Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Siren of the Circle* on March 8, 2012 at 4:47pm

Sounds to me like you don't want to formally teach, per se, but want others to learn so they can share in the fun.  If that's the case, starting a hoop jam might be the right way to go.  Caroleeena has a great blog that will get you on your way to spinning it up with new hoop friends =)  Or, if you do want to teach and are nervous about your ability, I suggest starting with a close friend or two.  If you're able to help them understand the movements and achieve success, you may feel more confident in your teaching ability.  Good luck!

StudentPermalink Reply by MissCephalopod on March 8, 2012 at 11:37pm

"Sounds to me like you don't want to formally teach, per se, but want others to learn so they can share in the fun."

Yes and no... Re-reading my post I think I've realised something: I actually really want to teach but I'm so nervous my skills aren't good enough that I'm even nervous to say, "I want to teach." Um. Does that make any sense? Like it's kind of laughable that I want to teach because I'm not as good as SaFire or Spiral or Brecken or Caroleena. I know that's a bit silly, but it keeps nagging at me.

Starting with a close friend is a great idea though! I'm actually practicing in my dance teacher's studio next Saturday and have invited a dance friend of mine to come and give it a go. Maybe I can make my teacher try it too. That'd be something and I'm sure I'd feel much better :)

Permalink Reply by Cuban Leigh on March 9, 2012 at 12:16pm

Hey mama,

I think everyone is a little nervous when they first go out there, whether they are a certified instructor or not.  I was extremely nervous when I first got my chance to teach a hoop class and I became certified through hoopnotica.  If you are playing with the idea of wanting to teach others then you probably already have a good set of tricks and moves under your belt.  I would write down all the tricks and moves that you know in a book.  Think if you want to have a movement and dance class or a hoop fitness class.  Then you can decide if you have enough understanding of the skill to do a basic hoop class in either form (dance or fitness).  Just remember it is a beautiful process and when you are up there as a teacher you do not have to be perfect even the greatest professionals mess up.  As long as you love it and understand the steps of a trick you are trying to teach the love and passion of the dance will guide you through it.  all love on your hooping journey.  :0)

StudentPermalink Reply by MissCephalopod on March 9, 2012 at 12:42pm

Thanks a bunch for that!

I actually wrote up a list of stuff I can do today and made a collection of "easy/beginner" moves I'd feel confident teaching to others. It's quite a lot actually, an entire A5 page! And that's without getting into "difficult" things like step-throughs or chest hooping.

For me it'd definitely be a dance class. I have never been to a fitness class except for Zumba once, in contrast I've been attending dance classes and workshops and have also been reading discussions among dance teachers about their methods for almost two years. I would not feel comfortable guiding someone in a class that's only for fitness, but I'm rather decent at dancing now (my bellydance teacher was "astounded how dancerly it was" when I showed her my hooping) and think that with my growing knowledge of dance principles I'm much more suited to that. I'm all about musicality!

Now I think I'll talk to my dance teacher about giving it a go, maybe I could come to a couple of her classes and present a brief hooping demonstration to the students and invite them to a sample workshop or something, as soon as I have enough hoops. If only the dance studio were big for more than five people with hoops who barely know what they're doing! Ah well, I'll find a way.

StudentPermalink Reply by Shelly "TexAnn" McB on March 9, 2012 at 3:35pm

I am sure you could teach just fine.  It is a bit scary in the beginning, but I'm sure you could do it.  If you are a lone hooper in your area you are sure to know WAY more than any of your students.  And once you start teaching, your skill level will improve exponentially.  Watch some youtube vids on waist hooping, hip hooping... think about arm movements... the off body horizontal pass, then halo, and hand transitions in halo.  Next comes bringing the hoop down from halo onto the body, then doing the lift back up.  Just these things will keep people busy for a good while.  People will be grateful for whatever you offer them, and I think it is great that you want to get more people hooping in your area.  Do it!!!!  :)  

StudentPermalink Reply by MissCephalopod on March 9, 2012 at 4:29pm

Thanks everyone :-) I'm feeling a lot more confident now and am even thinking about approaching my community centre if my smaller teaching experiments go well.

