Superhooping

Whether you're a beginning hooper or just looking to re-infuse your hooping with some new spunk, these exercises are designed to inspire your body and your creativity.  As they say, you can never know the basics too well! The exercises we've posted below are from the first class in our Atlanta Hoop Dance Series.  These fantastic ideas are a conglomerate taken from our own hooping, discussions on hooping.tribe.net and from all of you.  Have fun, add to our list using the comments button, and Happy Hooping!

Waist Hooping Exercises

Hoop!  Hooping is all muscle memory. The more you do it, the less you’ll have to think about it.  Here are some ways to learn more from your body and your dance while waist hooping.

• Close your eyes.  Focus on the feel of your hoop moving around your body.  Imagine that your hoop is the perfect dance partner.

• Hoop as slowly as you can.  Exert as little effort as possible to keep your hoop spinning. This will develop small, controlled movements. Your hoop may lower to your hips.  Practice keeping it there.

• Hoop as fast as you can.  Really let loose! Your hoop may rise to your ribs.  Practice keeping it there.

• Play with your arms and hands.  Try keeping your fingers poised.  Extend your arms.  Experiment alternately with sharp and fluid movements. Try belly-dancing arms.

• While hooping, get down on your knees.

• Change directions.  Try hooping clockwise and counter-clockwise until you are comfortable with both.

• Spin with your hoop.  Spin against your hoop.  Spin slowly.  Spin faster.

• Walk, skip, or run (!) while hooping.  Try moving forward, backward, and to both sides.

• Shift your weight from foot to foot.  Try lifting, kicking, or sweeping one leg at a time.

• Try bending slightly at the waist. Bend forward. Bend backward, making sure to keep your pelvis tucked in to protect your back.  The axis of your hoop will change. Can you keep it spinning?

• Jump while hooping! Then try jumping and spinning.

• Music is the key!  Put on a song you can’t help but dance to. Have fun! Try hooping to different genres and tempos -- slow jazz, meditative music, blues, disco, funk.  Note how the energy of the song changes how you move.

• Choose a song whose lyrics are special to you.  Try to express the feeling of the song’s words through your hooping.

• Begin by dancing to a favorite song without your hoop.  Now pick up your hoop and try to keep dancing as you were without it.

• Teach someone else to hoop!

• Get inspired by the hooping community online!  Discussion, tips, and videos are available at

http://hooping.org

                                           http://hooping.tribe.net

http://tribes.tribe.net/hoopingvideos