So how did it all begin for Noelle? She said, "I hooped a bit as a child with the cheapo-whamo hoops of yore, and rediscovered the hoop-movement whilst living in Seattle a few years ago. I heard about a weekly hoop night organized by Ariel Meadow Stallings and Kara Spencer, freaked out at the fantasy-come-true sound of it, went to the very next hoop night and instantly fell deeply in love. With the movement, joy-inducement and community it so easily grew too."

While it's obvious that the hoop has made quite an impact on her, we asked her how hooping has changed her life. She responded, "Hooping has changed my life immeasurably! It's allowed me to integrate so many aspects of myself into one greater whole: child-like playfulness, confidence, independence, non-linear ways of thinking and moving, blues-management, core strength, endurance, meditativeness, sexiness, boundary-friendliness, and it's simultaneously very social and community-fostering. Hooping is now my professional work- and because of it I've had the gift of sharing this unique form of revolution with countless others thus far."

When she isn't hooping Noelle loves to dance. She also loves to play with her nephew and niece, learn about the brain and laugh, read and reflect. If you're wondering about her interest in the brain, it's a multi-layered issue in her life. She explains, "Over the last 3 years I have been dealing with my dear Mother, Mimi Powers, having Level 4 Glioblastoma Multiforme brain cancer. She passed away on November 7, 2006 from the deadly disease. I vividly recall the day she picked up the hoop I'd made for her (barely being able to walk
without assistance) and hooped for a good 20 or 30 seconds. She had the most inspiringly positive attitude and outlook on life - and I feel that hooping captures her powers of spreading joy and love like nothing else. This year I organized the first annual Hoop for Hope event to coincide with the 5K Brain Tumor Race/Walk that happens every year in Washington, DC. With the help of numerous friends volunteering, we raised hundreds of dollars to donate on behalf of Team Mimi, and outfitted many survivors and their families with shiny new hoola hoops. Besides being a stellar form of brain exercise with it's bilateral hemisphere stimulation, hooping is a such a good-mood-maker too. Dealing with losing my mom has by far been the most challenging journey of my life, but having hooping as an outlet has
been a source of coping and healing. I always tell folks, 'You can't really have a bad time when you're hoola hooping.' While it certainly doesn't take away my grief, hooping allows me to find moments of bliss throughout the difficult mourning process."

What is Noelle's idea of earthly happiness? She tells us, Everyone being fully present in their bodies. I believe that if we were all super present and embodied, we would be much more aware of our feelings and able to be honest and kind towards one another. There is so much sensual joy that people miss out on in life because they're not present and therefore do not allow their feelings to emerge. Hooping is one type of meditation that helps us get back into ourselves and find the grounding that is so essential to living well."

Does she have a favorite hoop? "My favorite hoop was recently reborn as it was pretty beat up. I think it started off being pink, orange, and red. I made it when I first began teaching and have always gravitated towards it. I like it because it seems best suited for over-all use with a dancing-focus. I tend to most enjoy a medium sized hoop, about to my belly button, usually 100 PSI, with just a bit of water weight to it, but I'll make do with whatever's around. I'm usually carting around dozens of hoops from classes to clubs with all sizes and styles well-represented."

What's her favorite music to hoop to? Noelle explains, "I love a whole lot of music, but most often find myself hooping to soulful funk. It's got an amazing beat and is dynamic enough to encourage different styles of movement within it. Earth, Wind and Fire is always a solid pick. I also love and encourage my students to explore how our hooping changes based on genres and speeds of music changing- so it's fun to switch it up a lot!" A favorite recent book is Jonathan Safran Foer's "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close." She says, "It's hard to describe why it's so wonderful. Read it and see for yourself!" Some of her favorite films include The Princess Bride, Mad Hot Ballroom, Rize, and But I'm a Cheerleader.

What are some of her favorite hooping characteristics in others? Noelle reveals, "My favorite fellow hoopers are ones who are friendly, energetic, willing to share moves, community-minded, and humbly confident." Given that, we asked her what her most marked hooping characteristic is. "Probably my wild & funky dancing style, or styles, that I am able to seamlessly fuse with hooping, and with that also comes my knack for expressing very different moods and emotions through hoopdance."

If she could give a hoop to one person in the world, who would it be? She thoughtfully responds, "It'd be someone who is looking to overcome a trauma or great feeling of depression, be it surviving abuse, a car accident, or a hurricane. I've only known hooping to have an intensely uplifting and transformative effect, and therefore it would be particularly well-suited to folks who are having a hard time walking through the world."

If she were to tell someone picking up the hoop for the first time one hooping tip or something learned about hooping or as a result of hooping, what would it be? Noelle tells us, "it'd be that hooping really has changed my life for the better. If you believe you can do it, and you keep giving it a whirl, it'll eventually click and infinite fun and peace will be born unto you!"

You can keep abreast of what is going on with Noelle by reading her weblog. "You can find out about all the sweetest mid-Atlantic hoop-happenings there too. Look for me at the upcoming Virgin Festival in early August, and find out about my other perfomances, classes, and events at hoopingpowers.com. There's more adult classes coming to the Charm City of Baltimore this September too...stay tuned and keep on whirling!"