Maybe you’re the sort to go for once a year candlelit dinners, buying/receiving lots of assorted nonsense from Clintons or sitting at home and worrying that you’re not partaking in such joys…

Or maybe not….

In which case….

YAY!  COME AND SPIN FIRE WITH ME!!!!

@ The Artspace Lifespace College , The College, (Timsbury Walk entrance) Marksbury Rd, BS3 5JJ
14th Feb 2012 7-9pm!!!

We have a concreted car park with a covered area if it rains.

You don’t have to come in a couple (although couples are also welcome!)

Tuition for non-fire spinners and loads of spinning space for the rest of you.

I’ll also have glow hoops if people don’t want to do fire and still want to play.

As usual – other props welcome!

Whoop!

So…

FIRE JAM = 7-9pm

FOR FIRST TIME (VIRGIN) FIRE HOOPERS 7-8pm

This session will be £5/person – I’ll be doing a safety talk and supervised burns for anyone wanting to have a go!! Fire hoops and all equipment provided.

If you want to spin fire please dress sensibly
- no synthetic clothing
- no hairspray!!
- no dangly bits off clothes
- Hair tie/hat for long hair
- If you have cuffs/arm protectors (long socks with the toes cut out and a thumb hole/similar) then bring them along – I’ll have some to borrow if you need them.

FOR EXPERIENCED SPINNERS (7-9pm)

They’ll be an area for you to spin separate from the virgin burners. Please bring your own fuel or a cash donation if you want to use what we provide.

We’d ask everyone to be up for taking on the role of safety for a few spins so we can cycle the safeties and it doesn’t all fall to one person.

If anyone fancies being a star and coming and helping set up the area/dip station for this area please let me know. I’d massively appreciate the help.

Good times!!

If you want to bring a few ciders/beers please feel free but please note I’ll be being militant about stopping people spinning irresponsibly so don’t overdue if you want to spin.

Any questions contact us or post on the fb event wall!

See you all there!!!!

Emma x

First there was the posting of a video documentary about Flow in which SWhoop 2011 features. Scroll down to see the vid!

Also, the amazing Kat (Stakkato Blue), winner of the Hoop City SWhoop Scholarship competition has posted a review on her time at SWhoop.

I’d like to say a MASSIVE thanks to Safire and Hoop City for making this possible.

Kat entered a photo of her ‘Hooping Mad’ (see below) and won a ticket to SWhoop Two 2011 by receiving the most Like’s from Hoop City members.

Kat 'Hooping Mad' - The winning photo!

Here is her review of her Hoop City win and SWhoop experience:

SWHoop 2011 surpassed all of my expectations. I’d been lucky enough to go in the first year, and there had been lots of great workshops including one with Baxter, but something about it this year meant it pushed all of my skills, refined my mental approach to hooping and showed me lots of potential new directions to move in. Not to mention the Renegade show on the Saturday night, but more on that later!

Winning the SWHoop scholarship competition was amazing and unexpected; it was so nerve wracking that I ended up actually hooping in anticipation around my living room as it got closer to midnight on the day the competition closed, unable to stop in case I went and checked the votes again, which were changing every few seconds. When it got to midnight I had won! I then realized that as Hoop City is a US site I had another six/seven hours to wait, and tried to go to bed. As you can imagine I didn’t sleep much until the results were announced.

For me it was a life-changing opportunity, as 2011 was the year that I finally went freelance as a hula hooping performer, and it was terrifying and liberating and more incredible than I could have expected, with my motion picture debut in A Lonely Place to Die (a fire hooping Beltane dancer), and cabaret performances at T in the Park and the Edinburgh Fringe. I desperately wanted to progress with my hooping, but the last thing I could have done at that point was to go to SWHoop without the scholarship.

Malcolm at SWhoop - Photo courtesy of Susie Ray, The Padstow Mussel Co

So imagine my joy at being able to walk into a room full of spinning hula hoopers, including Malcolm Stuart, Anah Reichenbach (Hoopalicious, US founder of hoop dance as we know it), Beka Hoop, Gail O’Brien, Emma Kerr, Angie Mack… it was like relief and excitement all at once.

