How to Hoop Dance Like You Had Years of Formal Dance Training

 *4 minute read - Written in 2014-2016 sometime by Melissa Stockwell (McLaughlin)*

Do you want to appear as if you had years of dancing classes when you were younger – even if you never stepped foot inside of a studio? I took some classes as a kid, but I never stayed in them for very long. I was sort of a quitter most of my life. I quit dance, gymnastics and most things I tried. I even quit trying to hula hoop! (GASP!)

I was self-trained in my own expression and didn’t like to be told what to do. However, hooping taught me not to quit! Now, during and after performances, I am usually told that I look like I had dance classes for years! I am going to share some of my secrets.

Here are some tips to fool your audience into thinking you had years of dance training.

1. POINT YOUR TOES

A simple tip for any skill level. This doesn’t have to mean you walk around on your toes the whole time. Just pay attention to what your feet are doing when you lift them up. Even if you aren’t that flexible, it still makes you look like you know what you’re doing.

2. DON’T JUST STAND THERE

Take up space! Move around as far and wide as you can, while being elegant and soft in your movements. Please don’t record your videos vertically. You will find yourself out of the frame if you’re moving around far enough. Try not to wear a small hole in the grass by staying in one spot. You will want to cover ground and dance!

3. PRACTICE SPINNING

Yeah, we all get super dizzy at first. Practice and build up your tolerance. One tip that helps me is to stop spinning and turn once in the opposite direction to relieve the dizziness.

4. MAKE LINES AND SHAPES

Experiment doing different things, even if you feel it looks silly or won’t look good. Use your mirrors or video camera to see what it looks like. If you’re not sure, ask a friend to give you feedback on your new movements and shapes. Use your legs, arms, and whole body. Pretend you’re trying to take really great silhouette pictures and make different poses while you do some simpler tricks, such as isolations.

5. GET LOW

Use those leg muscles and get low on the ground. Bring yourself back up again in an elegant or flashy way. I recommend Ashley Logan’s video called “Get Low”. There is a copy of it on YouTube and on her facebook page.

6. BIG MOVEMENTS

Reach as far as you can upwards, to the side, downwards and all around. Use the hoop as an extension of your body parts. Reach high as you hold your hoop. Toss the hoop up really high and catch! Take up as much space as you can (as long as you have the space). Practice in big, unrestricted areas.

7. PUT IN THE TIME

Nothing makes you look like a flowing expert than time and practice put into getting to know your hoop. If you want to look like your inspirations, get ready to put in years of your life dedicated to the art. You can be just as good or maybe even better! However, this will not happen overnight. Use our other articles and resources on this website to find out how you can get as good as possible as fast as possible!

8. ABSORB INSPIRATION

Find your favorite hoop dancers online and watch their videos. Study their bodies, their movements and their overall appearance. Pause their videos and study what shapes their bodies are making and what their arms and legs are doing. Rachel Sullivan’s YouTube Channel (danceswithcircles)

9. CROSS YOUR LEGS!

Making sure my horizontal planes are clean during this doubles move

Not only does this method help you get a fancy looking spin, but it also creates an awesome shape effect. If you want to use this for the spin, here is how. If you cross your right leg over your left leg, that creates a good spin to your left. If you cross your left leg over your right leg, that will make a good spin to your right. Think that whichever leg is behind, that is the direction you will spin.

10. HAVE FUN!

Let loose and don’t take everything too seriously. The more pressure you feel, the stiffer your body becomes. Dancers have flowing, loose, and elegant movements. They are comfortable in their bodies and their art. If you feel you are working too hard to achieve this, step away for a while. If all else fails, refer back to number 7.

I do have more tips available so watch out for other articles that may reveal more of my secrets!

When Hooping Isn't Enough

We've all been in our life ruts. We've all had the ups and downs that have made us who we are today. Some of us that are getting close to age 30 (or older) have started to learn that life doesn't get easier, you just get better at reacting to the constant unexpected struggles. You get better at taking advantage of the highs when you have the rare pleasure of good news or when great things that happen to you. 

Hooping is amazing. It helps with an incredible amount of things in life and can have a magical ability to erase our problems while in the circle. It can center our minds and focus us back to where we need to be. In my experience, it nearly cured my depression, got me exercising, gave me a purpose, and made me into a much better version of myself. However, lately it just hasn't been enough. Hooping is the best thing that ever happened to me and I am sure it is the same for many of you. However, there are some things that it just can't help. There are some things that prevent me from having any interest in even looking at those plastic circles of joy. Those things talk me out of hooping and tell me there probably is no point in trying anymore. They are within me and they are the monsters I have been battling with.

