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Participant Bios Once you are enrolled: And send a short bio- you could mention what got you into hooping, what its given you, what the hoop means in your life, what your r-evolutionary challenges are right now…what you would like to get into and take from the Harbin Hoop Jam….. If you like, please include a list of a few of your favorite hoop tunes. It would be great to have your contact info if you want to share it (email, tribe, website etc) Love to hear any suggestions for what you would like at the jam, in general or in detail. |
PLEASE DONT COPY THESE BIOS ELSEWHERE ON THE WEB WITHOUT FIRST ASKING THE PERSON OR PEOPLE INVOLVED ...
NOTE... we will update these as you enrol and send in your bios and pics.
mari
so here is me .....or how i wish to present me...intentions...well..to evolve by exposing myself to diversity within and around the hoop.
"The hula hoop became a sensation shortly after I was born – coincidence? Perhaps – one will never know. Proud to say that I owned one of the original candy striped "shoop shoop hoops" Joyful with waist hooping , I can even remember sleeping with my hoop as a kid. Ha! So long ago….but as circles will do…turning..days into months into years and years…I have come back to the hoop..or the hoop has come back to me.
We both are different now, familiar, yet morphed into new versions.
I never was a dancer – considered clumbsy by family and friends and eventually myself, I lived an athletic life, but saved dance for the privacy of my room or lost in big concert crowds. The hoop has brought dance into my life and the change is amazingly good.
I picked up the hoop after seeing hoopers at various music venues and around San Francisco at street fairs and parks.
Through the hoop, I processed my divorce, mourned the loss of my sister, and became comfortable with my aging self. Hooping has given me place for my sensual expressions, a chance for the kid in me to play and most critical, community.
Hooping with the Bay Area hoopers and becoming a member of HoopPaiN, I have discovered others that express with the hoop. This connection has been the most fulfilling. I am now honored to be a member of Solar Flare – through them, I am spinning firehoop in the Fire Conclave at Burning Man 2008 – special significance as my 27 year old son will be in attendance to witness as I actualized this goal.
Intrigued by others that are drawn to the hoop, I have taken the opportunity to expose myself to various teachings – taken Hoopgirl classes, attended the HoopPath workshop in SF and traveled to the HoopPath retreat in June of 2008. The more exposure I give myself, the more I thirst.
As a writer – words express my poetic heart, as a hooper - the hoop expresses my evolving (revolving) spirit."
Sophia
I am an ecstatic groover. I am a dancing dj..i am known to leave the turntables and get on the dance floor. I am a resident DJ at The Groove Garden and other conscious dances like the Berkeley Dance Jam/ Earthdance Festival. I am a booty-shaken, Sufi swirling, hoopin, dancing prancing lady. I love to weave the sounds of the world to create a unified field of consciousness.
I play a wide range of sounds from East to west including: Funk, Latin,
Brazilian grooves, Balkan Beats, Bhangra, trance, euro lounge...whatever gets you moving and groovin'
see you on the dance floor! ....Sophia
Jo Mondy (aka Jojomo aka the Wicked Whirler) is a hoopdancer based in Sydney.
As a teacher and performer, she is a firm believer in the health benefits of hooping – how it can build core strength and cardio fitness in the body while calming and focusing the mind. She was introduced to the beauty of the circle almost 3 years ago by her good friend and mentor Bunny Hoop Star and has recently launched her own online space www.livelovehoop.com . The name Live:Love:Hoop encompasses her hooping philosophy – to live in the moment, to love what you do and to maintain an attitude of gratitude at all times.
For me, Harbin is a chance to experience a total immersion in my passion - to spend time developing my skills and to
reconnect with my inner hoop goddess (who can sometimes get neglected in the hustle and bustle of everyday life). I am also excited to connect and bond with the other hoopers attending harbin - to share insights, emotions and just to jam it out on the dancefloor in a state of energetic bliss.
Contact
jomondy@gmail.com
www.livelovehoop.com
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Another one of my favorite experiences has been the Harbin Hoop Jam. This will be my 3 rd year. And this time my favorite hoop friends are coming with me to share this amazing experience. Can life get better than this?
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Karina
I'm a hooper from Sydney Australia, a 'hoopaholic', one of Bunny's students. By the time harbin rolls around I will have been hooping for two years and I'm addicted! I've performed in two Sydney Mardi Gras parades and I love a good hoop jam but I'm yet to really break into the 'performance' circuit. I heard about the jam through my fellow Sydney siders who attended last year and loved it. I want to meet people who are passionate about all things circular and circus, I want to learn new moves, I want to practice my flow and performance, be inspired and challenged and generally just have a great time and be myself! I'm a psi hoop devotee and currently rock two psi rainbow hoops ... :-)
Regan
a teenage cast member of the TV show “Fame” and a “Solid Gold” dancer for two years, has a string of film and TV dancing credits, including “Forrest Gump” “Sister Act II” “Star Trek: Nemesis” the “Academy Awards” and a half dozen appearances on the “Tonight Show”.