I pretty much jumped straight into a workshop with Malcolm Stuart. He had a great mix of teaching concepts and ways to think about developing your own style and original movements, while still taking time to break down and teach a few of the moves I’d got excited about seeing him do. A cheeky behind the back throw/pass was one of them! His enthusiasm about creating ‘circuits’ – a set of movements that flowed into each other and could be continuously repeated – was infectious and I’m still finding it a really good way of working a few months later.

Bags at SWhoop 2011 - photo courtesy of Susie Ray - The Padstow Mussel Co

After this followed a body popping workshop, which was really hard but a lot of fun, a poi workshop with the lovely Kay Dent (Pink Hoops) which got lots of hoopers excited about the basics, and a twin hooping workshop with Bags (Circomedia, Stev2Bags) on Z spins which was really concisely explained and opened up some more basic ways of manipulating a hoop without having to let go at all.

Angie Mack’s workshop on ‘wedgie hooping’ – basically anything where the hoop is trapped between your legs – was fantastic. I’ve always wondered how to do most of this family of tricks and Angie made it seem very accessible. Lots of practice still required to perfect it all, but there was a good graduation of skill level in her teaching.

Gail O’Brien’s (Hoop Spin) workshop was on advanced body rolls including some really nice variations with turns, passes and spins. Gail’s workshop teaching is very clean – you always end up knowing exactly what you learned, how it worked and how to drill it afterwards. I love the way her mind works!

Delilah Di Sgrace at SWhoop - Photo from Heather Iles

Other workshops I really enjoyed included Loz Because incorporating her dance technique into hoop dance, Emma Kerr’s breaking patterns concept class, Elise’s ballet hooping, and probably the biggest surprise to me (I’m not the most graceful of folk and wouldn’t consider myself a dancer but more a techie in my hoop style) was how much I got out of Anah’s class. I knew she would be an incredible teacher, but I didn’t expect to find myself isolating parts of my body like a sort of cross between bellydance and yoga, really pushing my balance abilities, and really getting into the sheer therapeutic enjoyment of hooping on body. I don’t use the word inspiring lightly, but I can see exactly why she’s got so many people deeply into hoop.

Other things I have to mention – the cabaret show was incredible! We were treated to the poi-hooping inventor of manipulation Dustin Hubel, which blew several people’s minds so messily they had to go outside to clean themselves up. Contemporary dancer Beka Hoop was seamlessly beautiful, Loz Because had some serious swing dance skills, Zoe’s (Delilah Di sGrace) burlesque was sweet and funny, Bags and Tilly Twist (Rings & Tings) pioneered some new partner hoop concepts, and Malcolm did things with a poncho I can’t really talk about.

There were also pies from Pieminister (they make gourmet pies). They do a pie called a Heidi, which has goat’s cheese and sweet potato in it. It is not the main reason I enjoyed SWHoop, but it is up there. The food generally was very tasty and always filling which is what you need to compensate for huge amounts of hooping.

So, seriously, I can’t stress enough how much of an absolute treat this hooping convention was. I spent time with amazing people, have enough material and ideas to keep me practicing and developing for the whole winter, and am feeling thoroughly in love with my hoop. Thank you to everyone who voted for me in the competition, and to my talented boyfriend Niall Macdonald (check out his Flickr here) for taking the picture that you liked.

Make sure you SWhoop it up in 2012

Kat Borrowdale – Stakkato Blue

SWhoop 2011 Taster Vid

Subscribe to the Hooping Mad Youtube channel be notified when new SWhoop vids are released! SWhoop 1 and 2 Performance videos coming soon!

“Go with the Flow” Documentary:

So many of my year’s favourite vids made it into the Hoopies final list!!!

Click HERE to vote! No registration required!!

For SOLO VID:

Live and Let Hoop (Bristol Nick’s bond video) edited by me! Also featuring me as Polly Propylene, directed and edited by me too!
and
Trembling Hoop: featuring Marianna de Sanctis of Toulouse

For GROUP VID:

PIMP – featuring Nick, me, Gail, Bags and Zoe. Directed and edited by me too!

Vintage Gothic by Team London

Circularity Thinking featuring many of the London hoopers

Thriller Zombie hoop dance

Who to vote for???

Support the UK hoop community!!!

Please vote for Bristol/UK in the 2012 Hoopies!! Click HERE to vote! No registration required!!

