At long last The Hooping Life is touring and it is making a Pitt-stop! wOOt! Yes, for one night only, on April 19th at 8pm, you’ll be able to catch this much anticipated film! I personally have had an eye on it the whole time I’ve been a hooper. The film was 6 years in the making and highlights 8 different stories of those whose lives have been changed and inspired through the hoop. It resonates on a multi-cultural level while giving an eye-opening look at an infectious and beautiful new subculture.
The film is centered on the creation and encouragement of community, and tells the stories of struggles and healing that touch humanity day in and day out. This incredible film shares stories about how the hoop has touched humanity in a whole host of ways– encircling all kinds of issues from COMMUNITY to HEALTH to SPIRITUALITY to LGBT to FITNESS to ANTIBULLYING to IDENTITY to ENTREPRENEURSHIP and ACTIVISM! Whew! Check out the invite on Facebook! And spread the gOOd wOrd! I sure hOOp to see you there! The film starts at 8pm at Regent Square Theater! Major shout out to PFPCA for all their support in making this happen!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!
If you haven’t already, be sure to catch the trailer!!
Mama has always said, “Snow is a four-letter word!” I kinda agree. Well, I mean, yes clearly it is a four-letter word… but she is more so obviously suggesting that it is a foul word. Winter certainly has its extensive list of inconveniences, and it’s no secret that we hoopers of the north, who are exposed to such chilly climates of the tundra’s treachery, have a few more obstacles in our permafrosted paths, which can sometimes hinder our cherished hoopy times. While hips in California and the Carolinas are swaying in sunshine, those of us up north are doing what we can to shake off the snow from our boots, cars, and eyebrows. It can be difficult to maintain the (m)O-tivation and manage to stay in the groove in the dead of winter. I’ve certainly struggled with it myself. I miss the grass between my toes. I miss sleeveless shirts and sunshine. I miss picking up and walking carefree to the park without the need to layer strategically. I miss the outdoor noises and activity of my neighbors. But I’ve come to recognize that one thing I don’t ever have to miss is (you guessed it:) hooping! As a matter of fact, hooping is a strong combatant of winter blahs, and no matter the cold, we must fight the good fight, take up our hoop, and seek to repel those good-for-nothing lethargic blues! Upon warming up from head to toe, and infusing ourselves with endorphins, our bodies will certainly thank us.
As with many things in life, there is a sweeter side to sets of circumstances. Consider using your time indoors to challenge yourself to slow down. Winter always seems to be a pretty introspective time of year, so take time to yourself from within the circle. Push back your furniture, and foster a slow start to gently wake up the body. Use your hoop as a prop to stretch and even to massage our some of the kinks in your neck and shoulders. Emerging from hibernation-mode shouldn’t inflict violence to the body. When you’re ready, rise and hoop! I often like to start with slow music, but lately, I’ve been opting for a heavier hoop and just rockin’ out to a good book. It’s pretty great to start my day with my favorite breakfast combo: reading, hooping, and (of course) coffee.
Perhaps most importantly, do what you can to seek out a hooping community! This is likely the best option for finding a large space that you can let loose in! Here in Pittsburgh, we’re very thankful to have the Union Project where a group of us can come together and hoop on a weekly basis. The space is a real gift to us, but even more important than the space itself is the community that happens. Winter can often serve to isolate us, so it is imperative to do what you can to seek community of lively folks! If there is no community to plug into in your area, consider investigating local schools or gyms that may have space! Chances are, those in charge would dig the opportunity to activate the space, and those whom you know will be hungry to rid themselves of cabin fever and instead burn the floor in a hoop!
Where there’s a will there’s a way. Your hoop is your portal to make it happen. Maybe get super wild and call up some friends to make hoop angles- hoops make great halos! That’s right– do something silly that give the neighbors something to talk about. Embrace this winter season as something special. Use the time to do some dreaming, and choose to make the most of it! But remember: if you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong! Make a change. Invent, discover, and behold the winter wonder.
I knew it had been forever since I had made a video, but- my goodness- I guess I didn’t realize it had been just over a year since my last upload. It just so happens that 2011 flew right past me. My limited access to a video camera and my lack of initiative to borrow one from another source is probably to blame for this. Now that I have “Siri’s” help, with a camera built into miPhone, I have no excuses, and am hoping to make videos more frequently… mainly because I just really enjoy doing so. Anyhow, here is one that I got around to making “At Last”… no pun intended. This video is obviously in response to the recent passing of singing sensation Etta James. She will be sorely missed. I have always loved this song so much, and it now has more significant meaning to me given that, well, I happen to be truly in love for the first time in my life (and, as my favorite Elf once exclaimed, “I don’t care who knows it!”).
