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ModPermalink Reply by Martika* of MartikasMysticDesign on June 14, 2011 at 6:41am

Don't over think about what your doing or want to do, just do it. That's kind of how finding your flow is. It's not about thinking out every move but just moving with what you remember and having fun. Also I couldn't help to notice a girl jamming in the background of the second video without a hoop, lots of people go to festivals for the reason that no one cares if you can dance everyone just wants to have fun so don't be nervous or embarrassed let you hoopers flag fly and do whatever your comfortable with. I find once I'm not worried with thinking about what to do next and just doing you'll be surprised with the tricks you can put together.

 

For a more direct way of learning to put tricks together you could try the Bag o' Tricks method. Write down all the tricks you know like: waist hooping,chest hooping, vortex, helicopter, one leg hooping, vertical hooping etc. on scraps of paper. Then place those scraps in a plastic bag, shake it up and pull out a couple of tricks. Then practice putting those tricks together. It's really fun and a great personal challenge. I used this method by slowly adding on tricks, I started with 3 tricks then after practicing those for a song or two I'd put them to the side and then pull 4 different tricks. After a hour of practice I would place all the tricks back in the bag and try to hoop not thinking about what I want to do but just letting go and going with my flow. 

 

 

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StudentPermalink Reply by Andrea Mason on June 14, 2011 at 8:53am

Hey Britt! When I first started traveling to festivals I was always intimidated by the really good hoopers so I would get embarrassed too. After I realized this was a problem for me I came home and wrote all the tricks I know on a huge poster board and hung it up where I hoop. If I felt lost while practicing I could just look up and remember what tricks I knew. This also helped me play around with combos. You are super talented so there is no need to get embarrassed!

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StudentPermalink Reply by kelly on June 14, 2011 at 9:46am

I know what you mean. I practice alone, and don't have a large group of hoopers to play with, so the first time I hooped in front of other people, I was thinking more about my new surroundings and all the eyes watching me than hooping, and I felt like I was sucking it up big time. The best advice I can think of would be to hoop in lots of strange places with lots of strange people staring at you lol, and you'll get used to it. Its like stage fright, once you get used to the distractions and knowing that there are some, you can concentrate on your flow instead of them. 
since i hoop in my living room, when i'm outside my brain goes "oh there's wind, the ground isn't even, I have shoes on and thats weird, there's those people watching me what if i screw up, ew the sun is really bright, i think i swallowed a bug, why is this ground so bumpy i'm afraid i'll trip, dont look at your feet stupid" etc etc etc

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StudentPermalink Reply by Kacie Knight on June 14, 2011 at 11:41am

The bag of tricks method is really wonderful. It's super helpful for creating combos, but don't be afraid to set all your tricks aside and just dance at a festival too. If that means just waist hooping and moving about, or holding the hoop in the your hands and grooving that's awesome too. I personally find the more time I spend dancing without worrying about tricks, the more comfortable I am with my hoop, which translates to be able to integrate tricks more easily. It's this weird and awesome circle.

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StudentPermalink Reply by Mrs. Skittles of Sparkle & Burn* on June 14, 2011 at 12:27pm

Another helpful way to create combos with a new trick you just learned is to pick two other tricks you know well and label them A, B, and C. Do them in every order (A, C, B)(C, B, A)(C, A, B) etc. This helps you learn to transitions from tricks you know to the new trick and incorporating the trinew trick into your flow. :)

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StudentPermalink Reply by Daniela VI on June 14, 2011 at 12:56pm

I cant see the first video, but in the second one you were doing things right until you mess up the last move, got mad and stoped taping and hooping. I think that this is the worst thing you can do! There is nothing wrong with mistakes. Keep going is the only thing that is going to make you better. :) Dont be so hard on yourself!!

Lets say that you are hooping in public, make a mistake and immediatly judge yourself. From this point on, you will constantly think about what you are doing wrong and things wont get any better. Being hard on oneself makes us feel nervous, afraid and blocked.

But instead, if you are hooping in public, make a mistake and repeat the move and nail it or immediatly do something really cool or flashy, you will feel confident enough to keep on hooping and do all the amazing thing you can do.

 

Just forget about where you are and people that are watching and hoop for yourself. Im working on this too.

When ever people are "casually watching" I do awesome things but the moment someone asks me to perform, I panic.

Its normal, just dont let this ruin your experience or prevent you from doing what you love. :)

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Permalink Reply by katie ely on June 14, 2011 at 3:57pm

i think your roo videos are great. try to remember it's not about how you look or how "good" you feel that you are, it's about fun!

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StudentPermalink Reply by BrittanyJ<3 on June 14, 2011 at 4:24pm

Thank you all for being so sweet and inspiring! I will take everyones advice and hope I can let go and do my hoop thang~!

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StudentPermalink Reply by Daniela VI on June 14, 2011 at 4:37pm

Im sure you will! Enjoy the ride!! :)

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Permalink Reply by Lauren Love ☮♥♪ on June 14, 2011 at 6:28pm

I know exactly how you feel!  I can hoop for hours and forget half the tricks I've worked so hard to learn.  I've also struggled with feeling comfortable while hooping in front of others and I've learned that just doing it and NOT caring about what they think is the key to being able to lose myself in the hoop.  Being able to forget about everyone around me and still find my flow is one of the greatest feelings I've ever felt!  I remember when I first started hooping I was so focused on learning tons of tricks and once I had the basics down and tried incorporating dance into the moves, it was as if I had to learn how to dance all over again.  It's a constant struggle between showing off lots of tricks and allowing myself to be consumed with flow.  I typically bounce back and forth between the two and am also working on trying to incorporate more tricks into my flow.  It's a hoop journey and it's all about enjoying every step of the way... <3

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Permalink Reply by Hillary on June 21, 2011 at 10:40pm

Booo!!! 

Performance anxiety sharred by performers and athletes alike.  The only advice I can give is the usual crud.  I'm one of the lucky few who doesn't get embarrassed by having others around. 

That said.... try a blind fold?  :-(

My heart goes out to you.  You will figure out a way around this!  <3

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Permalink Reply by Chelsea Sphere on September 10, 2011 at 2:45pm

Getting the "flow" is the hardest but also the most fun part of your hoop dance. I had the same thing at first, I watched alot of videos and learned many tricks but I didnt know how to flow, how to put them all together and to transition. I would just kinda practice them one at a time, and often forget old tricks I learned. Try making videos of yourself as you get better and when you go back watch the older videos you will say "wow, I have come a long way but I forgot all about that one trick." All I can say is practice, practice, practice. The more hours you put in, the more new combos and transitions will come to you.

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