However, one thing I'm still worried about is that I'm not a fitness instructor. I wouldn't know how to help someone who, for example, has a bad hip - do I just take these cases as they come? I'm kind of scared of all that fitness instructor stuff, I've never hit a gym in my life and am more of the "outdoor or dance" kind of sports person. This is probably all those horrid memories of PE class coming back but I'm frightened of being the tall, unsporty chick with glasses in a group full of athletes who want to become personal trainers or something. Oh dear!

StudentPermalink Reply by Shelly "TexAnn" McB on March 9, 2012 at 5:01pm

I know what you mean, and I've just dealt with that stuff as it's come along.  I did get my certification from Hoopnotica, and  I am going to school to become an occupational therapist, but am no where near knowing exactly what to tell people who have hip, shoulder, knee problems, etc.  I generally just really try and listen to what they tell me, and I always tell them not to push too hard and it something hurts or feels uncomfortable there is lots of other stuff to do.  I also keep several different sizes of hoops in class so when someone with a shoulder problem is having a hard time with my usual 43" 160psi hoop I give them a small, kid size hoop to practice off body.  I am also an "outdoor/dance" sort of chick.  I know that you will create your own special sort of class, you have something different to offer than a jock.  Not that one is better than the other, it's just an apples and oranges sort of thing.  It's all about different styles.  So even if you had a class full of aspiring personal trainers, I'm sure you'd have something special and unique to offer them :)

StudentPermalink Reply by Susan on March 10, 2012 at 8:15am

Hi!!  I want to recommend an excellent article for you to read on this very subject written by Lara Eastburn at superhooper.org.  She also has other articles that you can read relating to this!  Good luck!  Here is the link:

http://superhooper.org/hooposophy/how-do-you-know-if-you-are-ready-...

StudentPermalink Reply by MissCephalopod on March 10, 2012 at 10:44am

OMG GUYS I'M SO EXCITED I HAVE TO USE CAPSLOCK!

No seriously, I've got an amazing idea, mostly thanks to SaFire! I've watched the promo video of her "Inspire through fire" talk sooo many times and I love it and wanted to do something like it. However, for one thing I've never handled fire props (I'd love to but so far have not had any opportunity) and I also don't want to steal the idea because it's clearly a concept she's worked on hard and long. It's uniquely hers.

However, I thought about what I, as in me myself, can bring to the table. And that's a concept of embracing diversity! My own brother has a disability and I've been working part-time with handicapped children for a couple of years now and regularly been involved in summer camps and such. And I just had the idea to do a pep talk/show thing that's about how being different is awesome and doesn't have to hinder you. Like holding up a mini and a big hoop and asking, "What do you notice about these? They're really different, right?" And then incorporate small show increments where, for example, I hoop sitting on a chair or on the ground, armwork and isolations and such, you don't need functioning legs to dance and be beautiful. Things like that.

The concept is really rough yet but I think I'd like to give that a go. I want to encourage children to love how they're zippy and excited or calm and methodical, that you don't need language to communicate feelings even between cultures, that all colours are beautiful. This is something I'd have to work on for a looong time of course, up my hooping skills and do a test run on the children's group I work with, acquire more hoops, aaaagh! But it's something that I feel comes uniquely from myself and that I can pass on well because of my experiences. Maybe I can develop something for gay teens too, I used to go to a gay youth centre and was told that I'm being missed.

So many ideas! OMG!

Edit: And using differently coloured twins to show that working together if you're different is awesome! Weeeh!

StudentPermalink Reply by Shelly "TexAnn" McB on March 10, 2012 at 10:52am

You made me smile really big :)  It sounds like you have some really fantastic ideas!

StudentPermalink Reply by MissCephalopod on March 10, 2012 at 11:03am

Oh and one more - if I can get a second hooper to help me we could do a piece where we are allowed to use only one arm each and do two-person weaves and stuff.

Guys, I think I've hit my personal creative jackpot here :-D I really need to get working on my hooping skills to pull these off.