Julia
Julia is a personal fitness trainer with a master's degree in psychology, brings years of gymnastics, dance and yoga training to her craft. Honored by Shape magazine as a fitness model of the year, she was also a national qualifier for Miss Fitness U.S.A
Together as the Tweaksters, they are Regan Patno and Julia Snyder , performing artists whose quirky take on the world blends balletic feats, precision juggling, acrobatics, and creative choreography with odd objects. Their zany sense of humor is designed to tweak and delight audiences of all ages. It's fresh, funny, and all without words.
Whether launching a ping-pong air raid, deftly manipulating flower pots, or making percussive music with plumbing pipes, the Tweaksters love to play. They have been having a great time together for over a decade.
Jan……
I'm a Berkeley CA artist, writing a book that is an overview of contemporary hooping. I've been to Movement Play Camp and Hoop Camp Santa Cruz... have taken other classes with, or interviewed, more than 30 hoop-world luminaries... and chose Harbin Hoop Jam as my one event for this year, otherwise keeping my focus on writing. Looking forward to the community there! If aging is the 24-hour party we're all going to, whether we want to or not, I suggest we bring hoops.
SaFire is the owner of SaFire Dance Inc. Circus and Fire Entertainment as well as the creator and moderator of Hoop City™.
Her journey here began in the summer of 2006 when she saw fire poi and immediately became interested in the fire arts and in prop manipulation. When exposed to hooping while at Shambhala she quickly became obsessed with all things hooping. After completing six years of post-secondary education at theUniversity of Lethbridge, SaFire decided to focus her attention on performance and fire dancing. Graduating with a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in December 2007, SaFire relocated to Edmonton, Alberta where she began working as a performer, hoop dance instructor and motivational speaker.
Choosing to step aside from teaching in the public school system but with a burning desire to work with youth, SaFire created a 45 minute presentation called Inspire Through Fire, a motivational presentation for K-12 students. The presentation was created to share her passion of fire performance and encourage young people to dream dangerously, ignore the nay sayers and forget the bullies they will encounter in life.
In February, 2008 SaFire published her first hooping demo on YouTube. Several weeks later she entered the video into the dance category of a talent contest run through Clipstar.com . The contest semi-finals ran for several months and had a preliminary prize of $10,000 with a grand prize of $1,000,000. When the semi-finals finished, SaFire's video had won and was entered into the finals. Unfortunately the Clipstar finals were cancelled and the grand prize contest never occurred. The video however still holds a strong place in the viral video world, has been featured on various video sites and has a combined an increasing viewer count of well over 3,000,000 people worldwide.
With a desire to share the hoop, SaFire created a series of hooping tutorials and published them on her YouTube Channel.The tutorials were met with a tremendous amount of positive feedback for their detailed and easy to understand instructions. Her unofficial hoop students voiced their appreciation in January 2009 when she was voted Hoop Instructor of the Year through Hooping.org 's Hoopie Awards. After dozens of requests from hoopers to release an instructional DVD SaFire searched for a method to instruct online. In early 2009, Hoop City was launched where she was finally able to put her education degree and technology specialization into action by creating some of the first online hooping classes available. The classes have been a huge success and currently includes over 500 students worldwide. In addition to the online hooping classes, Hoop City has a strong online presence as a community for hoopers to connect, share ideas and locate other hoopers in their area. The community currently has over 3,500 members and is growing daily.
Future plans for SaFire include launching a clothing line inspired by the circus call Cirquelle, providing online teacher training through Hoop City in 2010 and publishing a Children's storybook about Hula Hooping. SaFire is currently taking a year to travel the world and embrace life to its fullest while encouraging others to do the same!
Colleen
My name is Colleen, or China Cat, or China.. i'll answer to either!
My journey within the hoop began in the spring of 2009 in the parking lot outside a Dead show in California. I was immediately mesmerized watching the joy on the faces of those who were spinning in circles. Ever since I was a child I could never hula-hoop, but I still walked right on over and purchased my very first hoop! Many failed attempts at just keeping the hoop going around my waist only resulted in frustration. A few weeks later, while camping out in Washington, I GOT IT! I felt amazing, and I knew that once I could do that, my journey with the hoop would only go farther. Traveling from the west back home to the east, I attended various music and art festivals where I walked up to anyone with a hoop and said "teach me something, please!". At the end of the summer I was back home in New York and I couldn't put the hoop down, and have been hooping ever since.
Hooping for me has transformed my life in so many ways. It has completely centered my mind, my body, and my soul. It has introduced me to so many beautiful people. It has transformed me from a depressed, lazy and lost soul into a confident, healthy, focused, life loving goddess. Most importantly, the hoop has given me an overwhelming passion for life and so, so, so much happiness! The hoop has pulled me out of the past and future and forever keeps me present in this life, in this moment, everyday.
Harbin Hoop Jam brings me back to California, where my journey started. I'm excited to further connect with my hoop dancing on every level possible. Im excited for hooping all day long, for days! I can't wait to meet others who love this sacred circle as much as i do.
