name | Lindsay Greschuk  aka. linzsanity

contact email | thelinzsanityfreakcircus@gmail.com

age | 22

location | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

how long have you been hooping? | about 2.5 years

have you ever been to a hoop dance or spinning event before? | yes, my first event I attended was Spin Out this past June.

Do you teach classes, run hoop jams, or organize events in your area; how do you connect with the hoop dance community? | I love to teach and help fellow hoopers whenever I can. I am an active part of my local prop manipulation community and try to grow alongside others in the hoop dance community. :)

Who is your favorite hooper and why? | SaFire was the person who inspired my hoop journey. Without her I don't know if I would be where I am right now, so in that way I think she will always be my favorite. She has also introduced me to so many other incredible hoopers. At Spin Out I was lucky enough to take a workshop and meet Babz Robinson who is definitely another favorite of mine. Her energy and the way she interacts with the hoop shows no hesitation. When she connects to a hoop it becomes a part of her, it's beautiful.

Why do you want to attend our event and what do you want to gain from attending? | As often as I can I want to separate myself from normal life and become totally involved with my hoop, and with people who inspire me. I want to gain new knowledge and understanding of myself and my hoop. I want to be inspired and translate this into the rest of my life.

Please write a short reply about your hoop journey and how life has changed since you picked up the hoop.

When I was younger I told my mom I wanted to be the hula hoop champion of the world. I went out and bought a few cheap dollar store hoops and tried tossing one around my waist and failed. I failed over, and over and over. I ended up putting them away feeling quite discouraged and forgot about them for several years. Later on I was watching a performance at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, SaFire brought out her hoops and I was inspired. On that day I decided nothing would stop me.. that I WOULD succeed inside the hoop. I would not let them defeat me, nor anything else in my life. Once again I picked up the hoop and this time I didn't put it down. It took me a week before I could sustain movement around my waist. Over the first year I was slowly discovering movement inside the hoop. One day something extraordinary happened, like something I had never felt before.. I found my flow. I can always find peace in the hoop. I can find some control in my life and at the same time let go of all control and exist in complete freedom. I hoop when I am feeling angry, sad, under pressure, content or happy. Whatever the reason is I pick up my hoop each day I find a little bit more of myself inside. Inside the hoop the world is always honest, unforgiving, chaotic, simple, hopeful and true. It's hard to explain in words what the hoop has brought to my life.. it has become my life.