.

                                         We dance round in a ring and suppose,
                                         but the secret sits in the middle and knows.
                                                                  -Robert Frost

The first thing I suggest to a beginning hoopdance class -- right after they've got that hoop going pretty good -- is
that they try turning WITH their hoop. We take the first few tiny steps together, slowly turning in the direction of
our hoops, just lifting our heels and looking for our balance.

I explain that this will slow the hoop down to give them more time to move, that it will smooth out the feel of the
hoop, and require less effort from them. I call it a foundational move in hooping, one that will lead them with ease
into the entire realm of what's possible for us in a hoop on the horizontal plane. In short, I'm a believer in
sustained spinning.

For me, hooping on-body while standing still feels odd and uncomfortable. It feels as if I'm fighting the hoop,
providing it with an opposite and competing force, an obstacle. If memory serves, I started turning continuously
while hooping when I got those first, brutal bruises. An excited new hooper, I couldn't stop hooping, so I slowly
began to turn my hip as the hoop approached it in rotation. Thrilled that I'd found a way around aggravating my
new hooping wounds, I also realized that my hoop was no longer banging against my body. It was moving in my
wake, literally and precisely following my every movement. It felt glorious. I was no longer just smitten with my hoop
- I was in love.

It was likely then that I decided I didn't like most things that worked against the natural flow of my hoop. And I've
extended that feel-good logic to the rest of my hooping. If it doesn't feel good -- like the ankle kick start, for
example -- I just don't do it. There's much to be learned from the hoop's universal hazing - the bruising, and if
you're so lucky, the black eyes and busted nose. A hooper is able to choose a path of "least resistance" only
once we've duly felt and submitted to the wrath of that very resistance.  

In the end, I found that if I worked with my hoop, and not against it, I felt more at ease and seemed better able to
anticipate our next move together. To this day, I imagine my hoop as the perfect dance partner; we spin toward
and away from one another in a graceful complicity. I've just never been sure who's leading!

Spotting. To keep from getting dizzy while spinning, choose a spot on the wall or anywhere in your line of sight and keep your eye
on it as long as you can before having to turn your head. As you come back around, find that spot again - every time - and keeping
your balance should be a snap!

Note: Sustained spinning in hooping is not for everyone. Some hoopers may have a predisposition to vertigo or medical conditions
that cause extreme dizziness. If continuous turning is uncomfortable for you, then don't do it. It is not necessary to enjoying your
hoop!
The Path of Least Resistance:
Sustained Spinning in Hooping
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Hooposophy articles are written by
Superhooper.org's Lara Eastburn
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Comments are updated nightly.

"Wow...what a great article! I am a new hooper, just got my hoop yesterday and this morning I see a nice big bruise above my left
hip bone and one on the back of my right leg that inevitably gets hit by the hoop if I don't catch it before it falls. I am 43 yrs old and
saw hoop dancing at a music festival the beginning of the summer. I was mesmerized to say the least. I love to dance and am
going to strive to find my balance and groove. Next summer when we go to the same music festival, I want to be up there with the
20 somethings and hoop down! Will definitely be reading more of your articles ~ Jodika 9/9/10

"Lara, your blogs are so informative and helpful, especially to teachers of the hoop. Thank you for taking the time to put this
together." ~ BHoops 2/1/10