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.
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
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.
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!
The colorful pics taken by Masao on Friday night at Stitch also caught the eye of Funkbuilders. A style packed blog that goes by the motto "Create Anything I Want"
Recently I have been asked by a tribe of amazing supporters how I began hooping. So I have decided to write a little post about my steps to becoming a hoop obsessed dancer.
A friend of mine Gala, creator of the must-read blog iCiNG (if you don't read her and love her by now you totally should!) held her 5th International Dress Up Day back in June 2007. The theme was alter ego. The pictures and stories sent in were glorious and the effort outstanding. One stood out for me and so I quickly jumped onto the link promising a "short video of my alter ego in action". What I saw was this...
A sideways video that would change my life!
I couldn't get the image of the funky hooper out of my head and I knew I had to get my hands on a hoop. I remembered that a year or two before during a totally spontaneous shopping spree at a sports store (??) in Tokyo Masao had bought me a hoop in a box that had to be assembled, made up of about 12 pieces. I dug in out of storage, put all the pieces together, realised it was quite small but took turns with Masao until one of us could keep it revolving around our hips for more than two or three rotations. Masao was the pioneer. His hips pumping at warp speed he was able to keep the tiny hoop spinning for quite some time. This crazy hip pumping went on for days. I was completely entranced by the motion, the sweat, the centrifugal force. At the same time I began to collect a growing number of hoop videos on youtube and information about hooping. I learned that I needed a large hoop, measuring about 95cm in diameter, if I hoped to do anything more than a hip pumping, body shaking dance.
I searched and pestered Masao to find me a hoop in Tokyo. It seemed near impossible, no one we contacted knew anything about the hoop thing. I persevered with my mini hoop and mimicked the motions and moves I had been watching over and over on youtube, spending up to two hours a days spinning, twirling, jumping and dropping the hoop. Finally Masao stumbled upon Hoopstore Tokyo. I could barely contain myself and sent an email to the Hoop Girl trained, Justin and Mario immediately. They wrote back with such a friendly response and I booked the next class that was available.
My mum was in Tokyo at the time, possibly confused by my obsession but obviously seeing my delight with the plastic pipe she came along with Masao and I to our first hoop class in Shinjuku. By this time I had mastered the hip pumping but was unprepared for how much of a workout the new, big hoops were about to put me through. Sweat poured, muscles burned and I felt completely alive from head to toe.
A few days later Masao set out on one of his city adventures to "meet a friend" leaving mum and I to relax, shop and cook up a storm. It was getting late and I still had not heard from Masao, he had been out all day and I had tried calling his phone several times to see if he wanted to have dinner with us. Mum appeared to be just as worried as me that he was not returning my calls, little did I know that she was in on the whole scam. Masao returned hours later with a perfectly wrapped, sparkling pink hoop. My mum had sent Masao off to buy one from Justin and Mario at Hoopstore Tokyo and the trio had spent the day talking hoops, business and boy stuff.
I now had everything I needed to start on the road to hoop stardom. We hit the park everyday. I feel like I ate, slept and dreamed hooping. It was the first thing I thought about in the mornings and I would go to bed each night in a spin from watching so many hoop videos on youtube. I continued to go to a few classes at the Hoopstore Tokyo but as other parts of our lives got busier it became impossible to get to classes. We would go to the park and hoop late at night sometimes well after midnight. That is one of the most amazing things about living in Tokyo, it is so safe.
Still needing instruction but unable to make it to classes I invested in the Hoop Girl DVD and the Hoopnotica Teaching Training Package Level 1 & 2. I would watch them every morning before work and as soon as I got home from work preparing for my after dinner park hoop jam. Masao had his own hoop by this stage and we would teach, encourage and remind each other of things we had learned in class and on the DVDs. I definitely recommend both of these DVDs for mastering a range of hoop moves. Each has it's strengths. The Hoop Girl DVD offers inspiring dance combinations while the Hoopnotica DVD is fantastic for trouble shooting and tips on how to work through the learning process.
From there I basically took hooping into my own hands. Taking inspiration from Hoopers all over the world thanks to youtube, hooping.org and tribe.net I was able to connect with an intense and welcoming global community.
In January I was nominated by hooping.org as one of 5 Newbie Hoopers for 2007. This was an amazing reward and opened up so many opportunities for me. I was invited to perform my first Hoop Dance in a Tokyo club, fulfilling part of one of my goals for 2008. I received my first LED hoop and twin hoops to begin my journey into the world of circus hooping.
