Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Traci "CircularPraise" Bonney on February 1, 2011 at 8:26am

My February goal: armwork.  I want to make a conscious effort at each practice session to incorporate more intentional armwork into my hoopdance and to eliminate the whole T-Rex/chicken wing/dead arm thing I'm seeing too often in my videos.

StudentPermalink Reply by Shelley "HoopyChick" Gilbertson on February 1, 2011 at 12:43pm

I think I'll play this month.  I haven't been very active on HC this month. I'm not sure why.  I'm still hooping.  Just haven't felt very social, I guess.  However, I do need a bit of a push to get me more focused.  I've been doing pretty well in that regard by taking things slowly and really focusing on specific moves rather than just randomely "flowing" during my practice sessions.  This past month I specifically worked on backwards and forwards weaves (with variations like turns, jump throughs, etc.), floating and the breaks and reversals moves I've learned from Sandra's class.  (BTW, I am LOVING breaks & reversals.  As Sandra promised, they add a whole new dimension to hooping, and they have really helped me.)  I've also been continuing my work with minis.  I got most of the myriad of turns down, gotten my planes a bit more under control and smoothed out my chase weaves, but two things have really stalled me out - the 3BW and the reel turns. 

 

For February, I am going to set a "regular" hoop goal and a minis goal.

 

My "regular" hoop goal is going to be two fold -

     1.  Be able to do 5 continuous vortex jump throughs 10 continuous regular jump throughs (from over the head in halo).

     2.  Be able to do 5 good across-the-chest passes in each direction (right to left and left to right).

I've been working on both the jump throughs and the across-the-chest pass, but I struggle with them (especially the pass), so I often find myself practicing for just a bit, getting frustrated and moving on to something else.  Perhaps these specific goals will prompt me to work on things with a bit more dedication and diligence.

 

My minis goal is also two fold -

     1.  To do a smooth forwards 3-beat weave.

     2.  Learn the low reel turn.

 

Hitting "reply" and then printing out my post here so I can put it up in my practice space and read it each time I practice!

 

Permalink Reply by Traci "CircularPraise" Bonney on February 1, 2011 at 12:51pm

Printing it out is a good idea, Shelley.  I took Caroleeena's advice about a goals notebook and started one in January, and writing down the date of my practice session, the titles of the songs I hooped in second current and the length of each song helped me remember to include my goal in each session. 

 

I'm not sure how I'll record my armwork goal practices, but I'll figure out something.  Probably the date and a short description, based on video review, of each instance where I did something particularly pretty with my hands and arms.  I may make a note of the times I forgot to do something too, but I don't want my goal journaling to turn into a fault-finding mission, so I'll have to see how it goes.

Permalink Reply by Caroleeena of Circles of Joy on February 1, 2011 at 1:13pm

Traci, you could study armwork by section

 

Arms - Circles: 

- Outside circles with the arms

- Inside circles with the arms

- Lines with the arms

Leading arm movements from the:

- Shoulder

- Elbow

- Wrist

- Finger

 

Hands:

- Outside circles with the hands

- Inside circles with the hands

- Punches

- Pulls 

- Pushes

 

Fingers:

- Finger rolls starting from the pinky to the thumb

- Finger rolls starting from the thumb to the pinky

- Finger rolls in outside circles

- Finger rolls in inside circles

- Splayed fingers (Jazz Hands or Spirit Fingers or Falling Rain)

- Mudras

- Bird of Paradise

- Flicking Boogers

- Pointing

 

Arms - Lines:

- Making parallel lines with the arms

- Making perpendicular lines with the arms

- Making wavy lines with the arms (like Snake Arms)

----Wiggle from the outside in

----Wiggle from the inside out

----Wiggle from the middle radiating outward

- Bending the arms to create short lines (from elbow to shoulder)

- Bending the arms to create bent, perpendicular lines (like a puppet, arms out, forearms hanging down)

- Making katy kornered lines (one North-East, one South-West)

 

Any combination of hand, finger and arm work -- together!

