Tag Archives: hoola hoop

Aug 12 2012
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Announcing: New Kids Hooping and Adult Hoopdance Classes for the Fall in Herndon!

There are new adult hoopdance and kids hooping classes coming up for the fall session at the Herndon Community Center! Full details are below!

If you’ve taken a class before you know it’s a fun way to exercise, socialize and get hoopnitized. Sorry—I couldn’t stop the rhyming! In our adult classes we learn everything from the basics to fun, flashy tricks. We do some chatting and get lost in our hoops and have a pretty great time while burning some calories. Music is upbeat and funky and I tend to play anything from 60s funk to current new and obscure tunes.

Check out our sweet double decker hoop fort!

In our kids classes we learn some basic, kid-achievable hoop tricks and techniques and play games with our hoops, including making giant hopscotches, obstacle courses, creating hoop forts and more. Music is kid friendly and we’ll sometimes include games such as the Hokey Pokey and Cupid Shuffle in our hooping games.

This summer has been a long, busy, hot one and unfortunately I haven’t held many hoop jams since June. The temperatures are getting more friendly though so lets take it back outside to throw down in our lovely circles, starting—tomorrow! I’m moving locations and we’re going to be hanging out at the Herndon Town Green. It’s behind the Herndon Municipal Center (777 Lynn St.). I really liked the skate park and the skaters were fun, but parking was a drag.

Downtown Herndon has plenty of parking, the town green is accessible and offers lots of space. The grass doesn’t get too long, there are relatively few bugs and it’s a semi-sheltered location so we won’t have loads of traffic nearby or lots of folks watching from the sidelines. Some folks may wander over, but mostly pedestrians in the area or runners/cyclers on the W&OD Trail. Great location for shy hoopers.

I’ve scheduled a few upcoming jams, so head over to the NoVA Spinners Meetup to see all the details!

ADULT HOOPDANCE CLASS INFO

If you’re a beginner, come learn the basics of hoopdance, starting with waist hooping. If you want to expand on your hooping, hone the skills you have or get together to practice and work with other hoopers nearby you’re welcome too! The class starts with a bit of a warm up, we work on anywhere from one to three new moves and spend the rest of the class practicing and jamming out. Hoops are provided in class but hoopers are encouraged to have their own so they may practice at home.

The class is five one-hour sessions beginning Sept. 9 and running through Oct 14 from 2-3 p.m. Sunday afternoons at Herndon Community Center. There is no class Oct. 7. This class is for ages 13 and older. You MUST sign up for the entire session, there is no drop in availability because it is operated through the Herndon Community Center. Town of Herndon residents pay $29, non-residents pay $39.

Signup for this session begins on Aug. 15 at 10 a.m. for Herndon residents and Aug. 21 at 10 a.m. for all non-residents.

IMPORTANT: Registration is through the Town of Herndon. Sign up by clicking HERE. Search for activity number: 2850.101.

KIDS HOOPING CLASS INFO

Hooping for kids will include many of the basic, foundational moves of hoopdance, along with games and more hoop fun. Children can bring their own hoops from home, use one of the instructors, or hoops can be purchased from the instructor.

The class is eight one-hour sessions beginning Sept. 9 and running through Oct. 14 from 1-2 p.m. Sunday afternoons at Herndon Community Center. There is no class Oct. 7. This class is for ages 5-12. You MUST sign up for the entire session, there is no drop in availability because it is operated through the Herndon Community Center. Town of Herndon residents pay $29, non-residents pay $39.

Signup for this session begins on Aug. 15 at 10 a.m. for Herndon residents and Aug. 21 at 10 a.m. for all non-residents.

IMPORTANT: Registration is through the Town of Herndon. Sign up by clicking HERE. Search for activity number: 2850.102.

I’ll leave you all with a video done by some of my favorite hoopers up in Maine!

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Jun 08 2012
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New Kids Hoop and Adult Hoopdance Classes in Herndon, VA!

Hello folks! It’s been a while again, and there’s much to say, but I wanted to start with my upcoming classes! This summer I’ll have three hula hooping and hoopdance classes through the Herndon Community Center in lovely Herndon, VA. Two adult classes and one hoop class for kids!

