Hooplovers(フープラバーズ)始動！！

お待たせしました！！
ついにHooplovers（フープラバーズ）のクラスが先週から始まりました。
インストラクターは東京メイドでもお馴染みのDeanneが指導します。
Deanneはオーストラリアでフープのライセンスを取得してきた日本では数少ないインストラクターです。
レッスンは通常２時間で、英語で行ないます。
場所は目黒のClaska（クラスカ）さんの３階のスタジオで今は、土曜日、日曜日を中心に行なっています。まだまだ日本では馴染みが薄いフープダンスですが既に海外では流行っています。

楽しみながら有酸素運動でさらに、筋肉も使うのでかなりエクササイズには良いですし、英語のレッスンですので英会話も勉強出来てしまいます。生徒さんも外国の方が多いので国際交流にもよいですよね！！
レッスンは２時間で４０００円、メンバーになると３０００円から受講できます。
詳しい情報はこちらから。

Bunny in PureCalma

My hoop hero and star spangled hoop lover Bunny Hoop Star has written a bubble filled piece of truth about the hoop movement. Check it out in PureCalma mag.

HOOPLOVERS Launch into the Spin

On the weekend when my favorite space in Tokyo right now, CLASKA Studio A, transformed from this...


to this...


then to this...


THIS...


AND THIS!!!!...


my heart did a little jig, my whole body couldn't stop smiling and I felt the hoop love swirling throughout the whole space!

The first HOOPLOVERS Beginner's Level 1 Workshop held at CLASKA on Saturday and Sunday was made possible by a group of intensely hot hoopers. I am forever grateful for what they brought to the space on the weekend - fun loving spirits, huge smiles, slinky bodies, a desire to work it, hot dance moves and courageous fire! Thank you Hoop Lovers!

California Dreaming

Hoop Camp Retreat

Hoop Dance Class Tokyo

I am sitting here writing this and bubbling with excitement. My hoop dreams are unfolding so smoothly, so it is with much giddiness and giggling pleasure that I announce the first of many hoop love sharing sessions.

HOOPLOVERS Hoop Dance Workshop

Beginner Level 1 Class
Saturday May 31 & Sunday June 1
1pm - 3pm (total of 4 hours)

CLASKA Studio A 3rd Floor


Enjoy a weekend of Hoop Dance fun. The Beginner Level 1, 2 day workshop is designed to provide you with the skills and tricks you need to Hoop Dance for fun and fitness.

This two day workshop will explore a variety of Hoop Dance skills, tricks and moves that you can take away and enjoy. Level 1 classes include a warm up, hoop conditioning, turns, skills and drills, hoop circle and warm down, each day. In addition to the basics you will also be supported to explore your natural hoop dance style.

No previous experience necessary. Hoops will be provided. Wear comfortable clothing and get ready to embrace your inner hoop dancer!

Members: ¥6000 for 4 hours over 2 days
Non-members: ¥8000 for 4 hours over 2 days

Limited to 10 spaces. Reserve your spot hooplovers@gmail.com

To celebrate the first hooplovers workshop we will be heading to Yoyogi Park afterwards for an evening hoop up!

Hope to see you there.
xx

Poles and Hoops

So today my body is a little sore from a Pole Dance class I took yesterday, you can read about my experience here.
I really enjoyed the pole dancing class but I have to say this ROCKS my socks more!!

That hoop slam down gives me shivers!! HOT
In case you were wondering, this mind blowing performer is Karis, known for his sizzling performance in the Scissor Sisters Filthy Gorgeous film clip among other things.
(oh hey these vids may not be safe for work...guess it depends on where you work, but a heads up just in case, watch em at home they are fun)

The Hoop Catch Up

This is a speedy review to catch you up on all things hoopy here in Tokyo. There is so much to tell and I really should have been blogging about it here instead of over at sushi zume, but she always gets the bulk of my attention she was my first blog love and I keep going back to her but will try to share the love more often here too!

I excitedly launched my official hoop lesson and performance site HOOPLOVERS at the end of last month. One of the biggest things was finding the perfect logo and design to site the theme of the site. I called on good friend and BROS WEAR DESIGN creator Oshima to help out. After filling him up on spinach salad and fresh fruit we put him to work in our office. It was a simple process, Oshima is a fabulously intuitive designer, his insightful creation was exactly what I had visualized, no wait it is better than I imagined. After a few scribbles on paper and answering a few questions Oshima took off into the night and had the perfect logo design back to me in a few hours. I hope you love it as much as we do!



We have been taking the hoop love to the streets. Yoyogi Park has been the ideal location for our Sunday hoop sessions. I live for Sundays at the moment. The hoop love is growing stronger and stronger. Bunny just sent a shipment of dazzling hoops to Tokyo this week so if the rain goes away before tomorrow we will be hitting the park in mighty fine style.

Last week was a gloriously long (think I was in the park for about 6 hours) hoop rave with us spinning well into the night. The after dark dance parties in Yoyogi Park make it so easy to stay.

Stopped off on our way to the station last Sunday for a quick spin where the Harajuku Girls hang during the day. It was definitely a hoop to the sounds of the streets of Tokyo.



