[Hooping.org columnist Casandra Tanenbaum takes a closer look at hoop envy.]
While engaged in Hooping.org’s Spring Renewal 30/30 Challenge, I enjoyed confronting one of the most fascinating conundrums about creative life: limitations are truly freeing. We human beings seem to LOVE defining our endeavors with restraint. Our awareness of fleeting time or money sharply illuminates priorities, activities and attitude. We are specially designed to make the most of what we have, and we all do this exceptionally well, every day. Scarcity, often considered a villain, is really a liberator, and so it is for hoopdance as well. Scarcity allows us to fall into the generous loving pattern of discipline.
I love hooping outside, in the grass, having gleefully kicked my shoes off. Outside, all tosses become ethereal. I love hooping in big dance studios, too, using the mirror to catch subtle cues and gestures, and precise placement in flow. Of course, my dream hoopdance studio has at least two mirrored walls and really high windowed ceilings, gorgeous, raised wooden floors, a ballet bar, and an incredible sound system. What happens, however, when you take all that space away?
Visiting my mothers house as the 30/30 Challenge began, I brought my practice into the limitations of HER environment: furniture, light fixtures and glass topped tables all begging to be broken. As much as I admire chaos, I had my relationship with my mom to consider. And really, how often do I find myself apologizing to other dancers in crowded shows because I INSIST on throwing things that ought not be thrown in small spaces (ahem). A little discipline, I thought, might just do me some good. It might be boring, but since it was ultimately for the greater good, I decided to go for it.
Within 3 minutes I was totally engaged. My legs, arms and core were REALLY WORKING: I had no space to turn, really, and I had to lunge to engage in any overhead maneuvers at all. After leaving my mother’s place and returning home, I found myself craving the insights that came from a limited space, and actually started practicing in my office at home. This choice reveals an ultimate irony: a year ago, I moved a beautiful glass bottomed fan from the living room (aka: the danger zone) into my office, convinced it would be forever safe from torment by my plastic rings. Oh, well!
Let me just say, I am falling in love with the practice of small, contained movements in tiny spaces. Collapse the vertical limit, for example: how long can you stay in dynamic flow without bringing the hoop overhead? How LOW can you isolate? What happens with your arms? Your legs? Do you move with a smooth sophistication? Can your dance EXPLODE within restraint? What happens if you bring in the walls about 6 inches on all sides. NOW what, hooper-star?
Cultivating a love of discipline in hoopdance practice is the real gift of the 30/30. Discipline needn’t cut into our love of movement, it can grow lovingly around us, crafted into a solid container for us to flow within. It can challenge, heal, inspire or deflate us: it is all a matter of perspective. Cultivating space within me to flow with WHAT IS, I liberate myself in ANY practice space, no matter how small. And keeping the furniture intact? That’s just a bonus.
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Casandra Tanenbaum has been spinning hoops and words for years at Hoopsofly and Florida Poetry Events. She lives in Lake Worth, Florida, and co-moderates our Southeast Hoopers forum.
I really appreciate this article! I’m just learning to hoop, but I have limited space for it in my apartment and I keep hitting the ceiling lamp while practicing… And I’m worried that all the clunking noises from dropping my hoop over and over might be disturbing the neighbors. But I think, for a beginner like me, it’s good practice to be aware of my hooping-space!
Casandra, it’s OK for a short while. But believe me, it drives you nuts for a whole dark winter. My cottage has a ceiling just clearing my head and the furniture and walls are so close that I can only knee hoop with a small hoop. I can’t lift off without bending down and I can’t do any proper tricks. By the end of winter I hate it with a vengeance and crave space to flow and move. I did all of the first 30/30 in this cramped space and it helped me to improve my core hooping, something I do a lot of indoors. But it really reduces my accuracy for every other move and when I finally get outside in spring I have to relearn everything. As I said at the start, I don’t mind it for a bit. But I don’t recommend it for long.
Oh Sue! I actually channeled you yesterday: visiting a friend with the same last initial as you, I said “Sue Wilkinson” at the guard gate, and the security guard said “WHAT?”
In response to your comment: yeah, I totally feel you. For me, going from big space to small space is a revelation BECAUSE I generally find spaces to hoop that allow me lots of space. If I had similar seasonal constraints I’d likely have similar reasonable complaints. Everything in moderation, with CHOICE as the driving force, for real. Being forced into a hooping space which doesn’t serve our needs simply… doesn’t serve our needs.
Amen Hoop-sistah!!
I learned to hoop in my living room in the earle ave house. I had NO room at all. That place was tiny, and I think may be largely responsible for the precision I have with weaves,pops isos and other off body movement. I gotta keep it tight and precise or I whacked myself in the nose/shattered something!
I always to mostly hoop in my room.. Now I have chosen to have very little in my room so I have the space to hoop.. But still low ceilings and small space.. But It has learned me to hoop very skilled in small spaces.. And I use my 31 inch hoop allot.. But this practise has made it possible for me to actually hoop at parties where the is allot , aloot of crowd.. I have learned to barrel rol, do lifts and jump through in a one 1 by 1 meter space..
And I do go out and hoop in a club at the earlie evening of the night when it is still empty and I then I thus the more really enjoy the space so much more..
Small space hooping can open op allot of doors
I LOVE that this was posted!!! Almost ever since the start of my hoop journey, I have hooped inside of the house due to weather… which of course forces one to limit their movements.. and I’ve always said that I appreciated it because it requires you to control yourself more!! slowly but surely, i found that I was able to really dance it out with such a small space in the room… i actually love my hooping when i’m in a small space… i think i have to get used to have tons of space again since spring is peaking around the corner…
i can totally relate to this article! i know what you mean. i started hooping last spring (i’m getting close to my 1 year anniversary!), and had a lot of fun all summer, but it was this last winter that i really got into learning more and more. i didn’t really have anywhere to hoop but my bedroom. the whole time i was thinking about how i couldn’t wait to hoop outside, but now i have sort of a connection with the space. i’ve gone through a lot there!
I have a medium sized indoor practice space and I’m very grateful for the skills I’ve gained and the precision I’ve developed from practicing in it. It’s certainly encouraged me to go down in hoop size over this long dark winter. I can do so much more with my 34 inch hoop inside.
But without having a few practice spaces available to me with a higher ceiling and more open space, I would have gone crazy.
I can’t knee or ankle hoop easily in my space, or I have to be very cautious with overhead hooping. The forward weave has left quite a few spots on my ceiling!
Ditto on the control and benefits of the small spaces. I really appreciated this article – Thanks. I’ve become quite attached to the small space for a few other reasons also – It’s warmer, so I can shed some clothes and hoop – yup – nearly nekkid, and no one will see me. And – because I need to keep the space clear, I keep it cleaner, always a huge benefit. Oh yes – working on the isolation basics – takes almost no room and has improved big time in this 30/30.
nekkid hooping is so much fun!