My depression this time around is a solid mix between Seasonal Affective Disorder (depression due to the lack of sunlight from Fall changing to Winter) and situational depression. When the sun is shining outside and coming through the windows, I feel much better and more energetic. On these days, I can often get through the stressful and disheartening life situations causing my depression. However, I am quickly reminded of the situation that I don't have flow-friendly people to share my bright days with. If I want to spend time hooping or practicing flow arts with people, I have to find people who will make time for me, want to be with me, and have the desire to join me for a solid practice session. Lately, those people haven't existed. One of my best flow art friends has moved away and another is about to do the same. I am feeling incredibly lonely.

This year, my hooping classes have seemed to come to a screeching halt. When I opened the 3 days per week classes in September, I assumed they would be booming and doing better than ever before. I even opened up a whole new age group for the younger kids, as requested by the area. I also thought that since I had been teaching these classes for years, I had built a large number of interested people. I have taken and tried advice from many other professionals in the field. I am confused about why this year has been the opposite of what I expected. I have had two students attend one class, and none since. Being a reasonable person who can take a hint, everything is telling me to quit and never look back.

There are other life stresses and other issues I have been experiencing, but not being able to spend time with people doing what I enjoy most has been making these stresses unbearable. Hooping is outstanding for my depression and has been the best thing I have ever done to help it, but this is the first time I have severely struggled to find anyone to share it with. I haven't had any desire to do it. Hooping just isn't enough right now. Things have to get better it seems.

Perhaps everything will fall into place when I convince myself that hooping alone is just as fulfilling and enjoyable as hooping with others. Until I find out a way to get past my inability to enjoy hooping alone, I am afraid I will stay hindered and unhappy.

Topic - Native American Hoop Dance - Anthropology Final Paper

I am publishing this due to a big response and request from Unity of the Hula Hoopers. I am not interested in any criticism or suggestions. This paper is finished and graded at 96%.

I am just posting as per your request to read a copy. Thanks!

Anthropology: Final Paper

How important Movement Arts are to cultures (specifically, hoop dance and the flow arts).

            The arts are incredibly important and crucial to cultures everywhere. Humans have a need to express their highly evolved feelings and ideas about themselves and their world. Art is defined as “the creative use of the human imagination to aesthetically interpret, express, and engage life, modifying experienced reality in the process" (Haviland, 2014). Art can be used to express parts of cultures in ways that every day storytelling cannot. Most societies use art as a symbol for their culture, with ideas about their family, ethnicity, identity, and religion. Art comes in many forms such as verbal, musical, movement and visual. Often, art is expressed in a combination of those forms (Haviland, 2014).

            One such art form that combines musical, movement, and visual forms is called “hoop dance”. Some modern presentations of hoop dance also include a verbal expression through text or voice within a video. Hoop dance is a powerful and beneficial form of art that is experienced and practiced among cultures around the entire world. The hoop dance culture is extensive, found everywhere, and can mean many different things depending on who you ask. The average person may only think of a kid’s “hula hoop”. If you ask a passionate hoop dancer, however, they may speak of hoops as a sacred, extraordinary phenomenon. One of the most widely known versions of hoop dance is practiced by Native Americans.

            The name of this particular culture’s dance is Native American Hoop Dancing. Paintings have been found that depict hoop dancing and are dated back to the 18^th century. The dance used to be called rainbow dance and several other nations started practicing it around this time period. It is believed that the Great Lake Ottawa were the first tribe to perform hoop dance with two hoops. This is where the dancers first adopted their practice of picking the hoops up with their feet before they touch them with their hands. Tony White Cloud is considered to be the founder of the modern hoop dance. He re-invented the art form by performing in public with multiple hoops at once. Now, modern day hoop dance can include as many as 50 hoops (Johnston, 2009).

            The reason why hoops are used to practice their dance is because the hoop is a sacred symbol. It signifies the never-ending circle of life. It is symbolic of the interconnectedness of life, and also symbolic of the continuity of past, present, and future. When more than one hoop is used, it represents how many things can live together in harmony. “Everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the power of the world always works in circles, and everything tries to be round (Johnston, 2009). A dancer performing with hoops is paying respect to not only the sacred circle, but everything that is connected to it (animals, people, and nature). Within a circle, there is equality. “No one is in front and no one is behind, no one is above and no one is below" (Johnston, 2009).