I am leaving you with a few pics from a performance I did at JZ Brat in Shibuya a few weeks back. A 3am and 5am performance put my energy levels to the test but the tunes and the crowd kept me balanced and ready.


Taken by foqas at ABM party

Hoop Dreams

The universe sent me a little message...
Happily, deanne, we've got forever and ever. And fortunately, it's never too late to see what one's missed, remain focused on the dream instead of the "hows," and move with unwavering faith.

Yeeeeeee-haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!

So I thought I should share my dreams with you...

Claska studio filled with hot hoopers!
I will be beginning Hoop Dance lessons at CLASKA very soon so stayed tuned to check out the schedule - up soon!

I am going to make a list of other dreams/goals here also, partly for my own records and also so you can see the progression of HOOPLOVERS and what is going down in the hoop dance scene in Tokyo.

- Order HOOPLOVERS t-shirts as gifts to HOOPLOVERS members
- Finish the HOOPLOVERS membership cards
- Plan the HOOPLOVERS opening party night
- Book DJs for HOOPLOVERS party
- Confirm numbers for the event
- Purchase 20 more hoops for multiple hoop training during hoop dance classes
- Book ticket to San Francisco for Hoop Camp
- Purchase two more psi LED hoops for performances
- Finish the choreography for the TKS Sports Day (80 students hooping to Daft Punk - too cool for school)
- Make costumes for 80 students by April 25
- Complete performance choreography for Warehouse event on July 3
- Design costume for performance at 57 on June 7

The story behind this shot

Sunday was just one of those wonderfully memorable days. Hanami, cherry blossom picnic, time for us is one of the most gorgeous times of the year in Japan because it is a time when we can all come together and just chill under the Spring flowers, get all excited about Summer and laugh about times gone by - Sunday was no exception.

Having been away in Australia for what I thought was the peak sakura time I was sad to think that I might have missed hanami season in Japan this year. Perhaps the blossoms were a little less plentiful but that didn't stop the crowds of party goers flocking to Shinjuku park to enjoy the last bursts of the short lived season (I swear there are way more than 4 seasons in Japan.) I was lucky to be a part of Sunday's celebrations.

We packed up the hoops, stuffed our bags with some yummy fruit and headed to meet up with the gang. Shinjuku Park is a gated park for which you need to pay an entry fee. To keep the park gorgeous all year round and ensure everyone's happiness, apparently, there are many rules and signs clearly stating them. One of the rules is " no play things" - that includes hoops. I prewarned Masao that we would be busted at the gates (there is no way to hide 10 colorful hula hoops) Sure enough we were swarmed upon by security guards, one after another. Each time we fended them of with "Oh no we are not going to use the hoops we are just carrying them" They believed us (??) and we were in.

It was not too long before the hoops were cracked open and the groovers came out of the woodwork. It is so cool to watch hooping newbies initial reaction to hoops. It is like each personality type has a different approach to how they tackle the first time hoop moves. Some like to sit back and watch for a long time before attempting, some want to jump right in and get their spin on not giving up until they master it, others come into the spin laden with self doubt and then surprise themselves when they can actually get into the moves quick quickly. It is all such a joy to watch.

Time flew and we were soon heading out of the park towards another local hang when we spotted IT. The ghetto blaster sent from heaven. It twinkled in the sunlight and spoke to Leila and I in very clear terms, saying "turn me on and get your hoop on!"

And so we did!

With the hoards of human traffic flowing out of the gates it wasn't long and we had drawn quite a crowd. The show pony in me took full advantage. Leila and I showed off a few moves, we let the break dance boys do their thing, a funky old man with smoke in mouth popped in for a quick dance off, we passed around a few hoops and then it was time for the grand finale. A little party trick that Bunny taught me that is a true crowd pleaser - the hoop throw on. We only had enough hoops for Leila to throw 5 hoops on me but it was enough for a big cheer, a good tummy workout and a final rock star pose.



It is a revolution!

Sunday Hoop Fest Tokyo

(Photo taken on Bondi Beach by my Mama)

Date: Sunday, April 13, 2008
Time: 1:00pm - 5:00pm
Location: Yoyogi Park
City/Town: Tokyo, Japan

I will be in Yoyogi park this Sunday afternoon for a fabulous afternoon of hooping and happiness. If you are interested in learning a few hoop dance tricks, getting into the groove or just hanging out in the park please get in touch.

I am back from Sydney and now a qualified Hoop Dance teacher so I am looking to share the hoop love with you all.

Sunday will be very relaxed, just some moving and grooving. I am happy to share some beginner moves and tips and of course it is FREE!! (This offer won't last! ha ha) ;)

I will bring about 10 hoops but if you have your own please bring them along.
If you don't have your own check these babies out.

Bring what you like, wear something funky and throw your iPod in your bag to groove to the tunes you love! All other play things welcomed too of course so bring along your Poi or devil sticks, puppies or cute boys!

IF IT IS RAINY OR TOO WINDY I WILL POSTPONE IT FOR ANOTHER DAY so pray to the sun gods!

Come have some good, clean hoopy fun!

I will hang at the Harajuku main gates for about 10 minutes and then head further into the park. You can call or email anytime!