How old are you?
38 going on 16

When did you first start hooping?
June 2009

Would you call yourself a beginner, intermediate or advanced hooper?
Intermediate

How often do you hoop?
Whenever I can. Usually every day. I'm an art teacher so if I have 20 minutes between classes, you can find me hoopin' it out in my art room :) My students think I'm either really cool or really weird.

Do you have an indoor hoop space?
Yes, my art room or the gym I belong to.

Is there a hoop group where you live?
Yes, 2. Lehigh Valley Hoop Group and Skyland Hoop Group

Did you start it?
no

Would you say that you are obsessed with or addicted to hooping?
Oh yes.

Have you posted hooping videos? How many?
Only 1

Do you have friends nearby to hoop with?
Many! I'm very lucky :)

Do you teach hooping? If so, how many people have you taught?
I teach hooping at school as an after school enrichment class. Kids range in age from 1st-4th grade. I really love doing that! Kids are amazingly quick to pick up hooping. I'm also going to start teaching adults at the gym... hopefully!

What kind of songs do you listen to while hooping?
Depends on my mood. I find that the English Beat is a great hoop group. Of course world music goes very well with hooping. A lot of punk, 80's, early hip hop stuff.... Lots of different things.

Do you buy hoops or make your own?
I make and I buy. I love to support my friends who have businesses. So I buy a lot of hoops from people I know. But I also make hoops.... you've got to hoop it forward!

Have you lost weight since starting to hoop?
You wouldn't see it on the scale, but many of my friends and family say that my waist looks smaller. I'm not in it for weight loss though, I'm in it for the love of it.

What size is your favorite hoop?
I have a collection of 36s, and 42s... a couple of water hoops and some skinny minis. But my 42s are my faves. I can't help it, I loves my 42s!

Are you comfortable hooping by yourself in a public place?
Oh yes!

How did you learn the majority of the tricks you know today?
taking lessons at the Happy Hooper Studio in Bethlehem. Almost everything I know I learned there :)

Who is your favorite hoop teacher?
Tina Hemmerle (Tina Spinz), Tina Edwards (Caosphera), Caroleeena, anyone who can break down a trick into simple language that I can understand.

What advice would you give to to beginner hoopers?
I tell my little girls that they have to be brave. Many times they keep themselves from getting a trick coz they think they are going to hit themselves in the face. You can see it in their expression... I tell them they will hit themselves, and it will hurt. But to be a hooper you have to be brave and just know that anything that is worth doing, you have to be brave to do.

Do you fire hoop? If not, do you want to?
Yes I Have! I can't wait to do it more!

Do own an LED hoop? Where did you get it?
Yes. I got it as work trade from a friend.

How much time do you spend on safiredance.ning?
None?

What was the first trick you learned (besides waist hooping)?
Non-Dom. hand lift.

What is the last trick you mastered?
Mastered? Hmmmm......I don't know. I've been working on knee hooping and hope to master that very soon.

What trick so far was the hardest for you to learn?
Bringing the hoop back up in knee hooping, the float up, and that drop down position for the forwards barrel roll. I can hoop at the knees, but have trouble bringing it back up. I can barrel roll, but can't hop down into that position, though I can get into the backwards position easily (that sounds kinky) and I still can't float up. But I will get all of those!

Which one are you finding is almost impossible to get?
float up

How many hoopers would you say live in your town/city?
In my town... 3, including myself. In my area, which extends into Eastern PA... many!

Have you performed hooping in front of an audience?
Not in a traditional sense. We always have an "audience" at Hoop Club though :)

Has anyone told you you were too old to be playing with a hula hoop?
No

What’s the worst injury you’ve acquired from the hoop?
I though I broke my nose once.

Have you ever hooped naked?
Tee-Hee :) Yes.

Have you been to a hoop camp/retreat? Which one?
No but I would love to go to Hoop Convergence.