my e-mail address to send me the photos. What a treat! Look at what she sent:

There are more, including some fun action shots, in my Flickr hooping set. Thank you so much, Luliko Nakagawa, for sharing your photos with me.

October arrived and I freaked out. Nothing I'd planned to do had been finished. My projects hung like rotting fruit in an untended orchard. What happened to September?? Even half of August was a blank. I was baffled and upset.

"You were hooping," Rob reminded me when I whinged to him. In a separate conversation, Tod told me the same thing. Yes, I guess I was.

Here is where all that hooping has gotten me.

Zoupi needs a smaller hoop

Our hoop-up in the park on Saturday turned out to be great fun. Christina, Amanda, Lauren, Tracey, Steph and Paulette from class turned up, plus we had many impromptu joiners: a university English club of a dozen students, a fashion photo shoot, two hungry boys, a portly gentleman with a great attitude, random picnickers, and several unexpected friends from our Niijima camping trip. There were uncountable photographs taken of us and I'm looking forward to discovering them on Flickr or wherever they turn up.

BYOH Saturday Hoop Up was a great success and we'll repeat it next Saturday.

Hosei University English club tries hooping with encouragement from Amanda

Photo shoot with hoops & hoopers in the background: Christina, Amanda, and Lauren.

On Sunday, Amanda and I met again for more hooping (after an Indian lunch and some shopping at the Namaste India festival) and Yuka joined us. We hooped more lazily than on Saturday, but I racked up almost ten hours of hooping for the weekend. Tod, Rob, & Amanda's friend, Melanie, turned up to watch and we all went for dinner. On the way home, Yuka and I hooped in the corridors of Higashi-Shinjuku station. It's so hard to stop!

Come along for some casual hooping pleasure in the park this weekend. Everyone's welcome.

BYOH Saturday Hoop Up
Yoyogi Park (here)
Saturday, September 27
1:00 pm until everyone falls down

Bring your hoop, plus water, snack, bug spray, and accessories as you like. We have a couple of spare hoops, but not as many as Deanne carries, so if you have extras, please bring them to share the hoop fun.

If it rains (and it might) we'll postpone til Sunday.

After a four hour class with Deanne from Hooplovers, Tracey, Amanda and I had built up enough energy to hoop some more. We headed to the square in Kabukicho, where the homeless men hang out, and hooped there for an hour before finally heading off to dinner.

I don't think people hoop there too often, so we attracted a lot of attention. It was fun to have an audience and many photos were taken. Even better was an audience who interacted with us. One professorial but slightly crazy guy spoke at me about America for at least ten minutes; it was good listening practice. Two cute Chinese girls came over to play and take pictures. One of the homeless guys wanted to try the hoop, but was more interested in getting us to perform for him. An entire family joined in and played wit the hoops. It was a good time for everyone.

We shot the video intending to study our form as we practiced, but it was just too good not to edit a bit and share.

There are a stunning number of hoop tricks and many wonderful video demonstrations and tutorials on how to do them. The same trick can have many names and lots of minor variations, so it gets confusing. As Deanne explained to me, "The hoop trick names appear to be like some kind of slang depending on where you hoop, where you learned, what style you prefer, who invented them." The names of tricks are a crazy-mixed up world!

Seems impossible to get everything organised into a cohesive directory, but I've made a start by categorising the moves by where they are done on the body, their orientation (most tricks are either horizontal or vertical), and what sort of video it is - detailed tutorial, demo of a specific move, or inspiring full performance.

This page will always display the most recent additions. Click the name of the trick to see the video.

To see all the tricks in the list and to search them go here: Hooping Tricks

Have a favorite trick tutorial that you want to share? Feel free to add it to the list. Just fill in the form below and it will show up in the list above (and in the main list, too)

Happy hooping!

(Thanks to lazybase for their free service. It's barebones database perfection.)

Practicing hoop dancing is impossible in the house unless I am standing on the dinner table or the bed, neither of which is a very good practice platform, so I do my practices outside.

On dry days, I can dance in the little patch of grass behind our building. The grass feels nice on my bare feet and I can look up at the sky as I move. But I cannot do do any "off-body" tricks that might end with my hoop flung over the fence onto the Marunouchi line tracks - I like my hoops too much to lose them.

On wet days, I practice in the garage/carport. Concrete is not as good on the feet and the ceiling restricts the high-reaching tricks, but it works out fine enough. There's lots of room to practice walking and to really dance. Sometimes I run from one end to the other with the hoop in motion. That's kinda fun. And my presence entertains the building staff and neighbors, which is another kind of fun.

I've only been down to the park once. It was good but a little too far away for a daily play. Walking along in workout clothes with my hoop over my shoulder got a few interesting looks, and even more when I gave in to an irresistible urge and hand hooped down Kasuga Dori.

Everywhere I go now, I see good places to hoop in public. As I improve my skills, or maybe just as the weather cools down a little, I can imagine myself hooping in the courtyard of the science museum, at the war memorial, and on the train platform (actually, I did the last night after class).

I am amusing the heck out of myself.

I am obsessed by hula hoop dancing. Last Wednesday, I took a hoop dancing class with the most awesome Deanne at Hooplovers. It was so much fun that on Friday I bought myself some hoops. I have practiced 2 hours every day since (yay for the carport on rainy days!) and yesterday logged three hours when I took a second class. I am learning tricks of all sorts but I am clumsy and have bruises to prove it. I will need a lot of hard work before I can run away to the circus.

Today I took my hoops down to the park by the station. Lots of people go there to practice things and play games, so I figured I wouldn't be too out of place. And I thought I'd see how I did under public scrutiny and possible humiliation. I found that I really didn't care. I just danced and practiced my tricks, smiling at people if our eyes met.

This is what it looked like to me:

Wheeeeeeeee!

And here is what I looked like to anyone who was watching (be warned, I am really dorky):