SOLO VID – Live and let hoop – Nick’s bond vid. (Did I mention I’m in it and did the direction and edit!!! )

GROUP VID – PIMP or Vintage Gothic or Lisa and Satya or Circularity thinking (watch them and choose your fave – all awesome! 4/7 of the best group vids were UK based!!!)

but clearly I want you to vote for the PIMP vid!!! (Did I mention I’m in it and did the direction and edit on this one too!!! )

TUTORIAL – Sharna – Wedgie combo

HOOPING PROMO EVENT – Blue Peter Finale or Marawa on Britain’s got talent or Karin de Wit on Holland’s got talent (the UK loves Miss de Wit!!!)

YOUTH HOOPER – Lottie – awesome UK hooper who did a great performance at the Bristol Juggling Convention this year.

PERFORMANCE GROUP – Flame Oz (for Satya and Grace who you saw being AMAZING at SWhoop 2011)

COMMUNITY – Bristol!!!! Clearly!!!

INSTRUCTOR – Steve Bags

MALE – Steve Bags, (Nick is also up for this but he has 2 x vids up and already hoop idol so think it’s fair for Bags to get this one this year – don’t want to split the vote and neither to get it!!!)

FEMALE – Gail O’Brien – she REALLY deserves this!!

VOTE TODAY

Click HERE to vote! No registration required!!

4th Jan 2011
Hi all,

So it’s nominations time for the fifth annual Hoopie awards run by Hooping.org.

Think of it like the ‘Hoop Oscars’. There’s all sorts of categories including Best Hoop Community (ahem Bristol is a great place to be a hooper) or Best Hooping event (SWhoop was pretty good wasn’t it?).

Please go HERE to find out how to make your nominations.

Two of the categories are to do with Hoop Videos so I thought I’d post a list of some of my favourite vids from this year. Hopefully this will help you out if you’re stuck for what to vote for in the Solo Video and Group Video categories.

Enjoy!

Emma x

Solo Vids

Group vids

In theory tutorials…

SWhoop 1 kicks off on 11.11.11, World Hoop Day!!

There are 5 main hoop workshops specially selected to include a good mix of core and off-body, creativity, performance and tricks.

There are also 14 optional workshops to choose from which include hoop workshops like poi-hoop, hoop burlesque, Z-spins, rolls, partner hooping, folding, and more.  The optionals also include non-hoop workshops like yoga, basic tumbling, body-popping, poi and 20s charleston!!   There really is something for everyone. Check out the full list of workshops here!

The food menu is shaping up and the ‘Best of Bristol’ theme will include favourites from last year: Thali Cafe, Magic Roll and Pieminister as well as the a new SWhoop caterer, the Souk Kitchen, who are set to feed us Saturday evening pre-show.  I’m very excited about that meal, it’s going to be incredible!

This weeks news:

SWhoop Day Tickets ON SALE NOW!

You can now buy day tickets for this event! Tickets are available for Friday Only, Saturday Only or Weekend (Sat/Sun) Only. Check out the Tickets Page!

SWhoop Showcase/LED Ball Tickets ON SALE NOW!

For the bargain price of £15 you can come and see the amazing Performance Showcase featuring some of the world’s best hoopers. Showcase line-ups will be announced this week. The SWhoop 1 and SWhoop 2 Showcases will differ in a few of the acts. Why not come to both??

Included with this is the LED ball.  Two rooms of music and loads of space to hoop or just watch all the LED hoopers!  Other props welcome!

Hoop City Competition – WIN A SWHOOP TICKET!

WIN a ticket to SWhoop by entering this photo competition.
Contest Time Line: November 1st – November 7th
To Enter: Take a photo of yourself going “Hooping Mad!” and post it on Hoop City Titled “SWHoop Hooping Mad Scholarship 2011″. ONLY ONE ENTRY PER MEMBER
All the details can be found on Hoop City!

Hope to see you all there!!

We thought it was time to tell you about all the exciting hoop events that Hooping Mad is running or is involved in this Year!!

Hoop gatherings and one-dayers are a great way to take your hooping to the next level. You get to experience new teaching styles, meet and be inspired by other hoopers from all over the world and to connect with the ever growing and extremely friendly UK hoop community

There are suitable events for all levels of hoopers and many events have payment plans to spread the cost.

