Hoop Dance: Baxter & Brecken in Amsterdam

They make it look so easy...

Hoop Dance: Another Form of Hoop Dance

wheel number from E and M-P on Vimeo.

[Thanks, Raven.]

Hoop Dance: Bliss

"Dance, when you're broken open. Dance, if you've torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you're perfectly free." ~Rumi

Music: Florence and the Machine-Blinding

Burning Man 2010: Playa Hoop Transporter Status: COMPLETE!

Burning Man 2010: Playa Hoop Transporter Complete!
Originally uploaded by Sanctuary-Studio

Thank you, Farilla! You are the bestest boyfriend in the whole wide world. And thanks to Obi-J for the design specs.

Hoop Dance: Hooping by Philo

Life: LA Hoopers HoopJam

Life: LA Hoopers HoopJam
Originally uploaded by Sanctuary-Studio

Venice Beach, CA

Just another fantastic day in Soul Cal. Thank you sunshine for gracing us with your presence for a couple hours this afternoon. This June gloom carryover we've been experiencing is for suckas.

Life: Late Night Hoop Jam

Life: Late Night Hoop Jam
Originally uploaded by Sanctuary-Studio

Hoop Dance: Hooping Contortionist

Um, WOW!

Hoop Dance: Three Days, Four Workshops

Baxter from HoopPath conducted HoopPath/LA this past weekend in Hollywood. The focus being Warrior Style techniques. Oh My Gawd! I can't even begin to convey how blissed out (and sore and tired) I am after spending the last three days learning along side some of the most incredible hoopers in this growing community. Brecken added a workshop to last nights schedule which was an absolute treat. Feeling so blessed to be a part of such a supportive and creative community.

Here are some vids to give you an idea of what we were working on all weekend:

Baxter's infamous Warrior Style....


Brecken doing what she does best...


A huge thanks goes out to Fire Groove for hosting the workshops. And, as always, so much gratitude for my friend and mentor, Special Ops.

Life: PsiHooping @ Granite Pass

Hoop Dance: Karis and Stefan's Hoopmasters Hoop-Off

Hoopmasters Hoop-Off: Karis and Stefan from eevadoherty on Vimeo.

Karis' hands move at lightening speed! Love it!

Hoop Dance: SaFire's Hooping Manifesto - Love The Process

[Thanks, Ops!]

Completely inspired!

Hoop Dance: Hoop Camp

Hoop Camp 2009 from Philo Hagen on Vimeo.

I can't believe I didn't go to Hoop Camp this year. Ops gently but repeatedly encouraged me to join her and Sammi up in Santa Cruz. At the time (right before Burning Man) all I could focus on was The Burn. Ugh, my bad! What an incredible (looking) event. Mark my words...NEXT YEAR!

Hoop Dance: Brecken Takes Hooping To The Next Level

[Thanks, Ops!]

Hoop Dance: LED Hoop Status = FIXED!

FINALLY! It's taken seven months to finally get back around to completing my LED hoop. It was all wonky because the coupler was too long. I pulled it apart , unhooked the battery and took a hack saw to that sucka. Voilà...back in action! Thank goodness for Burning Man....otherwise half of my to-do list would never get completed. On to the next project!

Hoop Dance: Photos- Lighting Up Ceremony

As promised, here are some wonderful pics and vids (courtesy of Farilla & Special Ops) documenting the Fire Groove lighting-up ceremony. HUGE thanks to them both for capturing these moments! What an incredible experience. I couldn't stop smiling for HOURS after we left the beach. Of course, I'm now itching to explore ALL of the other fire tools as well. Staves, fans, poi....hmm, what's next?! Time will tell...until then I'll continue to practice my hooping. So much to learn.

From the videos below you can see that I kept things simple for my first two twirls. It's a whole other world standing inside that fiery vortex. There was so much new-ness for my brain to digest in those moments. The fire whirling around my head was disorienting at times and trying to spin in sand was much tougher than expected. I suspect my courage to try different moves will grow the more I work with the fire. One thing is for sure, I'll never forget the sound the fire made as it swirled above my head for the first time. Completely wow'd! Thanks to everyone who came out in support...Mad Love to you all!

Lighting-Up...

Getting a feel for things...

"OMG, the SOUND!"...

Pure Bliss....

Twirl Number One (courtesy of Special Ops)...


Twirl Number Two (courtesy of Farilla)...

Hoop Dance: Hoop-tusion Part Two

Hoop Dance: Hoop-tusion Part Two
Originally uploaded by Sanctuary-Studio

This is my bruised hip after our big night last night. As some of you know I've been taking Hoop Dance classes with Fire Groove these last couple of months. And, as of last week I added Special Ops' class to my already busy schedule. Last night marked the culmination to many
weeks of dedication and practice! Last night we ceremoniously lit up our Fire Hoops on Dockweiler Beach! The Fire Hoop is heavier than regular hoops so my hip took a bit of a beating. Adrenaline was cranking so I felt nothing but pure bliss. More photos and video to follow soon'ish!

Hoop Dance: Flow In The Wasteland

Wow! I practiced isopops and stalls last night....it's good to see what it should REALLY look like! Absolutely beautiful.

Hoop Dance: LED Fire Hoop

W-A-N-T...

Hoop Dance: Pop Slide Pop

[Thanks, Special Ops!]

Oh My! So much to learn...completely inspired!