Contact me!
Facebook- Colleen Chrisville
Email- LotusDevi@aim.com
Danielle and Paul Gallant
Paul and I are so excited about Harbin this year. I went to Hoop Camp last year and found it to be an invaluable experience, but an intense one. This year I have chosen to opt out out Hoop Camp because I would like to have an experience that not only continues my life long growth with hooping but also an experience I can share with my husband. I have been hooping for a little over a year now. Satise is the one who ignited my passion and we have now started Honey Hoops together. I have been hosting the Wednesday night Honey Hoop Jam in Brisbane for the past year. Paul and I will begin teaching hooping classes through Brisbane Park and Rec starting in Spring in hopes to bring hooping into our community. I have had the great opportunity to perform at several fundraisers, but am looking forward to my first paid performance as I feel that it will be a great challenge to promote growth as a hooper.
My husband, Paul Gallant, has been a huge supporter of hooping for at least 5 years. Paul is good friends with Satise and her husband. When Satise got into to hooping, Paul and Satise worked together and learned how to make hoops. Paul has been hooping on and off since then. He has the title "Hooping Husband" because although he's not as into hooping as the rest of us, he shows is support by coming to the Wednesday night hoop jams every week, gives me constructive criticism, helps with choreographing, and has welcomed the hooping community into our lives with open arms.
Both Paul and I are looking to come away from Harbin with a greater appreciation and understanding of the diversity that personalities have on technique and style that is unique to each hooper and to use that to expand and grow ourselves as hoopers and as people. Each time we a part of this amazing community we walk away with the gift of friendship and a comforting since of belonging.
Mitch
Some of my interests are dance, food, music, art, photography, and travel. I'm retired, but enjoy supporting new ventures and helping people manifest their visions and dreams. Most of the "work" I still do is supporting non-profits that run workshops, festivals, and conferences - dance, music, communication, coaching, and spirituality.
Been on-the-road as a "nomad" for 8 years now, but considering buying a house in Las Vegas, as I love the music, gambling, nightlife, and abundance there.
Some of my interests are dance, food, music, art, photography, and travel. I'm retired, but enjoy supporting new ventures and helping people manifest their visions and dreams. Most of the "work" I still do is supporting non-profits that run workshops, festivals, and conferences - dance, music, communication, coaching, and spirituality.
Been on-the-road as a "nomad" for 8 years now, but considering buying a house in Las Vegas, as I love the music, gambling, nightlife, and abundance there.
Here's the Harbin Hoop Jam blog I started in 2008:
http://harbinhoopjam.blogspot.com
but I haven't posted most of the pics from 2008 & 2009 yet... Gives me a new appreciation for hard-working photographers.
I bought my first camera a few years ago, and already have a backlog of 200,000 pics to edit, process, and share.
Nick Matyas
I work at a laboratory as a computer scientist sitting in front of my
computer creating code all day. Don't get me wrong I love it, but I've
always been a bit socially inept. One day at the laboratory I saw a
flyer for a hula hoop class. I've always liked aerobics and activities
where I get to move quickly and jump around so I thought it might be
fun.
I was blown away.
Before I knew it I was at the park practically every night trying to
get all the basics down. Then I found out about this whole hooping
community and hoop jams and I started going all the time. I'd never
been overly social in my life but suddenly I'm going to hooping events
all the time, hanging out with new friends and having a great time. It
was a change that was well needed in my life.
Now I find myself a respected member of this community and people are
coming to ME of all people to asking me about tricks and technique.
They fill me with so much energy I never want to put the hoop down.
Joanie Vigil
I Love moving inside & outside the hoop!! Circles, Spirals, Colours, Fire. Love Movement to Music. Love the mystery of this ancient art form.
Melanie Pleasure has been hooping for almost 3 years now.
I was introduced to hooping at a Fitness Convention I attended in 2007. Growing up outside of the United States, I never hooped as a child. I was on the dance floor at my convention and heard the folks around me gasp. I turned around to see what everyone was gawking at and saw four women with hula hoops. They proceeded to blast off and in so doing, completely changed the course of my life. I was mesmerized. Something happened in that instant, I felt this surge of joy in my heart and had no other chouice but to begin my hooping journey. Now my goal is to share my joy with anyone who would like to experience bliss.
Blaze…
It started with meeting hoop teacher and mentor, Christabel, at a
juggling convention in Santa Barbara, trading for my first hoop, and
getting a 15 minute Hoopgirl instructional hit. After that, amazingly,
my new hoop hung on the wall for a year until, when heading out on a
trip to Thailand, I brought the makings for a sectional hoop. I taught
myself there on the beach, sharing with absolutely anyone who would
hoop with me, learning all I could, and returned home hungry for more.
I did classes, hooped at Burningman, did Christabel's teacher training
(meeting some amazing hoopers there), and worked out skills on my own.