Info on the next events coming your way

Jump to:

Gail O’Brien in Bristol

Emma Kerr in London

Brighton Flow Festival (BFF)

Emma Kerr in Manchester

Vine Farm Hoop Retreat

SWhoop

Gail O’Brien in Bristol

Sunday May 1st

Throws, isolations and bouncing, rolls, passes and pushing through plateaus.

4 workshops in a day – do all 4 or just one – you’re sure to learn a mass of new tricks!! Gail has a completely astounding repertoire of tricks and is in Bristol to share her knowledge!!

Book in directly here!
Fb event here!

SPACES ARE LIMITED!!!!!!!!!!

Emma Kerr in London

Overcoming Hooper’s Block Workshops

London 28th and 29th May

4 x 3hr workshops over one weekend.  For more information on workshops see here.  Bookable as a whole weekend or as individual workshops

See the fb event here!

Brighton Flow Festival (BFF)

Saturday 4th June

You’ll get the opportunity to take workshops with some of the best hoop teachers in the UK, including Emma Kerr, Gail O’Brien and Steve Bags.  Plus you’ll have time and space to play with other friendly hoopers from the local area.

Skill level? All welcome, from beginners to advanced

Cost? Early bird rate = £65 (until 15 April), £70 after.

Book online here!

FB event here!

Emma Kerr in Manchester

Overcoming Hooper’s Block Workshops

Sunday 19th June

Only a few spaces left!!!

2 x 3hr workshops. For more information on workshops see here

Bookable as a whole day or as individual workshops

See fb event here!

Vine Farm Hoop Retreat

6th-7th August 2011

ONLY A FEW SPACES LEFT!!!!!

This Sat/Sun 2 day event will be an informal yet intensive hoop retreat at Vine House and Farm, nr Crowland, Peterborough, UK

Move your hooping with single, twins and/or multiples to the next level whatever your stage.

Participants will benefit from group workshop teaching as well as plenty of 1on1 teaching time with some of the best hoop teachers in the country

Emma Kerr of Hooping Mad
Gail O’Brien of HoopSpin
Jo Mondy of LiveLoveHoops
Steve Bags
Elise Falla

Tailored teaching for each individual.

Ticket price will include workshops, small group tuition with all 5 hoop teachers, home cooked food for the weekend and camping space.

For more information see here!

FB event here!

SWhoop (South West hoop conference)

11-13th November
and
18-20th November

Ticket release for those that paid the £5 Early Release fee last year: Thursday 5th May

General release: June 1st 2011

The interest has been very high this year so please book early to avoid disappointment

SWhoop is an entirely indoor event in Bristol, UK in November.

This year will run twice on two consecutive weekends. There will be workshops from some of the best hoopers/teachers from the UK and the US. There will be additional optional dance and circus workshops from complimentary diciplines as well as ample social/playing time. The international teachers will be the same for both weekend but the UK teachers may differ slightly between the two. Info will be released before tickets come out.

Following the huge success of the sell out SWhoop 2010 hooping mad are proud to announce the workshop leaders for the 2011 event:

Hoopalicious
Malcolm Stuart
Angie Mack
Jo Mondy
Loz Because

Additional optional workshops

Best of Bristol Food

To be held at The Trinity Arts Centre, Easton, Bristol

Comments about SWhoop 2010:

“Thanks to Emma, the Hooping Mad crew, and everyone there for making SWhoop such a great weekend.”

“What a weekend, I feel enriched.”

“so much inspiration to practice ”

“Loved the workshops, the show and the sunday pies”

“a seriously incredible event and I’m convinced my hooping is moving to a totally different place now, broken through so many barriers and ready to learn even more!”

“this was the best time ever. really ”

“God that was a good weekend, thanks to everyone for making it so great, can’t wait for SWHoop2011 xxxx“

AND….

Details will be announced at a later date about other UK and US teachers coming to Bristol including a long awaited visit solo workshop visit from Sharna Rose in September and the very welcome return of Baxter later in the year!!

Keep an eye on our external workshops page for all up and coming events!!!!!

The home of the Pantaloonies and Steve Bags (past hooping.org Hoopie winners 2010 and 2011 respectively), two of the hooping.org Hooping Idol 2011 finalists (Nick Broyd and Kay Dent), the world famous Bristol Hoop Massive (innit!) and all in all one of the most exciting hoop communities worldwide!

