World Hoop Day Tokyo 8-8-8

Photo by Revolva76

So what is all this hype about World Hoop Day? Take a little scrounge around on the World Hoop Day site and you will see that WHD has flourished from one woman's generosity and passion to become a global event reaching as far as, well as far as Tokyo, Sydney, Newfoundland, Berlin and Austria.

Founded by spirited hooper Hooping Annie, WHD is all about sharing hoops with underprivileged children around the world. As Annie puts it, "There are many aid organizations who provide food and medical relief, but what about the mental welfare of a child who grows up too quickly and hardly has a reason to smile or play or just be a child?"

So what is going down in Tokyo town for World Hoop Day? We are planning a fabulously colorful get together in Yoyogi Park on August 8 from 5pm. The idea of this divine hoop up is to raise money to purchase hoops for children in Japan. We are asking for donations and happy hoopers who would be able to help us out on the night shaking the donation buckets and their hooping hips of course.

All money raised will be used to purchased as many hoops as possible. We will then give the hoops to Second Harvest Japan, who have kindly offered to help us connect with orphanages throughout Japan and share the hoops with the children. I also hope to be given the opportunity to visit the orphanages and share lots of hoop tricks and fun with as many of the children as possible.

To make this big and beautiful event work I am calling on you all to help out in any way you can, no matter how big or small.

Got some time on Friday 8-8-8? Frock up in your most colorfully gorgeous gear and get your hooping hips to Yoyogi Park. We will be meeting where the Harajuku Girls hang on the bridge at 5pm.

Got some money you want to share? All donations are intensely and lovingly appreciated. Every yen will go directly towards the purchase of hoops for orphans in Japan. We have already received a very generous donation from the lovely Keitai Goddess, who also happens to be one hot hooper!

We will be out and about all weekend, August 8, 9 and 10 collecting donations and sharing the hoop love so please get in touch with me via hooplovers.com, on facebook or leave a comment and let me know when and where we can meet up. I will post more details about the Sat and Sun happenings soon!

Thank you so much in advance for all of your generosity and kindness but mostly for helping to bring some joy and hoop fun to children's lives! they will love you for it, and I will too!!! Thank you.

Look forward to hearing from you

For more info on World Hoop Day...

World Hoop Day Site

Fab article on hooping.org about recent WHD happenings

WHD on Tribe.net

Hoop Change

They say that a change is as good as a holiday. Seems life is one long holiday for me. Who would have thought that a plastic circle could have such an impact on every element of life?




Let's start with the physical changes. I hear varying reports about the number of calories that hooping burns per hour and it is not something that I am really too concerned about. What I can say is that hooping has rapidly and drastically changed the shape, feel and strength of my body. As fat has been dissolved muscle definition has been enhanced, this does wonders for self confidence. Clothes that I probably would not have felt comfortable wearing a few months ago are now so loose I cannot wear them. The great thing is though I am not skinny by any means, I have a lot of meat on my bones it is just that that meat has become more defined and solid. I have to be pleased with that. All thanks to the hoop.

Hoop Dance performances require me to steer away from the jeans and t-shirt look I was used to, to a tighter, shorter version of everything. I have had the standard body conscious moments in the past, not feeling entirely comfortable with what was going on but I can say that much of those concerns have been spun off. There is something about wearing fishnets and metallic hot pants in public, not something I would have ever done in the past, that causes a fight or flight mechanism to kick in. You either rock it or stash it away in the cupboard. Hooping has helped me to rock it.


The spiritual benefits of being a hooper. Whether we want to believe it or not the fact is that life is a reflection of what you put out there. I can offer up a million and one examples of situations that have occurred due to the manifestation of thoughts and positive actions. Since having hoops swirling around in my life, everything about my existence has evolved so positively fast. On a daily basis I am flooded with love and support by friends, family and strangers. What I am giving out is pouring back into my life ten fold. I am often overwhelmed at how easily my every thought and dream becomes a reality. While I know I have so many people to thank for that, I also know I have to give props daily to the hoops and my dedication to sharing the joy they create.



The emotional side effects of hooping should be obvious. You cannot be unhappy inside a hoop. Some of my friends have questioned my passion in the past, misunderstood it. Once they get their hips moving and that hoop grooving they are hooked just like me. To watch the hoop love spread throughout my growing circle of amazing friends is life giving.

The hoop has touched my family in fun filled ways too. I have a very creative sister who has her head in spin about what color and pattern to make her next hoop. While I secretly wish that she could come to Tokyo for a hoop up, I know that she will enjoy her time in the London hoop circle. I think we could put on one very fabulous family hoop tour, Mum has her very own hoop too!



Hooping continues to challenge and change me daily. I hungrily seek more, give more and in return am rewarded so very much more.

p.s.　All photos in this post were taken by Masao at last night's Sky High party in The Mado Lounge hosted by the fabulous Guy Perryman. More photos of the fun filled night here.

Hoop Power

Speechless but thanks to super shot taker Masao we are full of rad pics from last night at the Warehouse!

Feast your eyes on these babies

DJ Cat's Pussy Party

Feline temptresses will be on the prowl tonight at The Warehouse in Azabu Juban. Don your cat-like prowess, slip on something slinky, elevate your mysterious factor with a kitty cat mask and saunter down the steps of the Warehouse and onto the dance floor!

Lindsey, Leila and I will be putting on our very best, wildcat performance at Midnight. I will also rock the hoops in true Hoop Lover style in an earlier show high up above the crowd of leopards.

New York City's DJ CAT brings her famous traveling party to Tokyo for one incredible night!

Performances by HOOPLOVERS and other special treats.

Photos: Tommy Hawk
VJ: David Roy
Giveaways from chief&mischief.

ニューヨークを基点に様々なパーティので活躍しているDJ CATが初東京に上陸。セクシー、グラマラスな一夜を存分に楽しんでください。

Brandon (NYC, chief&mischief/TokyoElectro)
James (AUS, TokyoElectro/Jade Music)
yUk1 (JP, www.ukiuk1.com)
DJ Miki (Party Monster/Ms. Rock Spirit)
KUSUDA (JP)

DOOR \　￥２５００　＋１drink　
W/F \　￥２０００　＋１drink　 　　　
ADV \　￥１５００　＋１drink　 　　　 　　　　　
OTHER[ Ladies with a CAT mask ￥１５００　＋１drink 　

www.mysapce.com/DJCATNYC

Hooping in Harajuku

I have a million exciting hooping stories to share but I will start with this one...it is well past my bedtime!



There is always something going on in Harajuku and on Sundays the people really come out to play. Two Sundays ago on the way to Tokyo Freeze I did an impromptu hoop up where the Harajuku Girls hang out. I was surprised when Sonja sent me these photos that her partner Daan Archer took of me hooping around. I was in such a hoop cloud I didn't realise there were so many others mesmerized by the hoop.

Thanks Daan.

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