Hermosa hoops!

What is Hoop Dancing? October 12, 2009

When I tell people I’m a Hooper, I generally get the same reaction: A blank stare. As I go on to explain what hoop dancing is, most people still look at me a little sceptically but with a bit more enthusiasm.

I kind of like that the sport and form of personal expression isn’t so wildly known. On one hand, it would be wonderful to have more hoopers out there to play with, but on the other hand, it is nice feeling like a member of this sub-culture community. Especially in a place as large as Los Angeles.

But, in the interest of sharing, I thought I would paste in the description of hooping found on Wikipedia.

Hooping generally refers to artistic movement and dancing with a hoop (or hoops) used as a prop or dance partner. Hoops can be made of metal, wood or plastic. Hooping combines technical moves and tricks with freestyle or technical dancing, and is typically accompanied by music. Hooping describes the activity that unites the subculture of hoop dancers who practice this art, also known as Hoopers. In contrast to the classic toy hula hoop, modern hoopers a) use heavier and larger diameter hoops, and b) frequently rotate the hoop around parts of the body, other than the waist, including the hips, chest, neck, shoulders, thighs, knees, arms, hands, thumbs, feet and toes. All spaces both within and outside of the hoop can be freely explored. Modern hooping has taken cues from diverse art forms such as rhythmic gymnastics, hip-hop, freestyle dance, fire dance, twirling, and other dance and movement forms.

Hooping is part of the greater spectrum of Flow Arts, which are playful movement arts involving skill toys that are used to evoke the exploration of dynamic, flowing, and sequential movements. This movement, and the related mind/body state, is referred to as “flow“. Technically, hooping is a form of object manipulation and in as much shares some lineage with classical juggling.

In its modern incarnation as an art form, dance form, and exercise modality, the practice is referred to either as Hoopdance or simply “Hooping”. Hoop dance artists commonly refer to themselves, and the greater hoopdance community, as Hoopers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooping