Foooooo. So I just got back home from Madskillz (Madskillzvancouver.com) and I really wanted to rave a little bit about prop/juggling conventions/whatever they end up being called. I think everyone should go to one if they have the chance, I know its a bit hit and miss with locations and travel and I'm very lucky to have one near by.

I feel like its the best thing you can do for your hoop practice and your Self in general. Its very comforting to be able to throw a hoop at someone by accident and know they aren't going to get too mad at you (provided you don't you know... injure them). But I feel its good for your brain to try out different toys.

If you're worried about being 'just a hooper' or anything don't. One: Hoopers are in abundance at multi prop festivals (or at least at the one I was at) and Two: because you have the chance to take workshops and see if there are other props you like. I wasn't really a multi-prop spinner when I went to Madskillz last year, mostly sticking to my hoops and minis with some branches out to contact juggling. This year I was able to catch some lazy habits in my contact juggling, learn some of the blockages for me in reverse current hooping (my left arm doesn't like moving the way my right arm does, but with some help from a lovely instructor I can do the vortex (poorly) hooping towards my right.

Took workshops such as:

Body rolls for contact juggling, Urban contact juggling (think hip hop and my body doesn't like moving like that either) knee hooping, intro to hooping (which I took in my reverse current hence the improvement here), tosses for hoops (the title was way more awesome but I don't remember it and don't want to look it up). OH. OH and the most wonderful workshops on dancing. "Unlocking Creative Movement" where we drew our own self portraits, handed them off to a partner and danced each others self portraits. And clowning workshops. I could go on. ._. Really I could.

BUTTTT... enough about Madskillz, because this isn't actually a plug for them (it totally is) Are there any prop conventions you other hoopers have been to? Lovely experiences?