Replies to This Discussion

StudentPermalink Reply by Betherann on April 26, 2011 at 5:37am

Two years ago a curvy hooper, Lissa Angeline, was nominated for video of the year, and she may have won (I can't remember).  So I don't know that it's necessary for curvy hoopers to have a separate category -- maybe we should step it up a notch instead?  There are a LOT of fabulous hoopers making fabulous videos and doing fabulous hoop-tastic things, and the competition is stiff.  When was the last time you saw a video of a curvy hooper that was more than good, more than fun to watch, but excellent and a work of art in itself?  Honestly, I haven't seen much that's superb in the way of curvy hooper vids, and I think THAT'S more why no curvy hoopers were in the Hoopies this year (that I can remember).

Permalink Reply by Traci "CircularPraise" Bonney on April 26, 2011 at 7:02am

On some level I'd love to see a curvy hooper win a Hoopie award.  Being a curvy hooper, I think it would be good for the community's image both internally and externally to demonstrate what we claim - that it doesn't matter what age, size, shape or gender you are, it's all about how you can rock it out in the hoop.

 

I think we need to find a balance in the criteria by which people are nominated and by which we vote.  When Lissa was nominated (in both Video of the Year and Newbie Hooper of the Year, by the way), I was a newbie who didn't even know what the Hoopies were, but I hightailed it over to hooping.org to vote anyway.  I saw a lot of brilliant hoopdance happening, and I did vote for Lissa.  In fact, if I remember right, I joined hooping.org specifically so I could vote for her.  I was disappointed that she didn't win either category, but thrilled that she was nominated.

 

Did the others in her categories deserve my vote more?  Maybe they were technically better, but her courage and gracefulness in that video far outweighed anything else in my book.  For me, it is about skill and artistry, but it's also about heart, appeal to my sensiblities, and the joy I see in the hooper's dance. 

 

I don't expect to ever be nominated for, let alone win, a Hoopie - that's not why I hoop.  I hoop for the joy of expressing myself and worshipping God in dance, the exercise, the fun of it,  and to show other curvy, middle-aged folks that they can fight age and gravity too. 

 

However, if I were to be nominated, I don't think I'd want it to be in a category made specifically to cater to my body type.  That just doesn't feel right to me.  It would be like having a Hooper Over 40 Hoopie award - maybe the intentions would be good, but it would feel to me as though the hooping community was saying, "You're not on the same level as the rest of us, so we'll give you your own category." 

 

Let's not do that.  If a hooper is good, regardless of appearance or age, let's acknowledge the skill, the artistry, the joy brought to the hoopdance, within the established categories. 

 

As Betherann said, let's step our hoopdance up a notch.  Let's take a cue from the Hooping Idol contest and try to put out videos that showcase our best hoopdancing or demonstrate a new technique or move learned - videos that contribute to the hoop community's growth.  Perhaps if we do that, we won't need our own category because then we'll be seen as the hoop stars we are.

Permalink Reply by Shannon "Inertia" Sealey on April 26, 2011 at 9:07am

"You're not on the same level as the rest of us, so we'll give you your own category." 

The statement above makes a lot of sense to me. I definitely wouldn't want further separation. Looks like we all just need to step it up!! Thanks for all the positive feedback on the subject.

Permalink Reply by Sarah "Dwiizie" on April 28, 2011 at 2:16pm

I'd have to say that I don't really care whether there is a hoopie for curvies or not. I do think that a lot of things are more difficult for curvier people to learn. In a way it would feel like "special olympics"... but and because some don't have the joints to support their weight for jump throughs and things, they may not have lean body mass to really transfer their push energy to their hoop, an arm with some padding on it isn't going to have as fast and controlled break or reversal that a lean muscley and/or very thin and boney arm will have. And, to be perfectly frank, a lot of people do dismiss a heavier dancer, hoop or otherwise, so it might be nice to be in a place where you aren't dismissed due to body type. Sometimes I wonder if people would "go see the fat hoopers" just to have a laugh about it. I'd also have to ask, what is the definition of a curvy hooper? I know some hoopers that consider themselves curvy, but if I had to categorize them, I'd put them in the hot girls complaining about their body when there is nothing to complain about category. I FEEL like a curvy hooper but I am at a healthy BMI. I am also at the very tippy top of a healthy BMI, so 1 pound loss makes me healthy, one pound gain puts me "overweight". Would one have to prove their overweightness to qualify for the curvy section? I also don't really like being competitive, I just like for people to get recognition and props, if they want them, when they're due. Even the Newbie category I could complain is unfair. You have to have started hooping that year. If I started hooping in December of 2010, and someone else started hooping in January, they've had 11 months to rock it, and I've had less than one. They'll naturally be more skilled than me, every single time. And once 2010 is gone, I've lost my chance to win a newbie award for life. Oh well. I think I'd rather just not have Hoopies all together. Even with the newbie time restrictions, and curvy hooper qualifications if there was one with some, we could fix all of that, but there are people who don't feel it would be wrong to cheat, or to lie about weight or hoop start time, if it would put them at an advantage in the contest. Take the same "newbie" scenario. What if the December person decided to just push their "hoopiversary" back by a month, knowing they'd have the upper hand the next year. People start getting weird when there is competition at hand. If anyone wants to put themselves in the running for hoopies or hooping idol, more power to them, and I hope they get wonderful things from it. If I was nominated for something, I would be flattered, and I would accept the nomination. If it was something like hooping idol, I would try my very very best too. I just don't know, interesting topic to bat around though. And just an fyi, all scenarios and what ifs were purely meant to be what ifs. My hoopiversary is in July, I am a bordeline curvy hooper, and I do think the curvy girls can rock it like no other when they OWN it :)

Permalink Reply by Traci "CircularPraise" Bonney on April 28, 2011 at 2:59pm

Good points, Sarah.  I think the Hoopies are fine for acknowledging and honoring a hooper's or group's hard work and efforts in promoting hoopdance, but I also see the potential for it to become something contrary to the whole hoop community mindset.  That's why I make an effort not to let my competitive side take over when it comes to anything related to my hoop practice - it would bring out aspects of my personality that I don't like and no one needs to encounter.

 

As for Hooping Idol, I've been enjoying the first "season" of it, and I applaud all who have been brave enough to audition and blessed/skilled enough to get however far they did in the process.  I wouldn't want to be one of the contestants, though; the time crunch alone would stress me out.

Permalink Reply by Lora Coon Mahr on April 28, 2011 at 9:38pm

What an interesting discussion. I am not a competitive person and hate trying out for anything . It doesn't matter to me what the categories are for the hoopies, I just love to watch the videos. They are so inspiring.

I'm not in to having a seperate category for us curvy hoopers. I think if that category was made there would have to be all sorts of new categories made.  I'd rather just consider myself a hooper (not an over 35 , tall, female,curvy, aspiring raw vegan, white , north american, etc.)  

I have also been enjoying Hooping idol- and there are no categories- just amazing hoopers!