            Native American tribes perform hoop dance much differently than other cultures around the world. However, the meaning behind the hoops and circles is somewhat universal. Most “hoopers” or “hoop dancers” around the world will agree that the hoops are a sacred thing in one form or another. Each hoop dancer in the hoop dance culture is expected to participate in a certain code of ethics/honor. If someone chooses to be a part of the hoop culture, they are expected to treat all others as equals, reduce or suspend judgment, support others in their goals and dreams, help others when they are in need, and to exhibit a lifestyle of kindness. Native American Hoop dancers and other hoop cultures can agree that hoops symbolize equality. A worldwide culture of equality is something worthwhile and meaningful.

            The art form is transcendental, exhilarating, and life-changing to say the least. The benefits of hooping are the reason it is becoming very well-known. So much so that a peer-reviewed journal was written about how hoop dance can be used to prevent severe health issues and occupational hazards. Although this document has been written for those in the nursing profession, just about anyone could benefit from its pointers. The title is “Hoop dancing to prevent and decrease burnout and compassion fatigue”. The article begins by mentioning that play is vital to our survival. “The opposite of play is depression”. As hoop dance is a form of movement meditation, it can prevent burnout and compassion fatigue.

            Compassion fatigue occurs with caring professionals that experience and absorb traumatic stress from those that they are helping and also their family members/friends. They are witness to spiritual, emotional, and physical suffering on a daily basis. Burnout is characterized when one experiences depersonalization, feelings of low or zero personal accomplishment, and emotional exhaustion. The reason hoop dance is suggested here as a form of therapy is because hoop dance is a powerful play tool. Play is vital to physical, spiritual, and mental well-being. Hoop dance as a form of play requires presence, persistence, a positive attitude, and passion. Hoop dance produces the ability to let go of stressors and negative feelings. The hoop creates a special boundary between the person inside and any negative external factors in their lives. Although the article doesn't refer to hoop dance as an art, it is considered to be.

            Whether hoop dance is viewed as an art or just a form of play, it is most definitely an extraordinary art form. The cultural significance is easily understood within Native American Hoop Dancers, but there is also much cultural significance within other hoop dancers around the world. Hoop dance is just a small piece of a puzzle called “flow arts”, which opens up a whole new book of culture. The flow arts can be explained as the emerging movement based arts which integrate creative exploration, dance, and skilled prop manipulation. The flow arts combine many ancient and modern movements such as juggling, martial arts, circus, and hoops (Flow Arts, 2010).

            In the textbook on page 582, another example of a flow art is exhibited, called “Sufi Sema” or “whirling dervishes”. Many hoop dancers are interested in this as well because they utilize sustained spinning just as hoop dancers do. They also experience a state of “flow” while doing their dance. The textbook perfectly describes a flow artist’s experience with their prop and dance. It is the same transcendental feeling of being “freed from earthly ties and is able to jubilantly commune with the divine… an entrance from the material world to the spiritual (Haviland 2014).” Flow artists all around the world can find multiple ways to connect with each other on the same level and achieve equality. The flow arts unite people of all genders, backgrounds, beliefs, locations, and cultures.

            The movement arts can be classified in many ways. Dancing with or without props to manipulate can be a beautiful sight and feeling. Many people would agree that art can be a very powerful symbol. That symbol communicates an important message that “we’re still here, and we’re still a culturally distinct people with our own particular beliefs and values (Haviland, pg 617-618).” As humans, we are always going to express ourselves in any way we feel we can make the best, biggest statement about ourselves and our lives.

Works Cited

Haviland, William A., McBride, Bunny, Prins, Harald E. L., & Walrath, Dana (2014).                   

             Anthropology: The Human Challenge (14^th ed.). Belmont, CA. Wadsworth.

Johnston, R., Hixon, K., & Anton, V. (2009). The never-ending circle of life: Native american      

            hoop dancing from its origin to the present day. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & 

           Dance, 80(6), 21-25,30. Retrieved from  http://search.proquest.com/docview/215754751?

           accountid=39502

Sánchez, C., Valdez, A., & Johnson, L. (2014). Hoop dancing to prevent and decrease burnout    and 

              compassion fatigue. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 40(4), 394-5.           

               doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2014.04.013

The Flow Arts (2010). http://fundtheflowarts.org/the-flow-arts/

It is Time to Level Up! Honor Hoop Teachers

Teaching my small hoop class at the dance studio

What's Been Going on?

More people seem to be trying to protest our decision to ask for payment for classes. Many people are trying to find "loop holes" and refuse to pay for lessons. Many people attend hoop jams just so they can learn everything free. Hoop jams are meant for fun, practice, and being with other hoopers. I go to hoop jams to practice and flow. I do not attend or hold jams to teach or be taught. Some people are demanding that instructors teach them everything they want to know for free, simply out of the kindness of their hearts. 