 

Utilizing the Free Hand:

- Let one hand work and concentrate on doing something pretty with the free hand

- Let one hand rest and concentrate on doing something pretty with the free hand

 

Resting Positions:

- Hands on hips

- Hands on pelvic bones

- Hands behind head

- Arms crossed

- Prayer Position

- Modified Prayer Position

- One up and one down (say one behind head, one on hip)

Resting positions look pretty when you do both hands or you can rest one in a pretty position and move the other hand

 

Gestures:

- Blowing kisses

- OK!

- Waves

- Thumbs up

- Salutes

 

Poses:

- This could be any pose you simply stand in and hold. Play in the mirror and pick out your favorites.

 

Videotape yourself and collect your favorites. Maybe make a spreadsheet and check off which ever ones you remember you use in practice or when you review the film.

 

Armwork from Specific Dances

- Forearm rolls (disco and bhangra)

- Screwing in a light bulb (bhangra)

- Picking apples (flamenco)

- Snake arms (bellydance)

- The Cabbage Patch (dunno where that comes from but it's cute!)

 

Finally, improv

- Let your hands move together

- Let your hands move independent of one another

- Play with touching yourself

- Play with dropping your hands behind you

- Play with moving your hands as big as you can

- Play with being stiff as a board

- Play with being supple as jello

 

There are lots more too. The only limit is your imagination. Maybe this will help you figure out a place to start or at least a way to document. I hope it helps. You'll do great. 

Permalink Reply by Traci "CircularPraise" Bonney on February 1, 2011 at 1:28pm

Wow, that's quite a list!  Thanks for the ideas; now I'm going to have to print this out.  I may do the index card thing and pick out combinations from my purple hat - that could be fun.

 

By the way, I'm getting a little $$ back from Uncle Sam, so I went ahead and ordered a pair of the mini skirted flair pants in black from DD.  Should have them in a couple of weeks, maybe even in time for the next jam. Yay!

Permalink Reply by Caroleeena of Circles of Joy on February 1, 2011 at 1:31pm

Yay! Good for you! Congratulations!

 

Here's a little tutorial of an easy piece of handwork too:

StudentPermalink Reply by Domini on February 1, 2011 at 9:23pm

Thanks for that tutorial!  I need lots of work on my arm movements.

 

I had been meaning to comment on that outfit.  It looks great!

 

 

Permalink Reply by Cookie Hoops on February 2, 2011 at 3:29pm

Looking forward to your tutorials each month! Yay! The dress is FAB...it looks wonderful on you!

Permalink Reply by Kortney 'Kid A' Bewley on February 2, 2011 at 8:45pm

wow! what a great list! If only I had ink in my printer!

StudentPermalink Reply by Shelley "HoopyChick" Gilbertson on February 2, 2011 at 10:06am

Btw, no. 1 in my regular hoop goal should be 5 continuous vortex jump throughs AND 10 regular jump throughs.  I don't necessarily need to make the regular ones continuous, but rather I want to do 10 in a row without error.

StudentPermalink Reply by Shelley "HoopyChick" Gilbertson on February 2, 2011 at 10:18am

Again, BTW, Caroleeena, I know you said only one goal, and I cheated a bit my making my goals (I'm considering having goals for both the regular hoop and minis as okay since they are separate practices) two-fold.  I thought long and hard about this, and for me I think I need to have at least two things to work on - not really more than two as I'll scatter my energy - but at least two.  This helps me in terms of frustration.  I think we've all experienced the phenomenon of working on something intensely, improving a bit, and then suddenly either no more improvement or even a slipping back.  It is possible to OVER practice something.  I like having at least two things to work on so that if this issue arises, I can step back from the move that's causing frustration and blockage and work with something else. I can often then return to the first move and be more at peace with it.  Make sense? 

StudentPermalink Reply by Domini on February 1, 2011 at 9:19pm

My goal for this month is to learn the duck in with my left hand. Currently I can only do it with my right, which is nice, but it means that I can only do it in my non-dominant current.

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