The Hudsucker Posse, a hoop troupe from Bloomington, Indiana, is performing at the Lotus World Music & Arts Festival next month. That’s nothing new – they have been entertaining the Lotus Fest crowds as part of the Arts Village and street scene since 2009. This year, however, the Hudsucker Posse will be performing as one of the stage acts. As many festival goers know, it’s common to see hoopers mixing and mingling with the crowds, entertaining the audience between musical acts, but it’s rare for a hoop act to be given the kind of performance status that allows them to perform a full act onstage.
Lotus Festival director Lee Williams tells Indiana Public Media that despite the fact that the Hudsucker Posse isn’t a musical act like the rest of the performers, they fit into the vibe of the festival. He acknowledges that moving them into this stage artist slot takes the group to a new level. The venue where they will be performing this year is 21 and up, which Hudsucker Posse founder Paula Chambers says will give them the opportunity to try some new things that would not work at their all-ages shows.
Paula herself was first inspired to pick up a hoop when she saw some hoopers with the MarchFourth Marching Band at the 2008 Lotus Festival. “When I saw those hoop girls in their crinolines and their striped tights and their hula hoops, I said I can do that,” she says. “But of course at first, I couldn’t do a thing!” Four years later, she and the Hudsucker Posse are appearing at the same festival as one of the stage acts. Hopefully their performance will inspire even more festival goers to give the hoop a spin!
Go Hudsuckers!