Recently, I have been manipulated, insulted, and threatened by someone trying to get free lessons from me. This person cannot learn via YouTube tutorials and requires face-to-face lessons. They found someone who told them "it is a passion, not a job" and they agreed to teach her everything for free. Before she found this person, she was going to pay me for lessons and had no problem with it. She used to see the value in me. I offered her money-saving deals to work with her. I spent a lot of time and energy helping her, giving her advice, and even giving her the first private lesson free. She seems to have completely forgotten all that I did for her. Now, she's turned to insulting me and all hooping instructors. At this point, I've had enough and I decided to do something about it.

How do Hoop Instructors Feel?

 "We have an incredibly transformative tool at our disposal, yet people in our community can't make a living teaching it. This needs to stop. No matter what you are teaching to others, there needs to be an exchange of energy. If we spend our time giving hoop classes away for free, we'll all be broke, burnt out and would hate hooping! Does a teacher, doctor, lawyer, shopkeeper, or whoever give their stuff away for free? No. We shouldn't expect them to. Why is that just because it's a hula hoop that we can't charge for our time?  It's time for our community to level up. This is a tool for transforming lives. If we don't charge for it, who is going to see the value in it?"  Meagan Ruppert

The Simple Truth

It is NOT wrong to ask for compensation for our time, energy, resources, and valuable knowledge. It isn't simply showing up to a location to teach people some tricks. It goes far beyond that, as any hoop instructor knows. It took us a long time to build up our teaching skills. Some paid hundreds to get trained for teaching (although I could not afford that option). We have to pay a rental fee or percentage for the place we hold classes. We have to buy supplies to create special hoops for our students to use in class.  Some of us are dealing with an area with very few jobs. Rather than staying unemployed, we took a chance and are trying to create our own jobs. We spend hours outside of class preparing class outlines, lesson plans, business cards, and more. We know what we are doing and we know that asking for payment is justified.

What IS wrong is expecting us to give all of that away for free every time you want a free lesson. It is unfair to expect us to schedule you in for endless free services that others are happy to pay for. They see the value in us, even if you don't. You cannot force us to change our minds. You have no right to make hoop instructors feel badly about themselves for requiring payment. If you can't afford the classes, we should not be punished for that. If you know the actual value of hooping and hoop dance and the benefits it provides, you will know the value of instructors.

Since my low-income city provides very little opportunities, I will volunteer my time once in a while
for some events, but I usually charge for my services. I recently started putting out a tip jar.

The Struggle Where I Live

I often tell myself how much easier it would be if I just moved away from this low-income city. Most of the people are set in their ways and don't understand the value of what I do. I feel like I have been living in the wrong place for years now. However, I would feel guilty for leaving this city. My city would benefit tremendously from hooping in so many ways. I want to stay to benefit the residents of Titusville. I understand why adults want me to teach a kids class. Most of them probably still think hoops are only for children and haven't been educated about why hoops benefit adults. I have tried for over a year to educate the area's adults about the benefits. I prefer and specialize in teaching older age groups and it is what I have chosen as my path. I think adults need the stress-relief, anxiety/depression relief, weight loss, and the many other benefits that hooping provides. I never even liked hula hoops when I was a kid. I didn't see their value until age 25 and they changed my life.

What Should the Hooping Community Do?

We are asking hoopers to support ALL hooping and hoop dance teachers. To refuse to support others goes against what all hoopers stand for. Support for others and their dreams is ALWAYS #1 in the hooping community. This support doesn't just end at supporting hooping teachers. It also means charging for your own services. If you don't feel it is worth charging for, who is going to?

"It's time for our community to level up. This is a tool for transforming lives. If we don't charge for it, who is going to see the value in it?"

 

STOMP OUT NEGATIVITY ON SOCIAL MEDIA

A Challenge to Change your Habits

I am writing this from a place of pure experience, struggle, and then sudden clarity. I have always been defensive. Ever since I can remember, I could not handle criticism for the most part. Something happened recently and I am not really sure what. A sudden clarity has hit me where it was always blurry before. I can suddenly walk away from social media situations that would have always made me crazy and spend hours defending myself before.

For about a year now, a  good friend of mine has been saying "What you see in others is a reflection of yourself". For a long time, it made no sense to me. I thought about it too literally. I didn't explore the thought for a long time. I thought things like "What does hating mean people have to do with me? How does that show a reflection of me? I am a good person." I could not see how things about others would be a reflection of myself. They had nothing to do with me. Or so I thought....