Tilly Whirls, Leslie Perales, hoop dancing at her regular weekly gig, Friday Night Live, in downtown Herndon in May 2012. You can catch the Hoopnotica certified instructor hooping on stage most weeks at FNL.

Adult classes are Thursdays at 6:45 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Here’s the details:

If you’re a beginner, come learn the basics of hoopdance, starting with waist hooping. If you want to expand on your hooping, hone the skills you have or get together to practice and work with other hoopers nearby you’re welcome too! The class starts with a bit of a warm up, we work on a few new moves and spend the rest of the class practicing and jamming out. Hooping is a great way to learn a new skill, burn 400-600 calories an hour, build self confidence and creatively express yourself. Hoops are provided in class but hoopers are encouraged to have their own so they may practice at home.

Thursday and Sunday adult classes include eight one-hour sessions. Thursday classes begin June 28 and run through August 16 from 6:45-7:45 p.m. Thursday nights at Bruin Park. Sunday classes begin July 1 and run through August 19 from 2-3 p.m. Sunday afternoons at Herndon Community Center (the brochure that says its at Bruin Park is incorrect—that’s the Thursday night class only). This class is for ages 13 and older. You MUST sign up for the entire session, there is no drop in availability because it is operated through the Herndon Community Center. Town of Herndon residents pay $47, non-residents pay $62.

Here’s the info on kids classes: 

Hooping for kids will include many of the basic, foundational moves of hoopdance, along with games, creativity and more hoop fun. Children can bring their own hoops from home, use one of the instructors, or hoops can be purchased from the instructor.

The class is eight one-hour sessions starting July 1 and runs through August 19 from 1-2 p.m. Sunday afternoons at Herndon Community Center. This class is for ages 5-12. You MUST sign up for the entire session, there is no drop in availability because it is operated through the Herndon Community Center. Town of Herndon residents pay $47, non-residents pay $62.

IMPORTANT: Registration for all classes is through the Town of Herndon.
Sign up by clicking the link below. Here’s the activity numbers to search for.
Thursday – adult: 1850.100
Sunday – adult: 1850.101
Sunday – childrens: 1850.102

https://www.herndon-va.gov/registrationmain.sdi

Tilly Whirls, Leslie Perales, teaches mixed-level hooping classes at the Herndon Community Center in Herndon, VA. This summer she’ll have a Thursday evening class, Sunday afternoon class and a brand new Sunday afternoon kids class. Classes are eight weeks long, one hour each week. Leslie brings hoops to class.


NoVA Spinners Hoop Jams in Herndon

The NoVA Spinners summer hoop jams are going strong so far. Many Sundays you can find us in Trailside Park in Herndon spinning it up in the grass near the skate park. We’ve got music, sunshine, some shade and hoops! Bring your own hoops or borrow one. Make sure to bring water—it’s getting hot these days. I usually bring some bug spray, sunscreen and hand sanitizer along with me to share. We often hang out, dance and spin together and share some skills, though it isn’t a formal class. For more information on hoop jams and other area hoop events, visit the NoVA Spinners Meetup page here!


Tilly Whirls Travels to Hoop Convergence, Rocks Out at Friday Night Live, Performs at Herndon Festival and More!

It’s been a busy spring for me and my hoops. It’s started out with me hooping at Friday Night Live in downtown Herndon most weekends. I’m friends with a number of the volunteers and organizers and when they spotted me (and the lack of space) in the crowd last year at FNL they asked if I’d hoop on stage throughout this summer, with a few exceptions. It’s been a lot of fun so far! Here’s a photo from the first week:

Tilly Whirls, Leslie Perales, hoop dancing at Friday Night Live on May 4, 2012. Leslie is a certified Hoopnotica hoopdance instructor, and is working on her BodyHoops Fit Kids hoopdance certification and will be certified as a HoopnoticaFit cardio hoopdance instructor in June 2012.

In May I also got to attend Hoop Convergence in the beautiful Carrboro, North Carolina where I got to take workshops with Bags, Kenna Hoops, SaFire, AlleyOop, Kandice of Holistic Hooping, and so many more wonderful folks who teach and perform around the world. It was a magical experience and I will definitely be going back for as long as this event is happening. Here’s a couple photos, including one of me fire hooping!

The always beautiful and inspiring SaFire, Sandra Sommerville, on the left, and Steve Bags in his checker pants teaching Z-Spins. Such a fun class by the lake!

