“Hoops” is a brand new short film by Jordan Post that revolves around the hoop. It’s one of those stories that echoes so many people’s lives. When romance deals us all the wrong cards, things start looking a little bleak and we just plain don’t know what to do with ourselves and our lives. We need outside help! Yes, sooner or later we all need…Hoopin’ Bob! Hoopin’ Bob, played by Billy Judge Baldus of Hoopvive is a man after our own heart and wardrobe here at Hooping.org. Read more and see the film:

http://www.hooping.org/2013/05/hoops-a-short-film/

What is Jesse Styles love and passion about these days? Hooping, of course. She says, “I am continuously inspired to express myself through this beautiful form of art, and I only hope to inspire you as much as you inspire me.” In this video by Chris Kelley we are taken on a hooping tour all over the place and everywhere we go Jesse is hooping. When she started she never would’ve dreamed she’d have the courage to perform in front of other people, and look at her now! She lives in Stamford, Connecticut, USA, and the soundtrack for this is “Kiara” by Bonobo and you can get a copy of it for your own very easily on iTunes.

http://www.hooping.org/2013/05/jesse-styles-is-inspired/

by Philo Hagen

Once you’ve discovered the wonderful world of hooping on your own, the next step is discovering the wonderful world of hooping with others. For some of us it isn’t much of a challenge. A simple search here on hooping.org or Facebook for the biggest city we live in or near and we’re likely to find at least someone else in our area who is going to totally understand our new obsession – and who will be likely be as equally excited about hooping with us as we are with them. If we’re lucky, we might even find a whole community around the corner that meets regularly, sponsoring weekly or monthly hoop jams and events with a whole platoon of hoopers that have just been anxiously waiting for our arrival. In other cases our search may only reveal the lingering cyber remains of something that once happened that has since disappeared. Perhaps someone was really gung ho for hooping and was making things happen, but when they moved away everything fell apart. And in still others a little research might confirm what we’ve already suspected – that there really isn’t much of anything happening in our community and we’re going to have to be the great trailblazer for hooping ourselves. But just how do we go about doing that? How do we create a hooping community where there currently isn’t one? I’ve got news for you – it’s really easy.

Having started a couple of hoop groups myself in different cities, and having spent a great deal of time over the years doing my independent, casual and relatively random surveys of hoopers who were bringing people together to better understand what works in other areas and what doesn’t, here are five simple steps to help you create a hooping community where you live. If you build it, they will come. Here’s how:

http://www.hooping.org/2013/05/5-tips-to-start-a-hoop-group-where-you-live/

Hooping.org’s Photo Editor Noora Helenius has found herself in a gorgeous photo of her own. She lives in Turku, Finland.

http://www.hooping.org/2013/05/noora-helenius/

It’s exercise in disguise! That’s what ABC’sWGNO-TV in New Orleans is saying about hooping and they spoke with Kimberly Lobertof NOLA hooping to find out all about it. “It’s a workout, but it doesn’t feel like a workout,” she explained, telling WGNO that you can burn 600 to 800 calories in one hour of hooping. “You have to use your core, use your abdominal muscles. You don’t want it to look like you are having a convulsion,” she said.  Read more with news video report: 

http://www.hooping.org/2013/05/new-orleans-is-hooping-for-fitness/

One thing nearly every hooper who has attended festivals or gatherings knows is that when it all winds down there can be a very real sense of loss. Leaving a community of like minded souls is one of the hardest things to experience so we, individually or in groups, ease ourselves back into our other lives through decompression, gently winding ourselves down and grounding ourselves again. Retreat organizer Jaguar Mary “decompresses during a practice flow after three amazing weeks at the Sacred Circularities,” the result being a beautifully peaceful and relaxing hoop dance in Bali. She lives in Carrboro, North Caroline, USA, and her soundtrack here is “Fossil Fuel” by Ex-Friendly which can be found on Soundcloud

http://www.hooping.org/2013/05/jaguar-mary-3/

When Marawa the Amazing took a break from her responsibilities as a judge for Hooping Idol 3 and asked the nice folks at The House of Hot Breath to make her a hula hoop video like the 1990s arcade game Street Fighter 2, they did just that – and it’s nothing short of amazing. A competitive arcarde fighting game originally released in 1991, the success of Street Fighter II is credited for starting the fighting game boom during the 1990s and Marawa’s Hoop Fighter video version is chock full of the super style and mad skills we’ve come to expect from her. She lives in London, England, UK.

http://www.hooping.org/2013/05/marawa-the-amazing-hoop-fighter-ii/

by Sophie HoopPixie Febrey

I started teaching hooping recently and it’s been amazing introducing others to the hoop. For a while I’ve been caught up in the wonder of spinning around with all of the lovely new students I have, but now, stepping back, I am realising the profound effect teaching has had on my whole outlook and personal attitude toward hooping. Many of you have taken the opportunity to share your hooping gifts with friends and family, maybe even made a career of it, and I hope you have also found enlightening moments that seem to only come through sharing your spin! And for those of you that haven’t yet had this opportunity to share the hoop with someone else, I would like to share with you five of my discoveries about others, myself and the circle.

1. We all have insecurities. When someone first steps into the hoop, they are more than likely to encounter some of the same struggles and insecurities you did. But this person is very lucky, because they have you to guide them! You are in the unique position when all those issues and frustrations that were once stirred up within you now act as the experience you have to help another. Let them see the joy in the struggle, and let them know that they are able and capable enough to spin that hoop around their waist. Teaching another allows you to share in the joy that you experienced when you first began hooping, and there is no better feeling than that! Read more:

http://www.hooping.org/2013/05/what-teaching-hooping-has-taught-me-2/

It’s time to meet Adina Niculae who makes her Hooping.org debut in this video that is nothing short of gorgeous. It feels really intimate in that we get to spend a few moments with her before she hoops, and then we are treated to a variety of great views, flying trails of dust and glitter and a sweet smile. It’s pretty hard to resist. Adina lives in Romania and the soundtrack for this is “The Keeper (Banks Remix)” by Bonobo featuring Andreya Triana and you can snag a copy of it for yourself on iTunes.

http://www.hooping.org/2013/05/adina-niculae/

Stacie Naumann and her boyfriend light up the sandbar at Grayton Beach State Park in this amazing LED hooping photo. Stacie lives in San Jose, California, USA. Photo by Tom Optiz.

http://www.hooping.org/2013/05/lighting-up-grayton-beach/