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!