Circle of Friends

back to Spiral Hoop Dance

While my hoop path has taken me along the road of performer, teacher and crafter, it’s also been a powerful journey in community building. Along with the personal growth the hoop has encouraged, the opportunity I have had to instigate, cultivate and co-create community through hooping has been one of the most powerful developments in my life. Making new friends, sharing insights and joy, communing through the circle, watching the hoop spread throughout all kinds of people in a small town, are all wonderful aspects of what the hoop has brought to my life. Without some mention of it, I felt this website wouldn’t be complete, so I’d like to share some of my experience with community, to humbly do justice to the magic I’ve seen created here and the magic that’s possible wherever you and your hoop(s) might go.

When I started bringing my hoop to my local natural food store’s weekly music back in 2001, it was just the ring of children watching me that wanted to try. Once I made a batch of extras and started sharing, all ages joined in the fun. When I left the country for a while in 2002, Julia, a good friend I made through the hoop took it up passionately as well and continued to bring hoops to the market lawn. When I returned from traveling inspired to make my living in a more creative, fulfilling way, I knew the hoop was my portal. Now hoops on the lawn are a market tradition. As the years have passed and I’ve been blessed to share hooping as my livelihood, the community around me has grown in beautiful, incredible ways. People I introduced to hooping over the years have fallen in love with it too, make their own to share, and spread the joy even further, in ever-expanding circles of healthy, healing fun.

All ages hoop together on the Weaver St. Market lawn these days, families bonding together and teaching each other, friendships created among folks who wouldn’t have connected otherwise, people finding greater confidence, health and rhythm. It’s a truly beautiful thing.

The hoop has become a joyful, powerful, and often remarked-upon force in my small town of Carrboro, NC, and the skill and commitment of the hoop community here has grown so much that, on a per capita basis, I think we may well have both Los Angeles and San Francisco beat for Hoopers with a capital “H”. I have so much love for my hoop tribe here, especially the bond that’s been formed among those joining Baxter and myself in The Hoop Path classes. Much respect and love to you all.

I feel continually blessed and grateful for all the amazing individuals I’ve met and experiences I’ve had resulting from the hoop’s magical magnetism. I give thanks for the joy, love, creativity, healing and friendship that endlessly emanate from the circle.