But all that said, here’s to you, Etta. Peace and Love.
“Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today is one of my very favorite celebrations of the year here in Pittsburgh, and I’m getting giddy with excitement. For nearly a decade, Union Project’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration has illustrated one of Dr. King’s most profound concepts, “That everyone, regardless of race, age and religious beliefs has unique gifts to share that contribute to a better community; a community where everyone feels valued, included and respected.” I’ve attended these celebrations as long as I’ve lived in Pittsburgh (except for that time I broke my leg), and each have been truly meaningful and powerful. This year’s event, themed “Many Hands,” celebrates the thousands of people who held hands in peace marches across our nation during King’s life, the thousands of volunteers who have helped rebuild the former church in which UP resides today, and the participants invited to lend a hand in a community mosaic project during the event. In honor of these marches, Union Project’s event kicks off today with a Peace Parade at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater (be sure to also check out Kelly-Strayhorn’s events from 2-4!) and ending at Union Project. Led by the MGR Foundation and Steel City Hoop Union, Pittsburgh Agencies and neighborhood residents are invited to join in, create handmade streamers, puppets, and banners to wave proudly as a show of solidarity during the walk & (of course) hOOp through East Liberty!! Erika and I will be supplying hoops for the parade. Come join us as we celebrate MLK’s legacy!
UP Schedule:
4-5PM: Peace Parade begins at Kelly-Strayhorn Theatre (6000 Penn Ave.) and ends at Union Project (801 N. Negley Ave.)
4-6PM: Community Mosaic Project
4-5:45PM: Story Telling and a Book Giveaway
5:45-6PM: Dramatic Reading including Indira Ghandhi’s Letter to Coretta Scott King, performed by CAIR (Center for American Islamic Relations), CEED (Christian Evangelistic Economic Development), New Horizon Theater and Allegheny Center Alliance Drama Team.
6-8PM Community Dinner
We’re mOving! But don’t be alarmed… it’s just to another day of the week!
Yep. Starting January 18, we’re moving our weekly hOOp night at the Union Project to Wednesdays. We have had a lot of folks chime in to say that Wednesdays were preferable to Tuesdays for meeting up, and the Union Project also approached us about considering making the switch as well, as they are beginning a new endeavor to have all the community classes meet on one night, at differing times.
Union Project’s Executive Director, Jeffrey Dorsey, holds that combining community night classes on one night of the week could be great for families and folks who want to try out new and fun things, and foresees possible collaborations between the activities offered. Union Project is also looking into (hopefully) getting the new Cafe Ola Appetite to open that evening as well. I know I sure would love that since it seems that I am always a hungry, hungry hOOper! I either down my dinner before the jam (sometimes making for a slightly less pleasant hooping experience), or scarf it like a ravenous beast when I get back from UP each week around 8.
For this next week, we’ll still meet on Tuesday, January 17, from 6:30-7:30pm to make the transition from Tuesdays to Wednesdays for our jam. That means you have TWO hooppertunities to get dizzy and have some extra fun next week! Please mark your calendars and make mental notes for the new change! Peace, lOve, and hOOpiness to all yOu beautiful people.
I am often asked what it was that first got me in the circle. Those who inquire typically let out a giggle shortly thereafter as I inform them that it was upon attending my friend’s wedding (in Colorado) a few summers ago.
Actually, I guess if I go way back, I was indeed fascinated with my first hula-hoop when I was probably 7 or 8 years old. Being hideously uncoordinated, it was pretty much the only thing I could do (in the physical fitness realm of activities) with any success. When “Field Day” approached for our elementary P.E. class, though I had never been able to catch or throw or hit a ball off a T or do a pull-up to save my life, I was able to literally hoop circles around all my classmates (and it felt pretty awesome). However, given that my family moved around a lot while I was growing up (due to my dad’s job), my hoop was shortly thereafter put in storage in North Carolina, and we moved off to Germany. This probably sounds sadder than it actually was. I can’t say I had given much thought about my hoop after that… until that day… that summer… at that wedding…
The wedding was for a friend whom I had not known extensively. We had shared a mere 3 weeks together the year before (significant though they were) with a team in Bosnia and Herzegovina, painting murals, engaging the local community, and teaching art lessons through ArtsLink. I was unaware of the roll hoops played in her life until I arrived in Nederland, Colorado. I caught a glimpse of the stack of hoops, and grew a widened smile.
