A Match Made in Montreal

While I was living in Montreal last year I teamed up with another Australian performing artist, the beautiful singer/songwriter/ guitarist Madeline Leman. Maddy describes herself as "a spicy mixed bean wrap of folk/acoustic/pop with a fresh side of country". She seamlessly combines poetic lyricism with soulful melodies to create a mesmerising stage presence. And her lusciously long auburn locks (and I mean LONG) never fail to captivate a crowd.

Maddy and I performed at local organic markets, including Marché Fermier and the McGill Farmers' Market, until it was too cold for Maddy to finger pick and my hoop turned to ice. We were accompanied on occasion by the talented Derek Harrison. 

Check out Madeline's Facebook page HERE and her Sound Cloud HERE.

Tandem Hooping

Ah...the moment when two people jump inside one of my hoops and thrust their bodies in unison in an attempt to tandem hoop. I want to tell them it wont work, and that you need a REALLY BIG hula hoop designed for two people, but I just don't have the heart. Besides, it's too darn entertaining to watch them try.

Here are some ladies showing us how it's done.

And I am officially trying to get my hands on a large tandem hoop for next festival.

Wonders of the World Wide Web

Aspiring hoopists, YouTube is your best friend.

In Melbourne, although hooping is gaining popularity, it is not a cheap or easily accessible skill to learn face to face. Classes that I recommend are House of Burlesque in Fitzroy, Puzzle Dust Circus in North Carlton and Prahran, and the NICA Short Course in Prahran.

But if you want to save your money and learn some basic skills, YouTube is definitely the way to go. I recommend this charming American lady (see videos below). Don't be put off by her pink double tracksuit and tramp stamp, she teaches everything from hooping basics to advanced hoop dance moves, and breaks them down in a really simple and easy way to understand. What's more is you have the liberty to pause, rewind and watch them over and over.

I maintain that my best tricks were learnt from YouTube.

And remember, bruises are normal. When I was learning bruises would pop up on my hands, hips, arms, knees, neck and nose! (And still do.) YOU ARE GOING TO HIT YOURSELF IN THE FACE. It's all part of the learning process.

Winter is Coming

When it comes to hooping the golden rule is the less clothes the better! The more skin you show, the more the hoop will grip and gracefully move up and down your body. This is part of the reason why it's so hard to keep motivated throughout the Winter.

I experienced this to the extreme while living in the brutally chilling yet beautiful Montreal. In Melbourne I can occasionally brave the cold and venture outside to practice, but in Montreal I was strictly confined to inside hooping...unless I wanted to lose some fingers and toes.

My advice to combat the Winter time...practice inside, strip down and turn up the heating! On the bright side, hooping inside with space restrictions sharpened my skills and meant I learned a lot more isolation and shoulder moves (see video below).

Check out my other videos on my YouTube channel HERE.

A Spin on Street Art

Here is some cutting-edge hooping. This is the graduation piece of No Mi Che from NICA (National Institute of Circus Arts) titled "Oroborus". The performance was held in 2007 in Centre Place, home to some of Melbourne's most reputable street art. No Mi Che spins her paint injected hula hoops around the canvas and paper clad lane, and finishes with a shower in paint reminiscent of the infamous Flashdance scene...or perhaps more of Nickelodeon Slime Time.

Hoop Hunting?

Looking for a place to buy hoops? I recommend two stores in Melbourne. The first is The Singing Whale in North Fitzroy, where I bought my first hula hoop and many of my childhood delights.  They are open 7 days a week and stock a variety of colours and sizes (I recommend the large) as well as weighted and non-weighted hoops.

The second is Juggle Art in Collingwood, a family business that has been manufacturing and distributing performing art products for decades.They are open Monday to Friday and stock a range of hooping gear, including aluminium hoops, circus hoops, dance and travel hoops, glohoops, hoop tape and hooping DVD's!

Another option is online at Coola Hoops or Etsy! Although postage is quite pricey.

When it comes to the question of weighted or non-weighted hoops, it really depends on what level you're at and what you want to get out of hooping. Personally, I prefer non-weighted for fluid hoop dance moves and multiple hoop tricks. But some beginners prefer weighted hoops for learning the basics, particularly hooping around the waist. Not to mention they'll give you abs/buns of steel!

Balancing Act

This is Gypsy Gomez. She is the daughter of my hula hoops coach from NICA...and she is incredible. Performing for the Silver Circus, she spins up to 50 hula hoops while balancing on a GIANT disco ball.

Unfortunately my disco ball balancing skills are still a work in progress.