Replies to This Discussion

StudentPermalink Reply by DeanaBlaise Pew on April 27, 2012 at 10:59pm

I just learned to hoop through YouTube tutorials... Free! 

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Permalink Reply by Katie Emmitt on April 27, 2012 at 11:48pm

yeah! me too!

and if there is something you want to learn you can probably ask for a tutorial somewhere on this site and have people make you one or help you find it really quick [i'll make tutorials! :) ]

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StudentPermalink Reply by Danielle Starshine on April 28, 2012 at 6:02pm

thirded! (though I really would like to buy some of SaFire's classes once I have some extra cash)

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Permalink Reply by Anastasia Daysshe on April 27, 2012 at 11:47pm

I got the 4 Disc Hoopnotica set  and the 2 disc Christabel videos off of Amazon. Out of them both, For learning,  I prefer Hoopnotica as she teaches the basics, before jumping to the tricks. I am on disc three and found she has helped alot !and still have disc 4 to go through.

For a workout, Christabel has a GREAT ( and Exhausting ) workout Dvd ! ( Its brutal ! ) And you need to hoop both with inflow and outflow well on the waist.

Havent done any Safire, so cant compare them, but seen a few you tube vids of hers. Drawback was, I didnt find any basic ones. They were all complex tricks, that she says, See this tutorial, which I didnt end up finding.

AS for classes, Going to a local one starting may 8th, And actually dont know what she bases her teachings off of. Guess I will find out !

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Permalink Reply by Danielle Nitrous Star* Fenske on April 27, 2012 at 11:48pm

Ive looked into both as well. I noticed hoopnotica is almost more fitness based while safire is more dance and trick based. It really depends what style you want. There are tons of tutorials on youtube that are amazing too.

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StudentPermalink Reply by FireFaye on April 28, 2012 at 12:37am

I paid for both Safire's intermediate courses... (probably the best $55 I ever spent); and won the advanced courses though the "What Hooping Means to Me" contest years ago... learned nearly everything I know from her vids. (What can I say? Taiwan doesn't really have a hoop scene.) 

I can't speak for Hoopnotica, as I've never taken classes through their video series, But through Safire I've gone from not understanding was, to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqFNm5fCdF0&feature=youtu.be 

Highly recommend Safire's vids.

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StudentPermalink Reply by Caroline Krueger on April 28, 2012 at 2:13am

I highly recommend Safire's classes.  The quality of education is excellent - much better than anything you will find for free.  She really helps you to build a strong foundation of basic skills to work your way into more intermediate or advanced moves.  The way the classes are structured is sooo helpful - you're not just learning trick after trick, but really seeing ways to build and combine stuff.  I took Seeding and Budding and have finally finished them both - I can't wait to purchase Blooming! 

(Note: I bought the classes even though I already knew a lot of beginner stuff - and I'm so glad I did!  I wouldn't skip any of the classes because you will find a lot of helpful tips and foundational excersises in Seeding even if you are an intermediate hoopdancer).  

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StudentPermalink Reply by Alicia St Rose on April 30, 2012 at 1:45am

I agree completely. I thought I knew what I was doing by watching youtube vids, but Safire refines everything and you really understand how and why you are doing it. And yes, she's very good at demonstrating and encouraging flow from one trick to another.

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Permalink Reply by Anastasia Daysshe on April 28, 2012 at 9:35am

Well,

If you are lucky enough to have Safires classes available, thats great, but we dont have any on the Island, so Hoopnotica is what I had available, and find that they do teach the basics. I found that I learned more with Hoopnotica then with Christabel, as HoopNotica broke things down one more step.  Disc 4 of the series is all about flow and putting things together so am looking forward to that when I complete disc 3. Having issues with the forward Hoop Sliding door. I can do the backward Sliding door no problem.  So until I complete that, I dont move forward . I am starting a local hoop class for basic / Intermediate, but I dont know what she teaches from. Guess I will be finding out soon !!

Also, yes, Cost is a factor !  Sometimes traveling to classes is just too expensive.

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StudentPermalink Reply by Kacie Knight on April 29, 2012 at 5:04pm

The SaFire classes that they are talking about are online, so no traveling needed :) Of course, if you ever have the opportunity to take classes with her in person, I recommend jumping at the chance. She is a spectacular teacher.

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Permalink Reply by Mira on April 28, 2012 at 10:24am

I've been going back and forth between the two for their teacher training programs, not that I'm not confident in my skills as an instructor, just that I think people would trust me more and respect me as a teacher if I had some form of certification or training under my belt specifically for teaching... I also maybe want to learn some basic fitness instruction.. But I'm having a hard time between Hoopnotica's and SaFire's teacher classes : /

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StudentPermalink Reply by laFemmeCeceau! on April 28, 2012 at 10:48am

I've done both--all of Hoopnotica and I have 7 of SaFire's classes (everything except minis, breaks, multis).  They are so, so, so different.  Different curriculum, different aesthetics, much different pacing in terms of learning.

My thoughts about Hoopnotica:

Very good: the production quality (the videos are artful, sensual, entertaining, great music,) the troubleshooting guides with each lesson (helps you feel less clumsy and adds some humor and grace,) the camera work is excellent (good above-body shots) and the lessons are laid out in a way that is easy to understand.  If you are a chronic rewinder, like me, you will appreciate seeing things over.  And over.  However, Rayna McIntyre (sp) is such a perfect and fluid dancer that some moves were hard for me to execute in the way she displays (for instance her upward angle waist hooping lesson, where she is back-bending, moving much like a bellydancer. There are other ways to position the body to get that clean hoop angle, as I learned from SaFire's tut on the same move.)  I think there is a real lack of variety in how tricks can be executed with Hoopnotica instruction, and I have since learned that Hoopnotica is faithful to a more rigid way of learning things even down to the language used for various moves.  Maybe because it is a franchise? 

Anyway.  The sensual dance element is strong in the series-- Hoopnotica is very stylized this way, so if you aren't someone who incorporates undulations and gyrations (for instance) into your dance I think it could be distracting. I really liked the bonus footage of the Hoopnotica girls public performances (Guggenheim and Tokyo), a lot of fun to watch.

The classes SaFire has are amazing, because you can tailor the content to either build skills or pick and choose skills and make personal learning or practice goals...customizable.  And the biggest-BIGGEST!--pro, is that SaFire will personally give you pointers in the forum if you have trouble with any lesson, even if you are struggling for weeks, she will say 'let me know how it's going'--heart and soul commitment to teaching.  I also like that SaFire gives alternative ways of verbally and physically intuiting what is happening with the hoop path and the body mechanics.  Her gift seems to be teaching and and she really shines in every video.  Of course, she is badass and a marvel to watch, so that's very inspirational.  The tight focus on instruction and technique is nice, these aren't long intensives but concise tutorials.  She also posts other hooper's performances in the learning forum for (optional) inspiration--a classy touch. There's nothing pretentious about SaFire's videos and they are a ton of fun. And  if you 'get' a move and announce it in the forum she'll cheer and celebrate your success with you.  Love that.

As far as cost, with Hoopnotica you are getting a finished product and with SaFire you are getting virtual updates on class content (she adds things to the curriculum) and the personal attention, so it makes sense that the cost is higher for online lessons.  As far as skill level--there does not seem to be a hard and fast template for learning hooping that can be applied to everyone. I guess just take an inventory of where you are on the learning spectrum based on class descriptions and go from there. (I'm a start from the beginning person and like to refer back to basics often, so its all good to me.)

Hope this is helpful!

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