Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by JJ Hula on June 6, 2012 at 7:48pm

Maybe to work yourself up to getting used to performing in front of a crowd, you can hoop in front of your friends first, or practice with a small group of people that you know first. Then work your way up to more people. Also find a quiet spot in a park where there's not too many people, but there's some people?

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StudentPermalink Reply by Sarah Maccarelli Jordan on June 6, 2012 at 8:33pm

Here's some tips that I hope will help you:

Remember that most people in your neighborhood have never seen (insert your hoop hero's name here) hooping, so remember that you are the expert in your town. Your public hooping is amazing to most people.

Sometimes it helps to pretend you are someone more confident (such as an actress you like). Would Tank Girl be shy? No way! :)

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Permalink Reply by Coco Puff on June 6, 2012 at 9:23pm

yaaaa! I think thats my problem..Im always doing my hoopin by myself especially since i moved. Its always just me on my balcony and i'll bring my boyfriend out only when im super excited about doing something cool.So when people put me on the spot I freeze.  I get worried that people are gonna be like... thats it? So sounds like i need to not be such a hoopin hermit and have more confidence. 

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StudentPermalink Reply by Kacie Knight on June 6, 2012 at 10:42pm

Practice and experience performing or jamming out in front of people really does help. It honestly gets easier every time you do it, and eventually, you might even grow to like it ;)

I found the better I got at hooping, the easier time I had hooping in front of people... I hate being bad at things, and I wanted people to think I was good at it, so I really needed to be at a certain skill level (basically my own comfort level was when I found a decent balance between tricks and flow) before I enjoyed hooping in front of anyone at all.

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Permalink Reply by Taylor on June 7, 2012 at 7:23am

I stepped out into truly public hooping just a few weeks ago where there were TONS of people (it was at an art walk). I had a couple of my hooping friends with me to ease my nervousness, but it became easier. Like everyone else said, hoop dancing is something VERY new and possibly even exotic to some people and they think it's the coolest thing in the world when you even do float up/down. Some people are amazed that we don't have to move all that much just waist hooping! After a while of hooping with my friends, I had built up the courage to do it by myself. So out I went. Where to start? I just went for it. People were watching me and, yes I was nervous about messing up a trick or dropping my hoop, but somehow I felt this amazing confidence. It grew because hooping has become a big part of my life and I love sharing it with people. So that was the confidence I gave out when I started to "perform". I even got a couple people hooked into it! There were even a group of kids watching me in excitement. It was funny, though, because every time I did drop my hoop they would be like, "See I told you she couldn't do it!" It was funny, but I just tried the trick again just to secretly show them I COULD do it.

Just remember your love for hooping and even just that much will help boost your confidence.

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Permalink Reply by Kelly Dee on June 7, 2012 at 8:34am

This also happens to me. I get really nervous when I notice people watching me and I go blank. I jam with a huge group 2-3 times a week but as soon as I go to a party or club or anything like that with my hoop and people start to gather around and watch I seem to get all clumsy. It's definitely a confidence issue. (Because really, most of the time people come up and tell you you're awesome!) I think you just have to start believing it!

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StudentPermalink Reply by Sarah Maccarelli Jordan on June 7, 2012 at 9:36am

“If you have a talent, use it in every which way possible. Don’t hoard it. Don’t dole it out like a miser. Spend it lavishly like a millionaire intent on going broke.”

—	Brendan Francis

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Permalink Reply by Frances Sparkle Davis on June 7, 2012 at 10:49am

what a great quote! :)

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Permalink Reply by Coco Puff on June 7, 2012 at 12:10pm

wow, thanks guys!!! I work very hard at getting better and learning new stuff all the time. I think i do need to give myself a little more credit.I may be better than i think. IM A GOOD HOOPER DAMMIT! =) haha! 

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Permalink Reply by Scunshine on June 7, 2012 at 1:29pm

That's awesome!

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Permalink Reply by Tanja van Haasen on June 7, 2012 at 2:55pm

This TOTALLY happens to me too! Glad I wasn't the only one. I think there's alot of great advice here, and I think it's important for us to remember not to fret so much on mistakes or dropping it! Even the pros drop it every once in awhile. (In a way, maybe dropping it is also symbolic of life experiences/lessons! Maybe we just need to remember to pick it up, dust it off, and keep going!) I'm SOOO happy to hear that this is something that we can all learn to get past together! I thought it was just me that felt this way! :)

*This is such a good post by the way!

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Permalink Reply by T.W. on June 7, 2012 at 3:36pm

Hoop with some friends.  Start a group!  The group I hoop with (when I get the chance) I consider "safe space" and we are all on display.  In the group there's poi, hoopdance, juggling, fire (when the sun goes down) yoga, acrobatics, martial arts...basically we are all about flow and movement!  If this option isn't open for you, what I suggest is tune them out with your stereo headphones and MP3 player and just do it.  

But don't ever forget that this activity brings joy into your world, right?  Don't "perform"; just "be."  If you mess up, you mess up.  Everybody messes up!  That's part of the fun (at least I think so, and I mess up a LOT)!!

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