Swampwater Debutante

This is kind of an awesome way to spend a weekend.

Being taught dance-theory based Hoop Technique by two of the best hoopers today – Rich Porter and Spiral, who are also two of the nicest people you’ll ever meet…it’s astounding.

I met up with my friend Jess in Burleson, we loaded her car with hoops and trotted down to Austin for the workshop.

Where I was recognized by no less than three people upon entering the building. I’m not sure I can get used to that. It still astounds me.

One of them said they thought I looked familiar, but wasn’t sure it was me until I started hooping and she recognized my style. So…I definitely have a style that is identifiable as my own.

I hope it’s cool, I panickedly thought.

We do not get many big hooping events in Texas, it seems, and I was super excited for this one. It isn’t just hooping, it’s the application of the Laban Theory of Movement Analysis to hooping. This is a more literal interpretation of the concept of “hoopdance” than I have seen from other hooping classes.

A lot of places teach hooping as fitness, or they teach a lot of hooping maneuvers. These have their place, and are invaluable in spreading the hoop love, but they weren’t exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to take some kind of hoop class this year, yet I didn’t know what would fit in with my methodology – which is to say, I am a dancer first and a hooper second. Nothing out there has quite fit me, until now.

Rich and Spiral teach a very comprehensive, informative and ass-kicking course; they have worked really hard on Hoop Technique, and it shows. It is work, tough work, but it is fantastic and exactly relevant for me. I have loved every minute, even if I was wringing with sweat and hurting all over, and so exhausted by the end of the day that when we went to dinner, I wanted to cry because the idea of picking something out and then chewing it seemed like an incredible amount of effort.

(to be fair, I was running on three hours of sleep and Starbucks)

It was fabulous. And we have a whole ‘nother day tomorrow! I can’t imagine what else they’ll pull out of their hats, because we learned so much today.

Rich is a master with isolations, which isn’t something I’ve played much with before…but whoa if I don’t see the use of them now. I mean sure, my hands completely and utterly hate me now, but I have gotten a lot more familiar with isolations, which admittedly I didn’t use much because I sucked at them and had no way to know what I was doing wrong. I’ve got a better idea of it now.

Spiral is well known for her flow and artistry, two things that fit neatly within my dance wheelhouse (though of course she’s very very good and I am, well, you know, proficient). I am always, always, always glad to learn better ways of moving and dancing with my hoop, which I treat as a partner rather than a prop or apparatus. She truly believes in hoopdance as an art form, and works hard to convey that. Of course, she has the chops to back it up, as well.

(non sequitur: Jessica and I are in our hotel room singing “Buffy: Once More With Feeling” a capella for no reason. This weekend is fantasmic)

Rich and Spiral are both engaging, knowledgeable, and encouraging – truly, they’ve made this a fun and fulfilling experience, and just on the first day! I am going to take so much away from this.

And not just the bit where Spiral caught me practicing my jump-through to attitude and said, “You know, I saw you dancing earlier and it was beautiful! You had footwork and everything. I was so happy, thinking, wow! She truly gets it.”

Or when Rich said, “OH! You! You’re the girl with the video! It made me cry.”

I am getting better at saying thank you. I hope. Maybe. I am truly grateful for all the positivity and love and advice, no matter how ineptly I express it.

Okay, I am going to fall the hell over if I do not go to sleep, and Jess has already wandered off to dreamland, so goodnight. And if Hoop Technique comes anywhere near you and you’re a hooper, GO. GO GO GO. If you have ever said you wanted to hoop the way I hoop (and to my bafflement, some of you have), then this is a class you will find invaluable, truly.

And there IS a DVD coming out soon, too, which I can’t help but think will be an excellent investment for any hoopdancer’s library, but especially anyone with more than a hobby level interest in hoopdancing. I know I’m looking forward to it.

Right. Bedfordshire.