I'm a founding partner at Renegade Juggling, www.renegadejuggling.com
which provides equipment for jugglers and spinners worldwide. Using my
manufacturing talents, I went on to make perhaps the first
semi-flexible, wire-cable type fire hoop (sharing my prototypes at
Burning Man in 2006). It's a killer design that I've improved upon and
I delight when performers spin with my creations. Currently I'm making
a standard fire hoop, smaller fire twins and hand hoops in various
configurations and custom fire hoops.
I'm just an avid a hooper as I was learning the first moves in Asia and
am currently renting and sharing a studio two days a week in Santa
Cruz. As Hoop Camp participant, I've helped out as workshop timekeeper
the last two years, and consider it a must do event for anyone that
loves hooping. Following Hoopcamp 2008, I heard about and attended
Harbin Hoop Jam. After that, I couldn't wait for the next year, signed
up early, and was rewarded with making more great friends in an ever
expanding community of hoopers. If you think you might like the idea of
hanging in an awesome hot springs retreat, cementing friendships and
sharing skills with incredible people from around the globe, having the
time of your life, then you just might want to join us! I look forward
to seeing you there...
Nicole
When I began hooping in 2008, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. :) It started as a whim: a friend told me that there were such things as hooping classes, and I signed myself up, thinking that it would be a fun, one-time activity. That first class led to a dozen more classes and countless hours on YouTube. I was hooked!
As a person who has never enjoyed going to the gym and who usually struggled to learn choreography in dance classes, I was particularly drawn to the fun, silly, individually-paced nature of hooping. I saw hooping as a "no expectations, no risk" activity. I had previously been intimidated by other forms of exercise and dance, but my initial thoughts about hooping were: "Who cares? No one is supposed to be good at hooping!"
As it turns out, I was wrong: there ARE people who are VERY good at hooping! However, even after my expectations about the technical qualities of hooping changed; the playful, experimental nature of hooping that initially gave me the courage to explore this new form of movement stayed with me. Hooping has given me the courage to move, play, and learn in front of others, which is quite a thing for a plastic hoop to do!
In the summer of 2009, I launched Cherry Hoops, a successful hoopdance company in the San Francisco Bay Area. I joke that Cherry Hoops is my "one-woman" hooping empire, but I really see it as a vehicle for sharing my enthusiasm for hooping with others. My goal is to make top-notch instruction to anyone who wants to learn, and to share with my students some of the lightheartedness and confidence that hooping has brought into my life.
Danielle
Danielle is a movement explorer, traveling to Harbin from Colorado. Her space exploration dance partner is the hoop. Sometimes it becomes a tool, such as a paintbrush for creating light art in space or as a stretching guide. Other times it becomes a portal for music, geometric play, and dance expression. She teaches and performs, engaging others to step into the hoop and find their flow. Hoop dance helped her regain balance, strength, grace, coordination, and confidence after a knee surgery. The healing, strengthening, and growing a simple circle has provided brings significant joy and gratitude. Harbin will be a time to reconnect with her dance partner for deep exploration and bliss.”
Contact her: danielle.odette (at) (gmail dot com)
Kelie
Whether its through opening my senses, expanding my consciousness, or allowing a greater flow in my body, I find the hoop supports and nourishes my experience. I look forward to learning new moves and connecting with y'all.
Gloria
I've been hooping for 18 months now, ever since I moved to Sydney from London and discovered the delightful teachings of Bunny Hoop Star. I love the freedom that hooping gives me; the feeling that nothing else matters when you fall in tune with your own body.
I can't wait for Harbin! It's so exciting to be involved with a group that is passionate about dance and movement and I am looking forward to meeting lots of inspirational people and discovering new flow and groovy moves. See you all there!
Briana
Briana Shean has been coaxed along at just about every stage in her hooping life by men(!)--from the boy she lost a hula hoop contest to in sixth grade, to the man dancing with two hoops at a club to her favorite band, the cute performer with a hoop on his shoulder that led to learning her first tricks nearly five(!) years later, and now, some major innovators in modern hooping.
As a certified hoop dance instructor, Briana's mission is to bring adults who have been less than active and possibly reluctant to exercise, to play again, to move and rediscover themselves. "The bloom in their faces" the first time a hoop does not simply fall to the ground but continue in flight around them "is what I live for!" creating an unusual specialty--teaching flat-out beginners, especially those who have *never* been able to hoop.
Forever seeking An Elegant Solution (.com), Briana has "a foot in every puddle," wearing many hats (some quite fabulous, and a wig or two too!)--a working artist, calligrapher, "picture maker," foster mom deep in holistic feline health, nutrition & healing, costumer, Fabulous Face Painter (.com), and Artisan Hoop (.com) crafter. Whew! =^..^=
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AnElegantSolution.com
Von
My name is Von Maffei of Hella Hoops. I have invited hooping as major part of my life and passion for over three years now. I had run a weekly hoop jam at Harbin Hot Springs from April to October of last year. I was also teaching basic hoop moves at Muscle Matrix Gym from October to February of this year! I am the Sound Technician at Harbin Hot Springs for the Tuesday and Thursday night dances. This is my venue to Hoop dance and sell my hoops as well! Wherever I go I have hoops, usually many of them. I am also for the most part self taught!
