Well, yesterday I had a lot of sneezing and nose blowing as an aftereffect of the allergy testing, which forced me to hang out and chill for a bit. Interesting how gifts show up in unexpected packages. While on the couch I decided to internet surf on youtube. My profile which can be found at "hoopgirlvideos", BTW. While I have a couple videos on my profile (which don't actually represent how I hoop now a days I might add) I have never taken the time to create a "Favorites" list and really look around for inspiration which I can review again and again. I've only visited based on the links found on tribe or from friends. So off I went, sneezing and surfing and I found some pretty remarkable, inspiring teachers on there. I watched hoopers for hours, and found many bright lights who were so shiney and talented. From street jams, television shows, parks to circus stages and olympic arenas, teachers are everywhere waiting to share their knowledge with me!

Honestly, it can feel isolating as a more advanced hooper in a town without many advanced hoopers who are wanting to jam out with you or who teach classes that you can take for an inspiration hit... youtube is such a great reminder that my teachers are all there and waiting for me virtually! It is jut so darn amazing that I can sit down and watch hoopers for hours. It is like hoop tv! So I decided that I will treat youtube as an essential part of my own, self-created Hoop School. I have decided to put in 3-5 hours a week at HoopGirl Hoop School online to start, in addition to my practices, classes, performances, jams, etc.

Also, on a whim, after watching the absolutely unearthly talent of Elena Lev, the hooper-contortionist from Cirque's Alegria show, I sent her an email asking her if she ever takes on students. To my shock, she replied within 10 minutes of my email with her rates... I wrote her a humble note back, explaining more who I am and what I was seeking, that I am not a contortionist or gymnist, etc, but sincerely want to study with her to bring more grace, poise and advanced moves into my dance. Haven't heard back from my lengthier email... I imagine someone who has intensely trained for 8 hours a day since childhood may have a very different perspective than most on my request. I hope she writes back! I hope she doesn't think I am insane for even asking. We shall see.

Anyways, this morning's personal practice was so sweet. I almost skipped it because I have to get a choreography together for a big performance I have coming up, but then I remembered that personal practice is NOT rehersal, teaching performing or jamming. Personal practice is personal and it is practice. So glad I committed because it was a joyous ride.

Set the kitchen timer for 60 minutes... and...I naturally swept into isolations, rocking back and forth while switching hands. I got a bit lost in the shimmer of the silver as it slipped by my eyes and realized that instead of tracking the stillness of the circle with arm extensions and a mirror, I can actually just keep it at the same height as my eyes and look straght ahead. A nice realization. I tried the "Chest Bump" move I saw in a few rhythmic gymnastics itube videos yesterday and it was so easy and fun! If I had more space, I would have played with chest bumps directly into jumps.

I worked on the lateral jump/revolving door that I see Spiral doing a lot. I did it over and over again in slow motion watching how high I would have to lift my leg and extend by arm to really swoop the the hoop around my whole body. I also saw variations of this in the gymnastics videos I have been watching, although they jumped almost completely into the splits in mid-air while swooping the hoop from the tip of toe to the other... for now, just slo-mo again and again.

I slipped into a brand new isolation exercise which felt delicious. One handed break against my hip, horizontal isolation to overhead, pass to the other hand during an overhead isolation, then another isolation directly in front of my body horizontally with that new hand, to a break on my opposite hip and then the whole thing in reverse. Over and over and over I did it to some breaks music and it felt nice. Yea! I new breaks exercise!

I worked with single and double handed horizontal hoop stalls which levitated up over my head and then lower down my body, reversing and continuing up and down. For a long time I was just spinning on my socked feet, reversing while lifting and lowering, giving particular attention to keeping the hoop as flat as possible. It became quite trace-like.

Then I played with body-breaks for a few minutes, bumping the hoop into reversal from my hips, thighs and feet and naturally I went into a whole galaxy of the move traveller which I have never visited before. I was doing reversals in the middle of travellers (lateral step throughs) and coming out, then going back, going through, twisting my body and going in backwards, reversing and basically just going off (though in slo motion), letting sensation carry me to the next twist and turn. It was so windy and wonderful.

BTW, Today's picture was taken by Patrick Roddie of www.webbery.com on China Beach here in San Francisco a couple months ago...

Thank you to the Universe! I love hooping. I am so happy that I take time to play and have fun every day!