Last year the Hooping Mad hoopers raised over £2000 (!!!) for Sports Relief by Hooping for a mile.

This year we’re not going one better but 12 better and we’ll be hooping more than a half marathon from neighbouring city Bath back to Bristol along the cycle track. Eek!!!

This years event is being coordinated by Zoe Pither and Emma Kerr.

It’s going to be a real challenge but on Sunday 20th March 2011 twenty plus brightly coloured and excitable hoopers covered in sparkles and sequins will be dancing along the Bath to Bristol cycle track to raise money for three fantastic charities: Spark Circus, Performers without Borders and World Hoop Day.

Please please sponsor us so we can send lots to these amazing charities!!! Donate button at the end of the post.

Spark Circus

SPARK! is a group of spectacular international volunteer circus performers who come together to bring joy to groups of disadvantaged children in refugee camps, migrant schools, hospitals and orphanages along the Thai Burmese border.

Over 250 000 people have fled oppression, war and poverty in Burma to the refugee camps.  Once there, however, they are prevented from leaving and entering Thailand legally.

While the UN, RedCross and other NGOs have set up schools and orphanages and help to provide food and shelter, the refugees live a life of uncertainty and limited freedom.

They reach over 4,000 children each year with our circus-style fire show, playshops and donations of toys, art supplies, and creative tools. The goal is to lighten their days with magic, wonder, laughter and smiles.

Spark! Circus is run solely on donations and volunteer work. All donations go towards children’s toys, circus equipment and food for the kids/teachers in the camps.

Brighton-based hula hooper, Jo Mondy, volunteered with Spark! Circus in February this year along with 20 other international performers. In her words:

“For the thousands of kids who live in these refugee camps, there are very few opportunities to play, laugh, be creative or have any sort of childhood. That’s where Spark Circus comes in. We run circus workshops, bring donations of toys and art supplies, teach the kids how to make their own toys and make then laugh with our silly and fun performances”

Performers without Borders

Performers Without Borders (PWB) works towards giving disadvantaged children the opportunity to explore their potential.

Their work aims to help children develop learning, creativity and team working skills through performance skills.  Their work also helps to build confidence, develop empowerment and overcome social barriers.

PWB’s methodology of following the tradition of travelling show, and the principle of fostering long-term relationships, is ideal in not only engaging children, but also ensuring community trust in the project.

PWB envisages a world where all children are able to realise their full potential, and have an understanding of different cultures, the complexity of development issues and the importance of personal action.

World Hoop Day

Photo from Ambassadors in Honduras celebrating World Hoop Day 2010.

Since 2006, World Hoop Day has been dedicated to bringing dance, exercise and toy hoops to under-privileged children living in extreme poverty and the under-developed neighborhoods of our world.

World Hoop Day is a not-for-profit organization that uses a community-based, grass roots approach to provide one-of-a-kind “hula” hoops. There are many aid organizations who provide food and medical relief, but what about the mental welfare of a child who grows up too quickly and hardly has a reason to smile or play or just e a child?

As we all know, the simple hoop has positive physical and mental health benefits, stimulates imaginations, and enables feelings of pure joy and bliss. This is what World Hoop Day seeks to share with children across the world.

WHD 2011 will be 11.11.11.

Bristol hoopers took to College Green for a day of hooping for WHD 2010.

Please Sponsor us!!!

If you don’t know a hooper taking part please sponsor the whole team by donating here:

If you know a hooper taking part then please sponsor them directly because there are prizes for the participants who raise the most sponsorship money.  For more details see the Hooping Mad charity page here!

Beka Hoop aka Rebecca Halls

Beka Hoop aka Rebecca Halls is a Hoop Artist, Contemporary Dancer & Yogi. In 2008 Beka founded IHOOPU, and created the very first Canadian Hoop Dance Teacher Certification program.  Beka featured multiple times in the nominations for the 2011 Hoopies run by www.hooping.org including a nomination for Female Hooper of the Year!  A photograph of Beka won the Best Photo of the Year.  Her unique hooping style stands out with clear contemporary dance and acrobatic influences.  She also likes sparkly things!  : )

Also see Vimeo vid here!

Where are you from/based?

I’m originally from British Columbia, Canada but I have been living in Montreal for the past 5 years.

I moved to Montreal in 2005, Canada in search of a hoop dance community like those I had heard of in the USA. To my surprise, nothing yet existed in Montreal and the city welcomed me and my hoops with open arms. From scratch, I began to build a community, through performing, teaching and making hoops. Montreal, home to a high caliber circus and dance community proved to be the perfect place for this feat.

Through professional dance and circus training I began to established myself as an up and coming Montreal artist. Simultaneously, I trained my top hoop students to teach hoop dance classes.

Since February 2011 I have shifted my base to Berlin, Germany where I am embarking on a deep in a creative process to create my next contemporary hoop dance piece called “Spin“. This piece researches the idea of threshold with relation to spinning shaped by a series of cyclical choreographic sequences woven together by hoops.

When/Why/How did you start hooping?

I started hooping in 2003 on a road trip to Shambhala Music Festival. From the moment I picked up the hoop, I knew that this was going to be a life long friendship. Hooping was kind of like a “gateway drug”, after a long time away from the performing arts, hooping gave me the confidence to dive back in head first.  I started ballet training at the age of 5, and stopped at the age of 17 to travel, and discover the world (and myself). Upon returning from world travels putting on some pink tights and a body suit again seemed rather intimidating at the age of 23.  While traveling in South East Asia, I discovered yoga, and soon after poi.  When I started hooping, it was through the freedom of the arms that I fell in love with this art form.  Poi had always proved to be rather frustrating due to the limitation posed by having to hold onto the poi. With free arms, I was able to support my body weight with one hand, while spinning the hoop with the other.  It wasn’t long before I was spinning the hoops on my feet, and doing all sorts of fun things like handstands and cartwheels with hoops.  My first thought was “this is dance” which initiated my returning to modern dance class.

How often do you hoop?

Between 0 – 24 hours / day

What’s your current favourite hoop?

My gold hoop.

It isn’t even round anymore, and the tape is peeling off, but it has travelled all over the world with me.

Do you have favourite music to hoop to?

Minimal, techno, hip hop, flamenco guitar (live)

How would you describe your style?

Dance, acrobatic, dynamic, bendi

Do you perform?

Yes

Further Info on some of the performance projects Beka has been involved in (taken from her bio):

In autumn 2005 I met another hooper Julia Harnad. We started a troupe together, Arcus Intorchao, and began performing at all sorts of events. I was invited to “Espace Tangente” to present hoop work to the contemporary dance world.  Dena Davida, the director of the theatre, saw me perform at cabaret, and asked me if I would interested in re-working the piece to create “a hula hoop performance with depth”.  At that point I had co-choreographed the duette with Julia. The piece was an acrobatic, hula hoop routine, and kind of a fusion of breakdance, capoiera, ballet & contemporary with hoop tricks.

In 2006 I began working with two contemporary dancers Kiani del Valle, an ex-ballerina from Puerto Rico & WD-Forty a Montreal based breakdancer to create pi.R.squared. It was the first contemporary dance piece to use hoops in Montreal and premiered at Espace Tangente in 2007. That year I also completed my yoga teacher certification with Hart Lazer in the Iyengar/Ashtanga lineages.

In 2010 I shot HOOP in collaboration with filmmaker Marites Carino. We spent 2 weeks at EMPAC (Experimental Media & Performing Arts Centre) on an artist residency in Troy, New York doing multi-media research and choreographic development for the piece. And then did two days of final shooting back in Montreal.  The film has screened at three film festivals around the world so far, including Filament (Rensselaer), Cinedans (Amsterdam), and Dance on Camera (NYC), and will be screened at the International Film Festival for Films on Art (artFIFA) in Montreal in March 2011.

To see the video documenting the making of Hoop “Hoop: Behind the scenes” click here!

What’s your favourite ‘type’ of hooping? eg. fire, led, single, twins, sustained spinning, blindfolded

Breakdance hooping, sustained spinning, fire, acrobatic, twins, partner acro-hooping

What’s your favourite ‘trick’ at the moment?

Pushing up into a backbend with the hoop on my foot. I have recently re-discovered this move and am totally diggin’ it!