I can not wait to see you guys on the hoop floor and rip it up!!! Bye for now...Von
Wendy
I am an environmental scientist, children's book author but first and foremost …a hula hooper. I have been playing with poi and staff for as long as I can remember but was introduced to the world of hooping about four years ago, and I have never looked back. For me, there is no better escape than a session with my hoops. I love the cross over between poi and hoop, and my most recent challenge has been mastering the five beat weave with hoops. I love to hoop anywhere, anytime and my hooping highlight to date has been hooping with my mate Tammy at Everest Base Camp! We trekked 12 days with our hoops to have the ultimate “Happy High Hooping” experience. Hooping at 5,557 m with air oxygen content reduced to 50%, totally challenging…but totally exhilarating.
I can't wait to meet you all, learn some new tricks and share the joy of the hoop.
Marjorie
of years. I love to dance with the hoop. My spirit stays happy and
joyful. To feel the energy and love from the community of hoopers has
been inspiring. I look forward to continuing that spirit at Harbin.
Karen
(foreground in pic)
I was introduced to the hoop by Patrick aka Merlin in San Diego about three years ago. At first I was highly intimidated and concerned that I might drop the hoop. So, Patrick helped me overcome that fear by telling me to stand on him and hoop and to not let the hoop drop on him. I have been hooping ever since. I was then fortunate enough to attend some of Hoopnectars classes led by Nayeli Michelle to get the basics and beyond. Last year hoopcamp opened up new ways to move within the hoop and what could be better than being able to hoop and share all day with amazing hoopers.?
Don
Growing up I hadn't tried a hoop but a couple times and never got it, then, one day a few years ago my friend Eti instructed me on the basics of hooping and I was hooked, or more appropriately, hooped!. It has been a fabulous journey learning about myself and moving within and without the hoop, and learning to play with life more. As it was a friend who showed me the basics, I've had the joy of doing the same with many others who thought they couldn't hoop - and then to see them smile and laugh as they played within has brought me much joy. I look forward to learning, playing and sharing with all of you.
Gail
By the time we get to Harbin 2010 I'll have been hooping 3 years. I was first introduced to hooping in deepest Bolivia in 2007. In September that year I got my first hoop and having spent the last 5 years holding down 2 jobs while training to be a Physiotherapist I rediscovered the joy of just playing.
I crossed the ocean last year to attend Hoop Camp Retreat and was persuaded by the lovely Beth Lavinder and Bunny to go to Harbin Hoop Jam which ended up being the highlight of my year.
I have been crazy busy the last 12 months teaching and performing hoop through my company HoopSpin as well as working as a physio full time. This year I am taking some time out starting at Burning Man and passing through Hoop camp and Harbin then who knows!!!
I can't wait to see those who were there last year and meet everyone else
Huge hugs
Gail xxxx
Tammy
I have been hooping for nearly four years and could not imagine my life without hula hooping. I was introduced to hooping by my friend, Wendy, where we did a beginner two hour class and since then, have never looked back..
As well as hooping for fun, fitness and relaxation, I am now a hula hoop teacher, teaching students at a local community college. I have been teaching for nearly two years and I thoroughly enjoy this part of my hooping life as the students realise how much fun hula hooping can be.
Hooping is my meditation and integral to me being able to switch off from the day-to-day clutter. I find it hard to think about anything else when I'm working on a four hoop split.
One of the highlights in my hooping life so far is trekking to and hooping at Everest Base Camp with my friend, Wendy, in Nepal in 2008. Hula hooping at 17,500 feet is much harder than at sea level but it makes a great story to tell. The sherpas even tried and some of them could hoop!
I have also been part of the Sydney Lesbian and Gay Mardi Gras in the Hoopaholic float for the last two years and they have been fantastic experiences.
I am constantly amazed at the number of tricks and moves that can be done with a hula hoop and am keen to learn as much as I can with all things hooping.
My favourite moves at the moment are lower splits and any vertical two hoop sequences in the hands.
I am very much looking forward to meeting hula hoopers from all parts of the world at harbin this year .
Cheers,
Tammy
Jim Hendrickson
I first stepped into the circle of a hoop about a year and a half ago and it felt like every pair of eyes were on me that afternoon in the park. Trying to avoid any eye contact or even give the slightest indication that I was feeling embarrassed... I hooped.... not very well mind you, but I tried and tried and tried and soon I was doing it... I was hooked and the hoop has not stopped spinning since... After many hours in my own backyard I finally joined the Bay Area Hoopers and opened my eyes to a wonderful community of people and events. The energy and flow of the hoop has entranced me and I love the way it will center me, remind me of my physical self and at times carry me away to another place. Taking part in the Harbin Hoop Jam will be another magical experience in my hooping repertoire. I am so looking forward to this experience of sharing, meeting new hoopers, and coming away with a new appreciation of how a simple round piece of tubing can transform a life....
Satise Dizon
I've been hooping for over six years now. Initially it started as love at first sight. I came across the Good Vibe Hoop Tribe performing at a wherehouse party one night in S.F. and I was spellbound, mesmerized, enraptured…by this magical hoop and seeing people move in such graceful and expressive ways. So, I decided to try it immediately. I searched out the Bay Area Hoopers group that same weekend and found a welcoming hoop community there. I've been hooping ever since. I've enjoyed immensely learning from Christabel, aka Hoopgirl and being a part of the Hoopgirl Allstars. It was a very enriching experience and I'm so grateful to have performed with the superb women in that group.
I currently teach fire hoop classes at the Crucible in West Oakland . I also have started Honey Hoops jams and classes with my friend Danielle who will also be attending Harbin . I love teaching classes and sharing my love for hooping with others.
Hooping means a great deal to me. It has been a meditation for me, a release, a practice, determination and commitment. Now it has become a relationship where I have to work at it, love it and nurture it. Sometimes I love it not enough and other times it feels really good.
I signed up for the Harbin Hoop Jam because I wanted to have more of that nurturing. I've signed up for various workshops before and I love the learning and growth that comes from them. Really I want to foster a deep relationship with myself, my hoop practice and with others in the hoop community. I look forward to getting the opportunity to do this at Harbin .
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Dawn
Hi Fellow Hoopaholics,
DiZzy here.
I came onto the hoop scene at hoop convergence by earning the distinguished honor of "Miss Congeniality" and winning an LED hoop! I have been using it avidly as I play and practice with my multiple LED hoop flow. LED hoops and multiples are so much fun and my all time favorite hoop activity!
If I could have sent a video I would have sent a clip (that doesn't exist) of me hooping with my first hoop on my 38th birthday 3 years ago. A large hula hoop was all I wanted for my birthday, as I had just discovered hooping a couple weeks before at Hunter Mountain festival while Spearhead was playing. Ahhh, good times. My husband, Andy, made me my first, way too thick, and narrow hoop which I loved. I picked it up shrieking and spinning so fast I looked more like an electrocution victim trying to avoid hot coals. I was so happy and was making everyone laugh. I thought I was a great hooper because I hooped so fast and non-stop for hours!
Here's what you would be seeing had I sent more photos....
This photo of me hooping on top of my graffiti painted car in the parking lot of a cheap motel makes me laugh. I didn't even know one "trick" for almost 2 years yet I would hoop in strange places and say I was a hoop performer. I didn't even know they really existed or what performers could do!
Yay Youtube! I randomly searched "best hula hoopers" or something and came upon the world that I inhabit now. Hours at a time (while at work) of watching hoop performers and hoop tutorials. I met so many of my on-line teachers and inspirations at hoop convergence I felt like a groupie because I "knew" them all and had to break the celebrity standing they had in my mind so I could talk to them. Hoop convergence was so much fun and so uplifting that when I returned home I registered straight away for Hoop Camp and Harbin Hoop Jam.
There are many pictures like this one of me in a costume of some kind with one color leg furries or another performing at our monthly Variety show at the Flying Squirrel Community Space. This photo is classic while I am doing burlesque hooping at a Rocky Horror Show my teenage daughter averts her eyes! I was involved in starting this radical political/cultural space in Rochester NY where I currently live. We call Rochester the undiscovered Portland of the East! Come visit!
This new community space is a multi-purpose space of activists and artists and we also house the winter Whirly Wednesday, a weekly drum and hoop session that happens outside in the park during the warm months.
We have a vibrant, growing community of hoopers and I love them and their enthusiasm for hooping so much. We are dreaming of becoming a traveling performing hoop troop. This is a photo of our hoop troop hooping at our first "paying gig"...a birthday party in the park outside the pavilion. Ok.... we were paid in potato salad and other edibles. Yum!
Here is a photo of me filming at a Demonstration and interviewing an activist working on the Free Tibet campaign. I make political documentaries and do reporting on critical social justice issues. I do take my hooping very seriously at times. In the following photo I am hooping in front of a line of riot police, "the police state wont keep me from hooping!"
I am a sign language interpreter for the deaf and here is a photo me working, interpreting for Al Franken while hula hooping. What...I didn't hoop during that. Maybe I will next time.
This photo of me hooping naked for my husband with candles was....wait, how did that photo get in here? I had better stop before I share too much. There is a fine line between congenial and inappropriate. Always trying to navigate that.
Well I am looking forward to spinning and circling amongst you all!
Dawn Zuppelli
DZ
DiZzy
Thesquirrel.org
artemiswill@gmail.com
Kaye
Greetings Harbin Hoopers! My name is Kaye and I'm sooooo looking forward to a week with all of you: hooping, playing, dancing, laughing, learning, experiencing and relaxation! The first time I picked up a hoop was with Miss Rosie of HeroHoops in 2007. I immediately fell in love with the hoop...and with the endless possibilities the hoop can bring to mine and others' lives. Last year I started Hoop Power, bringing hoop dance to youth in the East Bay and combining hooping with my 10+ years of clinical social work.
