by Lilea Duran

Marianna De Sanctis of MariannaDeSanctis.com took the hooping world by storm in 2011 and scored herself a Hoopie Award nomination for “Trembling Hoop” – her hooping.org debut. Few have come before or since that carry her unique and incredible presence, as well as her dynamic flair for the dramatic. When we heard she was going to be on Italia’s Got Talent this year, needless to say we were all pretty excited. The Italian board hooper who has made a home in Toulouse, France, has been a little reclusive when it comes to video of her hula hoop stylings. And you know what? We weren’t even prepared for what Marianna had spun up for television. She blew our minds all over again! So innovative, so powerful, so out there, we knew we knew we simply had to find out more about what is going on inside the mind and hooping life of this amazing artist. So join us as we sit down for a special interview with Marianna De Sanctis, our Hooper of the Week!

[Marianna De Sanctis: Trembling Hoop, 2011]

Lilea: When did you start hooping and how?

Marianna De Sanctis: I started the hula hoop on 2007 in Rome. There were free places to play with other people who did circus or would like to do circus. I met Silvia Pavone, who had brought a hula hoop with her from London and when I saw how she could play with it, I started training some with her. I continued on my own too, watching YouTube videos. I started because I didn’t finish school and at fifteen years of age, I left my home. The only job I could do was to work in bars or pubs, or give flyers, so I was looking for something different because art had always fascinated me. I was born in a town in southern Italy where if you put on a miniskirt, the people in the street call you a bitch. I needed to feel free.

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