Friday night at Velours in Tokyo marked my first Hoop Dance performance in a Tokyo club. It was just the beginning, I hope to see you out and about I plan to take this city by storm and whip the club scene into a flashing, rainbow swirl of wild hoopla! Be sure to come and say hi!
One of the most exciting things to happen in my world of hooping recently is the connection I have made with Bunny Hoopstar. Bunny is a Sydney-based hooper, performer and trainer. She has long been a powerful inspiration to me. In fact one of my goals for 2008 read "Meet Bunny Hoopstar". That dream is coming true very soon as I get prepared to jetset off to Sydney in March to complete teach training with Bunny at her Darlinghurst hoop camp. I had contemplated teacher training via a few other teachers but Bunny rocks the style, strength, individuality and hoop skills that I admire and aspire to the most. I couldn't be happier to have her as my mentor.
So what does the future of hooping hold for me?
I really look forward to sharing my adoration for this mind blowing, body changing, life transforming form of self expression with friends and students in Japan and the rest of the world. I am a life long learner of the hoop path so I also look forward to learning from students, friends and other hoopers.
Everyday I learn something new about my body, it's motion and connectedness with the colorful rings. I look forward to strengthening my practice with each dance.
My LED hoop is far too gorgeous to be locked up at home so I will be spinning it at clubs and events around Tokyo and in Australia.
I am open and ready for all of the exhilarating hoop opportunities that are heading my way.
So there you have it, my short but powerful journey into the world of hooping thus far. I feel it has only just begun and yet has given me so much more than I could ever have thought possible. I have an endless number of friends and hoopers to thank.
Anytime you feel like starting a revolution be sure to get in contact with me! Sure to put you in a spin in the funkiest possible way.
Last night was a Tokyo extravaganza to remember! To celebrate the launch of chief&mischief on TOKYOMADE, a delicious crowd of designers, dancers, photographers, artists, djs and fashionistas made their way to the stylish Velours in Aoyama, Tokyo.
It was a super special night for me though as I had been asked to hoop dance in the club. This was my first ever "public appearance". I thought I would be more nervous. I had a few pre-performance worries earlier in the week doubting my ability to keep a handle on the new and much heavier LED hoop I had ordered from Super Hooper but something told me I was going to love the experience. That something was totally right.
Masao is a wise old man. When I said to him earlier in the week that I didn't think I was ready and I wasn't sure if I could do it he said to me, "No one ever thinks they are ready for anything so most people sit around thinking they can't do things because they are not ready. If you wait until you are ready you will never do it and then you can't get better". A simple piece of advice.
I was set to perform at 11pm and 1am. I had practiced a little routine to the first song, Boyz by M.I.A, to be mixed in by dj James. When I took my place in the tiny little space in the middle of Velours that routine flew out the window, the music and cheers from my friends and rest of the audience took over and I felt completely relaxed and spun in a heightened sense of flow. My only analogy for this feeling would be something drug related. The ultimate high.
I really need to thank so many people! My mum for buying me my first hoop, hoop store tokyo for giving me my first few lessons that was a great springboard, Masao for always encouraging me and putting up with hoops and hoop marks all over the apartment, all of my gorgeous and crazy friends for giving me more courage than they realise, my students for cheering me on at school and sharing my love for hoop videos on youtube, hoopers around the world, chief&mischief Caroline and Brandon for thinking of me and inviting me to perform, Bunny for being an inspiration, everyone who cheered, clapped, whistled, complimented me last night you made my year!
Hooping.org are holding their first annual Hoopies awards. GUESS WHAT? I have been nominated and chosen as one of five Outstanding Newbie Hoopers (Started in 2007)
You can VOTE FOR ME and a range of talented and inspirational other hoopers across the globe @ hooping.org. Each hooper or hoop group has a link so you can check out their amazing skills and passion.
Thank you so much to hooping.org and all other hoopers for your inspiration and constant support.
Thank you to you for being my power (and voting for me, of course!!)
I was so excited to pop over to Hooping.org tonight and find a pic of me blissing out in the winter sun.
Masao has been practising his action shots and I am the action. So I contacted Philo, editor of hooping.org to share Masao's great photographs. So very excited that Philo liked them too!