It's an amazing new adventure for me; but mostly, I love to jam out in the hoop, connect with other hoopers, and have fun. Looking forward to an amazing week! Love, Kaye
www.hoop-power.com
Marria Grace
Marria Grace wears many hats and takes a leading role in most of the endeavors she is involved with. She is Marria Grace of the Boston Hoop Troop, Madame Sparks in the Grasshopper Fire Arts Collective and Madame Spinach in the Vegetable Circus.
Marria began her hooping journey at the Firefly Festival ~ the regional Burning Man event for New England ~ in July of 2005. She has no recollection of life before this date. She is convinced there was some fencing, yoga, and graphic design in her past. And while she has had no professional dance training, there has always been expression through dance in her life.
After teaming up with the early members of the Boston Hoop Troop, she helped the collective mature into a professional and widely known organization. Her devotion to spreading hoop culture to Boston, helped this pioneer bring acceptance and notoriety to all things hoop in this conservative New England culture.
Quitting her job as a graphic designer in June of 2008 allowed Marria to become Boston 's first full time professional hooper. She made her living by making hoops, performing and teaching a plethora of classes for adults and children. At one point she was teaching 10 sold out classes a week and all the experience helped her to develop a unique style that combines hooping, yoga, tricks and fun into a class flow that was suitable for any skill level. She worked with Roberto Lim to develop a Hoop Yoga playshop that is touring the country.
In March of 2009, Marria was celebrated as Hooping.org' s Hooper of the Week.
http://www.hooping.org/archives/002241.html
Marria taught a Partner 's Hooping workshop with Ammon EP at the first Hoop Convergence in 2008, and a Group Hooping workshop with Lolli Hoops in 2009. In 2010, she was honored as a hooping elder at Hoop Convergence for her past contributions, and helped run the forum on Hooping with Kids.
She has performed with the Boston Hoop Troop at a plethora of festivals, parties, parades & fairs including ~ The Rainbow Serpent Festival in Australia, Arcadia Festival in France, the Life is Good Festival, The Honk Parade, The Allston Street Fair, The Boston Burlesque Expo, Carny Knowledge & was featured on MTV's "Made," just to name a few.
Fire performance became a large part of her expression and she collaborated to help create the Grasshopper Fire Arts Collective.
This group also allowed her to branch out into other spinning and movement arts, and now she can add acrobatics, juggling, poi, rope dart and staff to her repertoire. Teaming up with the youth enrichment and wellness program, Vegetable Circus, has allowed her to further develop some of these circus skills.
After 11 years in Boston, Marria decided it was time for a change of location and has moved to the California Bay Area. She hopes her hoop circle will continue to grow as her love of movement arts will evolve in this new culture.
http://grasshoppercollective.org/
Heather
I have been hooping since the first Movement Play festival-- this summer marked my 2 year hoopversary! I am currently hooping at events, parties, festivals and doing private groups and classes. I like to use the hoop as a metaphor for many different areas in life, and have led retreats, faculty and corporate trainings using the hoop as a tool to see situations and processes in a different light.
I so love the playful, joyful community and spirit that hooping builds and lends itself to...yay!!! Spreadin' hoop love and changin' the world "One Hoop at a Time!"
Celia
the picture is me yesterday; with my first time keeping the hoop up; after several previous attempts.... :-)
Hello all!
I am very excited to come to the harbin hoop jam but I also feel nervous about it because I have just got my first hoop a few weeks ago and have just successfully been able to spin it and keep it up for more than 30 seconds (just yesterday!!)
My main reason for coming is for my daughter Shaonie who is naturally gifted with the hoop and I thought that it would be such a bonding and beautiful journey for us to come together to this jam. We are also going to the Hoop Camp just before.
I am from British Columbia, Canada and I have been a fervent music festival and intentional gatherings lover for the past 5 years which is how hoopers and hoops are entering my life; inevitably (and magically!).
Through music festivals I have been progressively and on-goingly awakening to a collective reality and a collective consciousness that is redefining almost every aspect of my life/beliefs/visions/ hope (for our future) and at the same time; it is re-awakening the child within and she is reclaiming control of my destiny.
I put the highest value on conscious celebration and see it as a sacred ritual as I believe that it is a powerful way to re-ignite our Inner fire of passion for life,which in turn will activate our natural knowledge of how to preserve it/nurture it, activate our instincts in regards to our responsibilities, our accountability, our tasks.
I have also discovered and connected with the power of conscious dancing recently and see hooping as a perfect tool/form of expression of it and feel that it will be a privilege beyond imagination for me to share space and time with you all, to absorb, feel your passion, to learn, observe, sweat and laugh!!!