Tilly Whirls, Leslie Perales, first burn at Hoop Convergence 2012. A little addicted now, I’ll be working with some hoopers in West Virginia to do some training with fire.

This spring has also included performances at Herndon Festival, AOL’s 5K and Chantilly Day!

Tilly Whirls, Leslie Perales, hoops with kids and adults alike at the annual AOL 5K in Dulles, VA. Here she holds a shoulder duckout for the photographer. (Photo by AOLDullesEvents)

Tilly Whirls, Leslie Perales, takes a bow during a performance at Herndon Festival in Downtown Herndon on June 2, 2012. (Photo by Amanda Colton)

Tilly Whirls and Herndon Patch editor, Leslie Perales, knee hoops while spinning poi flags at the inaugural Chantilly Day Festival in May 2012. (Photo courtesy of Patch.com)

Don’t forget, Leslie does parties, performances and events. From Girl Scout gatherings to back yard block parties, Leslie can get everyone on their feet, twirling in a hoop and grinning. If you’d like to learn more about parties, performances and other ways to bring some more hoopyness into your life, click here. If you’ve decided you need your own beautifully taped custom hoop, click here.

Next up I’ll be getting certified in Hoopnotica’s HoopnoticaFit program on June 23. It’s a cardio-based hoop class designed for all levels that’ll work you from head to toe. Look for classes to be offered in the late summer!

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Apr 30 2012
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Just one day left to donate to HIPS and help hoopers combat injuries!

We’re SO close to hitting our goal on our IndieGoGo campaign for HIPS, the Hoop Injury Population Study. We have about 27 hours left in the campaign at this point.

If you love hooping, seriously give thought to contributing, even if it’s just a dollar or two. The HIPS project will work to study what types of injuries hoopers are prone to, how to treat them, and best of all, possible ways to prevent them, in both ourselves and our students, which I feel is especially important if you teach hooping. This study will be groundbreaking in helping keep all us hoopers in the circle longer.

Learn more or donate to the HIPS campaign here:
http://igg.me/p/78748?a=514815

Join the HIPS Facebook group here:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/hoopstudy/

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Apr 03 2012
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JOIN HIPS – Hoop Injury Population Survey

Hoopers! Take part in the Hoop Injury Population Survey!

Hoopers everywhere! This is important for us all!

I’m helping out with a big study, known as Hoop Injury Population Survey, that Hooping Ted has undertaken to figure out how we can keep hoopers healthier longer. Since hooping is sort of an obscure hobby/activity, there isn’t a lot known about the types of injuries we get, or how to treat them. For example, hoopers may develop hoopers hip. But how much do we understand about that injury and how to treat it? Better yet, do we know how to prevent it? Questions like these are what the study aims to find out.

To get an overview of the study, read the welcome letter from Hooping Ted below. Then join our group on Facebook to take part in the discussion and find ways to contribute to the study.

_____________________________________

Dear hoopers,

I’m conducting the first, large scale, independent study on hooping injuries. The purpose of this group is to build support and community around the study.

The hoop community is rapidly growing, but it’s still pretty new. As we keep pushing the boundaries of hoop dance, and more people decide to perform and teach hooping as a career, we’re seeing more chronic pain and injury. So many hoopers I’ve met have had pain or injuries, but don’t talk about them or hope they’ll magically go away. I believe most of these are preventable.

In order to keep ourselves safe so we can hoop for many more years, we need to understand the nature of our injuries more deeply. What injuries are most common? Why are they happening? When are they happening? Who are they happening to? Only when we fully understand the problem can we create positive, lasting solutions.

The study will be in the form of an online survey, launching May 1, 2012, and run through the end of August. The aim of the research is to explore pain and injuries in hoopers, and provide a better understanding of its causes, symptoms, and treatments. This study is not for profit. It is not directly affiliated with Return to Roots Hoop Gathering, and any R2R questions should be posted on that page.

The data used in the study will come directly from the survey, not from this group. Please feel free to share your experiences though, it’s possible others have had a similar story and can offer some guidance.