Do you have/have you ever had a trick nemesis? (something you found REALLY difficult to get even if it wasn’t thought to be that difficult).

The one handed carwheel hoop trick. Not sure why but can’t seem to get that one!

Have you ever experienced ‘hooper’s block’ (that feeling like you’ve plateaued and keep repeating yourself) and if yes, how do you overcome it?

Yes. Keep on hooping. Boredom is a good thing, because it allows space for creativity.

What do you do when you’re not hooping?

Listen to music, contemporary dance, gyrotonics, roller skating, travel, seeing live performances, yoga, yoga, yoga

Who/what inspires you? (hoopers or other)

All of my friends in the hoop community, bks iyengar, watching other people perform, performing for a live audience, amazing teachers, my parents.

Have you ever been to the UK?

Yes, I was just in London, Oxford and Brighton last week!

Will you be coming back?

Yes! I am teaching in Bristol and Manchester in March.

Beka taught ‘Hooping and Dance Technique’  in on Bristol Sunday 27^th Feb 2011– Review here!

Beka is also teaching at Manchester Hoop Congress 2011– this event is SOLD OUT

Beka will be teaching workshops in London and Bristol later in the year.

For more information about Beka including performance videos and up and coming workshops please see the ihoopu website and the ‘rebeccahalls‘ and ‘ihoopu‘ youtube channels.

Lora Armstrong

As the first ever Student Hooper feature it’ll be Hooper of the fortnight – just this once!

Lora is an American living, working and hooping in Bristol, UK. Lora sends her answers to this interviews from a small town in the mountains in N. Italy where she’s just seen a mural of hula-hooping sheep!!! It’s not something I’ve ever seen before but hooping is getting everywhere these days!

Which class do you go to?

Monday at the Folk House

How long have you been hooping?

Since April 2010

Why did you start hooping?

Because it was fun and it made me happy! I was visiting a friend who had just learned to hoop, so she taught me. It was way easier than I thought, and I liked it, so I bought a hoop the next day and I’ve been doing it every since.

How often do you hoop?

Between one and three times a week, but mostly one at the moment because it’s too cold and dark outside.

What’s your current favourite hoop?

My 40″ pink and yellow hoop that Emma made me. It’s the most sparkly, pink, uncharacteristic thing that I own, and seems to be a good size & weight for me at the moment.

Do you have favourite music to hoop to?

Nothing too specific- anything I like that is upbeat. I do love brass bands, which might sound strange to hoop to but it’s really fun!

What’s your favourite ‘trick’ at the moment?

Not really a trick, but I’ve finally started to get the hang of chest hooping, so I’ve just been excited to do that.

Do you ever have/have you ever had a trick nemesis?

No, but I wish I did just so that I could list them here! It’s always fun to have some sort of nemesis.

Have you ever been/do you intend to go to any UK/other gatherings or events? eg. SWhoop/UKHG

I went to SWhoop last fall and it was really inspiring. I’m definitely hoping to go to another hooping event this year- most likely SWhoop, and then next year maybe one of the US hoop gatherings.

What do you do when you’re not hooping?

Cook vast amounts of food & knit socks (I think I might be an old lady trapped in a young person’s body), make random things (like stained glass!), and scheme about buying/making a tiny house (see here!) someday….

Who/what inspires you? (hoopers or other)

I don’t know too many hoopers since I haven’t been doing it for that long, but pretty much everyone I see hooping inspires me- if not for their skill then for their enthusiasm. I love it when people are enthusiastic and excited about doing something! Lots of things are inspiring/exciting though- peoples’ creativity, mountains (I love mountains), and learning new things, to name a few.

Teachers notes by Emma Kerr:

Lora is awesome!  She has recently mastered both chest hooping and the 3-beat weave which I managed to get a bit of in the vid.  Whoop!!  Also has the shoulder duck out but didn’t get any footage of this – next time!  My only complaint is that she has a crazy idea about leaving us and heading back to the States.  Bah!  She’ll be very much missed!

This Sat/Sun 2 day event will be an informal yet intensive hoop retreat at Vine House and Farm with 5 of the UKs best hoopers: Gail O’Brien, Jo Mondy, Steve Bags, Elise Falla and Emma Kerr!

Tickets available now here!