I instantly removed the silly heels I was wearing upon the rocky outdoor terrain where the reception was held. Picking up a hoop, I gave it a spin, and it was though no time had passed. I fell in love all over again, and hooped like a nut (though, as a newbie, only at the waist) for the rest of the night. Upon arriving home in Pittsburgh, I decided to google “Hula-hoop”. It was there that I came to Hooping.org, finding instructions for constructing hoops, and tutorials for how to spin them.
At first I stuck to just hooping in my bedroom and talking on the phone, or hooping while reading a book. In February of 2009, I started to teach myself tricks through YouTube and started to connect with the broader hooping community (online that is, while at this point in time was essentially no hooping community to be found in Pittsburgh). Hooping has certainly been an undeniable life-changing experience for me, and I find it refreshing to think that my hooping life began in every respect after college. There aren’t enough words for me to articulate how all it has impacted and changed my life… but I will try to… in other, future posts. Stay tuned!
The first class session will be a hoop making class. Yes! You can learn how to make your very own hoop! There is a materials fee of $20 to make your own. Those wishing to forego the hoop-making can otherwise purchase a hoop from the instructor for $35 and join us in learning how to use the hoops for the second class session on Feb. 6. When it comes to hooping, size matters! This is why the hoop you use for class is very important.
Come learn how to tone, stretch, and move the body through hooping, as we use the hoop to groove and dance to vibrant music in a playful and friendly atmosphere. Experience a total body workout while having a total blast! All levels are welcome!
Whew. It’s been a crazy, busy Christmas season! At this point, I am home with my family and away from my books (bOOks?), so I am not sure of the final count off-hand of the number of holiday hoops I made, but as for my best guesstimate, I reckon it was well over 60… which, if you aren’t aware of all that goes into the making of one hoop, I can tell you, it’s a lot of work! I never wanted to count during my making, because I knew I would become too overwhelmed (and even more so than I was already feeling at the time). Here we are, Christmas day has arrived, and the rush of preparations and vending and making are behind me. Given that I haven’t had a full day off since the weekend of Thanksgiving, experiencing rest this holiday feels especially sweet. It’s safe to say that time management has never been my forté, and I have had a nasty habit of biting off more than I can chew since my teenage years. Amidst the stress, I did what I could to breathe into it this holiday season, but I will say that I wish I had established a better balance to compliment my breath. Christmas is my most favorite holiday, and it is filled with joy, hope, wonder, and peace! I can’t say that I didn’t let stress get the best of some of my days leading up to it this year. It’s a shame to get so busy that the meaning of the season begins to dissolve in the darkness of an individual’s stress, and I wish I had taken more time to dwell in the mystery of Advent, and delight upon its implications. Thankfully I can carry the spirit of Christmas with me each day of the year, living out mystery, hope, and wonder… and maybe a little bit of magic. Knowing this allows me to continue experiencing the hope of Advent, and while my living space is a TOTAL wreck, my spirit isn’t. I am thankful. I am especially thankful today when I get to sit in rest and consider the joy that I hope each hoop will bring to those who receive! Yes, that is my Christmas wish– that my hoops will give people an opportunity to play, enjoying an activity that unites generations and people of all backgrounds with a joyful, healthy, and fun activity… a beautiful and unique hoop given to a beautiful and unique individual. A gift that may stay all wrapped up, yet that helps you unwind! Merry Christmas, hOOpers! May peace, light, love, and hOOpiness be yours today and every day of the year.
Well, we had a blast at our huladay jam last night! We are now taking a mini holiday break from meeting up for hOOpla at the Union Project, but we will resume on January 10th! And every Tuesday on out at 6:30-7:30pm! See you there! And if you haven’t yet, be sure to “Like” us on Facebook to stay up to speed on all our hOOpenings!
Santa’s hOOpers paid me a special visit and we sure jammed together at I Made It! Market. It was a blast. And hey there hOOper helpers: I still have plenty of hoops to deck out for the huladays if you don’t mind making like elves and joining me in my workshop! I promise we’ll take plenty of cOOkie breaks!!!!