Do feel free to tell all your hooping friends to join this group! Please don’t add them without asking first. I think it’s always better to have members of a community who genuinely are interested in being there and participating. 🙂

I’ll be posting updates on the study’s progress regularly on the group’s Facebook group.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/hoopstudy/ 

The Group Docs have a lot of the essential info about the study:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/hoopstudy/docs/
__
With Love,
Ted Brancu

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Mar 27 2012
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Anniversaries Abound – Hoops, Dogs, Love and Accidents

So February and March have become pretty big months in my life. Here’s why. 🙂

• Feb. 19 was the day I started hooping. Here’s my hoopiversary compilation video:

I spent the evening of my hoopiversary by myself spinning in my living room with some LEDs. It was wonderful to just bliss out and be thankful for all the hoop has given me. (Could I sound any more like a hippie?) For the full video of me playing on my hoopiversary clickie over here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP3duhGCGbA. I hated the song in that video until I saw it used in a hoop video. When applied to the right subject, turns out I love that song. Haha.

• Feb. 26 was the day we adopted our Gordie dog. This is a recent photo of him. He’s pretty much my (our) child. We adopted him from Lucky Dog Animal Rescue when he was about 10 weeks old. His sweet face just captured my heart immediately. We’re the lucky ones, for all the joy, humor and love he brings to our lives.

Gordie dog, 14 months old and already a Facebook addict.


• March 10 was Steve and I’s anniversary of when we began dating. Eight year’s later we’re planning our wedding. Things are getting hectic and busy but we’ve called in reinforcements and are trucking along in planning.

Photo by our lovely friend Danielle.


• And today marks the one-year anniversary of my car accident. I was hit by a drunk driver. I was the designated driver for my friends. Dude ran a red light. Smashed into me and fled. The police caught him later. My friend Lauren listened to the police scanner traffic from the night before to listen to my accident. I never could bring myself to do it. They called out the helicopter for me though! Haha. Luckily I walked away mostly unscaled, save for my right shoulder. I still have lingering pain and issues with it sometimes.

I use my accident as a reminder to tell people not to drink and drive. Have a designated driver. Have a plan. Call a cab. Watch out for your friends and loved ones. Take care of each other. If my words don’t emphasize the importance of not drinking and driving enough, perhaps a picture of my car will.

Don't drink and drive, folks! Fer serious! This was my car. WAS.

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Feb 12 2012
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Training to Teach Hooping to Children

Ever since I began teaching hooping people have been requesting children’s classes. My current classes are 13+ only for a few reasons, but I kept saying that perhaps in a year I could do a teacher training to be able to teach children’s hooping classes.

I got that request tonight that finally pushed me to commit to doing it! Tonight I signed up for BodyHoops’ Fit Kids Distance Teacher Training. And I’m really excited to be able to confidently add children’s classes to my repertoire.

Part of me thought, “Hey, you have a lot of skills to share. You can probably do kids’ classes without training.” However, I’m not that great with kids. I’m getting better, and hooping helps tremendously, but I was one of the youngest in my family, didn’t babysit and wasn’t around other small children much growing up. I’ve always been uncomfortable around children.

I’m hoping the BodyHoops program can give the confidence, skills, games, ideas, tricks and tips needed to make me more comfortable in the hoop with kids. It’ll also be greatly helpful for doing children’s hoop parties.

A few weeks ago we went to a brunch at my in-laws’ house and they have a nice big yard. One of the only questions I asked about going was, “Will all the kids be there?” Upon receiving a positive answer I responded, “Great! I’m bringing my hoops!”

I think if I’m getting to the point where I’m excited to be around kids because it gives me an excuse to be in the hoop, then I’m definitely ready to do the teacher training and take on kids’ classes.

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Feb 03 2012
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Hoopdancing to Gotye’s ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’

So I promise that I’ll write more and then I disappear again. Sorry about that. I have something I want to share that I’m really proud of though. It’s a video of my practice tonight. I’m really pleased with where I’m going in my personal hooping practice.

I’m about halfway into my second session of hoopdance lessons at the Herndon Community Center and absolutely love it. My class is small this time, but it gives me more time with everyone individually and everyone is doing so well. It makes me so happy when I see them progress. The smile on their face when they realize they just got a trick for the first time is priceless.

I’ve signed up to go to Hoop Convergence in May. I’m thrilled! So far Caroleena, Spiral, Brecken, Nick G and many other hoopers I love are on the list of instructors coming to present. It’s going to be an amazing five days in the hoop.

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