Summer has gone by so fast! I hooped less than I’d like, as I spent a lot of time battling my horrid allergies this summer, but still made it out to some Friday Night Live events, hosted a number of hoop jams and even hooped on the beach in Panama City.
But now it’s time to get back to class, not only for the kids, but for us hoopers too! My adult hoopdance classes start soon at the Herndon Community Center, 814 Ferndale Ave., Herndon, VA 20170. Classes will be held Sundays from 11 a.m. to noon beginning Sept. 13 and Thursdays from 6:45-7:45 p.m. beginning Sept. 17. Each session is 12 classes and runs through mid-December. Classes run $74 for Town of Herndon residents and $99 for non-residents. For full details, signup information and more, click the links below.
Looking to get healthy, get into a new activity with hooping or strengthen your skills? New adult hoopdance classes start in January! Classes are mixed-level and good for anyone from beginner to intermediate. Here’s the important info!
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A new session of classes begins either Sunday, Jan. 5 at 2 p.m. or Thursday, Jan. 9 at 6:45 p.m. at Herndon Community Center, signup for whichever day is best for you! This will be a mixed level class and good for those looking to further their skills, start fresh from beginner or just want to commit to regular practice and are looking to spend time with more local hoopers.
The set of eight one-hour classes are $47 for town of Herndon residents and $62 for non-Herndon residents. There is no drop-in availability unless previously arranged with the instructor.
You can sign up in person at the Herndon Community Center (814 Ferndale Ave., Herndon), or sign up online here: http://www.herndon-va.gov/webtrac. Here’s the class descriptions and numbers so you can find them easier in the system:
Hoop Dance Age 13 & Up Using the hoop on the waist, legs, arms, hands, hips and more burns between 400-600 calories an hour, and provides a great full-body workout while encouraging creative movement and expression. Hoops are always provided in class, but you can bring your own adult-sized hoop or purchase one from the instructor if you’d like to have your own to be able to practice at home.
• Jan. 5 – Feb. 23, Sundays from 2-3 p.m., Class No. 369930.40 • Jan. 9 – Feb. 27, Thursdays from 6:45-7:45 p.m., Class No. 369930.70
This week marked my second hoopiversary — or the second anniversary of when I started hooping.
I discovered hooping on Valentine’s Day in 2011 when I stumbled upon this video of a girl in a green hoop, and I ordered my first hoops that day. On the 19th my hoops came in the mail and I started this crazy journey, in which I’ve pretty much not been able to put them down since.
Now I’m continuing to spin in circles as I spread joy through hula hoops and dance.
I’ll leave you with a video from my practice on my hoopiversary and a short list of what music I’m hooping to now:
Looking for local adult hoopdance classes and jams in the Herndon and/or Northern Virginia area? Visit my Meetup at http://www.meetup.com/novaspinners. Want classes at your gym or community center? Email me at leslie at tillywhirls dot com.
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.
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!
I ordered new, custom LED hoops from Cosmic Hooper. I’m in love with them. I got a pair of twins, meaning they’re the same size and weight so I can use both at once easier. One is a 36″ diameter, 3/4″ polypro with 24 white strobing LED lights. The other is a 36″ diameter, 3/4″ polypro with 24 rainbow strobing LED lights. They’re downright beautiful and I love them. Here’s a video of my first afternoon with them.
I’m pretty sore today. I spent about two hours hooping on Saturday, much of it for my niece’s birthday party. She loves hooping as much as I do. I made her a set of mini hoops for her birthday, she had a hula hoop birthday cake and we did a hooping party. It was a lot of fun, though it was the first time I wore my hooping performance wear since last summer and I felt silly in all my bright colors. It was a great opportunity to start working with my BodyHoops FitKids knowledge! I’m feeling much more comfortable with kids, and I had a lot of fun.
On Sunday I taught hoop class then hooped at the park with Kendal and Christy (along with Christy’s husband and baby) for a couple hours. We had a blast. It was beautiful out. Mid-80s with a breeze, in a little bit of shade with some good tunes next to the skaters and the volleyball players. I worked on some moves I hadn’t done in a long time, which is where the soreness is coming from. Mainly the Hoopnotica version of the duckout (you waist hoop and duck your entire torso out of the hoop) and pizza tosses. I finally got the toss down! Woo!
Thought I’d add something new to my blogs. Here’s what I’m hooping to! I’ll try to include a few songs that are on my jam playlist every couple posts.
Here’s What I’m Hooping To:
• Feel So Close (Radio Edit) – Calvin Harris
• Ray Charles – Chiddy Bang
• Tongue Tied – GroupLove
• Everybody Talks – Neon Trees
• Rack City (clean version) – Tyga
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.
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.
On Valentines Day 2011 I found something that would change my life. It’s simple, but it’s not easy. It’s fun, it’s work, it’s beautiful. It’s become an addiction. An obsession.
It’s a plastic hoop covered in pretty tape.
About five weeks into my hooping journey I was already completely smitten with it.
Tilly Whirls 