Wishing all of you an amazing summer, with beautiful and rich adventures; See you just after Fall Equinox!!
blessings
celia
Shaonie
Hello my name is shaonie and i am very excited to learn some new tricks and have lots
of fun.And i would like to thank my beautiful mother for bringing me to hoola hoop camp in September so see you there and have a good summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:-) :-) :-)
Nick Guzzardo
The first time I saw Hooping was in center camp at Burning Man last year. I couldn't take my eyes off a girl spinning in circles, her hoop hitting every beat of the drum. I was mesmerized into a trance watching her flow in front of me, only to snap out of it a minute later, focusing on something else. My brain was over stimulated, and I didn't realize at the time how magical that moment had been. It was the moment I became inspired. Four months later I picked up a hoop from a friend and its been by my side every since. Hooping has healed and transformed my life. Its taught me to be more open to the things life hands you. To wake up everyday thankful, feeling more alive than ever with this sense of accomplishment. Im finding that hooping has become a daily ritual necessary to sustain my health and well being. Its brought many new vistas into perspective and I couldn't be more excited for life's experiences to unfold! Ill be attending hoop camp as well as the harbin hoop jam! By that time ill have been in the circle for about 9 months. I hope to take in as much as possible and run with it. I also wish to start teaching hoop classes in my area and put together a local jam. Its amazing how many people want to start hooping when they see it in action. Cant wait to meet you all soon! Feel free to contact me at Nicguzz@gmail.com
Adelaide
As much as Adelaide expresses her artistic enthusiasm through many diverse forms, she has come to see all of her creative endeavors as one.
She acknowledges the power of inspiration as the focal point of her art. Whether conveyed live through her performance pieces or captured timelessly in her paintings,
Adelaide is expressing a self that is unbound. Her art is her lifestyle, her career, and her most prized creation.
Nicole Lenoir
Hello everyone. My name is Nicole. I'm from Melbourne, Australia but have recently moved to the top end, Darwin! I work in the media and have a background in dance music, radio and arts. My journey with the hoop began in late 2008. At first it was a fascination, a reconnection with my hooping childhood self and a foray into colour and craft in learning how to make hoops. In Melbourne then, there were no instructors to teach hoop "dance" so I did a couple of circus based short courses and self taught with some of Sa'fire's online help! Thanks Sa'fire. I loved being able to facilitate hooping, planting hoop seeds by bringing hoops to parties and starting up the hoop jam at Rainbow Serpent Festival. My personal practice was very casual though. This year of the Tiger, my hooping has become a personal journey and committed passion. A weekend intensive with Bunny Hoop Star in Sydney earlier this year lit a spark and I am now delving ever deeper into myself, my body and my relationship with the hoop. It's amazing and I am so grateful for it. I am so looking forward to coming to Hoop camp and Harbin hoop jam to absorb, connect, learn, reflect and enjoy. I can't wait to meet you all and spin with you. xxxx
Frenchy
Bonjour! I'm Frenchy (Claire French or Clairey Faerie) from the UK, i run a company called Dreads 'n' Hoops (www.dreadsnhoops.com) and have been hooping for 2 and a half years. I perform with fire and LED (the proud owner of a dragonfly PSI Hoop), teach adult classes, guide chakra meditations, run workshops, stilt walk, manipulate hoop, fire palms, staff and fire sticks and have a fire street show called 'More Danger!'
My US mission began when i was asked to perform in the conclave @ Burning man... how could i say no?? My first time in the US, my first time at burning man and my first time at Harbin im looking forward to pushing my limits and getting creative in an international setting! Exciting times! Cant wait to meet you all! MORE DANGER! DO IT NAKED! LIVE THE DREAM! :-)
XXX
Tiana
My name is Tiana Zoumer, Nickname: Wanton.
I began hooping just over a year ago and have found this evolutionary revolution has helped me further my expansion in all directions. I discovered hooping at Burning Man and remember observing the beautiful, mesmerizing, and exceedingly joyous hoopers and was inspired on my own hoopy journey.
What hooping brings to me is a partnership for flow, connection, and dance. Possessed by music like it's the beat of my own heart; as I spin, pop, and flow, my inner being spirals outward, taking over and dancing free. I feel like the hoop has the ability to act as meditative space that can be manipulated and energized. I transfer my energy, my self, into the hoop and find myself in a portal, spinning, bouncing, and flying. I feel centered, wild and powerful, master of my universe.
As much as I feel I am connected to this community I am constantly aware that they are not a part of my daily interactions and explorations, which leaves much yearning. I hope to get out of my Harbin experience that I can be flowing in a room blessed by understanding and inspiration, filled with the creative energy that binds and fuels us all. I would like to give back my love, my flow and my gratitude.
Can't wait to meet you all!
Be my friend on Facebook or HoopCity: Tiana Zoumer
Or Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/wantonamara
Zach aka Number 9
Number 9 makes his triumphant return to the west coast this summer, after a prodigal absence of several years. Trained in an ecclectic blend of dance forms and ancient martial arts, he's delighted to find new movement possibilities with non-lethal objects such as the hula-hoop. Most recently, #9 hails from Boston, where he was a proud member of the Grasshopper Collective, as well as a lead circologist for the Vegetable Circus. Be on the lookout for his upcoming performance of a Flaming Triathalon, a trick where he shoots flaming arrows while handstand fire hooping on the back of a flaming horse.