Then, I started to really think about it. If you have an issue with someone or something, it really is a reflection of you. This is because it is actually the process of you doubting your ability to deal with the situation. It is really your inability to just walk away from an issue. It is a reflection of your failure to find peace in the problem (whatever it may be). When you hate someone, that is your inability to deal with and find peace with the fact that you cannot control the behavior and thoughts of another. You simply need to realize they aren't worth your time and energy. The only thing you can do is to focus on what you can do in your life and how you can be a positive part of the world. Think of how much better life can be if you use this to suddenly have some control over things. You can ALWAYS control how you respond to other people. You are in control of yourself.

I don't know what clicked inside of me to make this clear, but I am grateful that it did.

The problem:

There is all kinds of negativity all over the internet. Some people are just plain hurtful. Most of them are just dying for a response so they can argue and feed off the debate. They will never go away. You cannot fix them. You may never understand any of them. Here's the secret:

You do not want to respond to them. Your response is actually likely to make you look like the bad guy (even if it doesn't make sense). This is something I learned the hard way. It is one of those things many people tell you (but you don't actually listen or understand it). People will often take the side of the original instigator simply based on the fact that you wanted to defend yourself (even if you had every right to defend yourself). 

SOCIAL MEDIA "STOMP OUT NEGATIVITY" CHALLENGE

I came up with this because I was in "Unity of the Hula Hoopers" (over 17,000 members) and read something that someone said about something I said earlier that day. I wanted so badly to respond and defend myself. However, I did not say a single word. I knew that I had control over how I reacted. I knew that defending myself would only make everything worse. So, I came up with the "stomp out negativity" challenge instead and I immediately posted it in the group. Within 48 minutes, it had 60 "likes". The photo below is something I am proud of and what I decided to post.

The Challenge:

When someone posts something that upsets you or makes you want to defend yourself, you should take a deep breath. DO NOT respond.  

Instead of defending yourself, post something about yourself that you are proud of in a new post. This can be pictures, videos, or describe in words. This isn't just for facebook. It can be for ANY social media platform. Be as positive as possible and encourage others to do the same.

Use the power of what you feel secure with to defeat any insecure feelings you have about what someone said. Security overpowers insecurity. Everyone should have something that makes them feel safe and proud.

If you don't have something to be proud of to post or share with others, you should start working on that right away. Find your "happy place". If you continue to try to defend yourself, it will keep negativity alive. Let's stomp it out!

How to Encourage Others to Take Part:

Copy and paste the following words (or use similar words) to go with your post. This will go with the picture, video, or words you want to share. (what you are proud of)

"When someone posts something that makes you want to defend yourself, DO NOT respond.  

Instead, post something about yourself that you are proud of in a new post. This can be pictures, videos, or described in words. Use the power of what you feel secure with to defeat any insecure feelings you have about what someone said. Security overpowers insecurity. Everyone should have something that makes them feel safe and proud. If you don't have something to be proud of to post or share with others, you should start working on that right away. Find your "happy place". Let's stomp it out!"

My Newest Project - Products Hoopers Love

Logo for productshooperslove.com

 www.productshooperslove.com

As an experienced hooper, I have noticed in the past couple of years that hoopers need help with finding products they will be happy with. This website is your one-stop place to find information on just about any product you can imagine as a hooper. From water bottles to smart hoops, my goal is to inform you and make you satisfied with your purchase choice.

This website serves the following purposes:

1. Extensive information

Each product featured on this site has been researched and/or owned by myself in order to relay accurate and complete information. Each product recommendation post will include information on products I own. For example: why I like it, how often I use it, experiences with it, how long I have had it, and more. They may also include information on products I do not own but have researched extensively.

2. Educational photos

Photos will often include a tutorial about how to use the product, how to find a feature on it, and more.

3.  Tutorials through video

Many of the videos will include tutorials on how to use the product, how to find the features, and more.

4.  Comparisons on Select Products

Purchases such as LED hoops, fire hoops and smart hoops are easier when you can compare them to others. This site will include comparison charts and other posts or documents to help you decide which to buy.

5. Troubleshooting

This website strives to only feature products with a great reputation and high customer satisfaction ratings. (Comparison charts are for comparison only and may not include only high rated companies). If you are experiencing an issue with a product you purchased after seeing it on this site, I will do my best to troubleshoot for you and find out how to fix the issue, fix the product, or return it for a refund. I will work closely with product manufacturers to ensure you trust this site to provide secure information and quality products.

My Hooping: How it All Began and Where it is Now

Me with my very first hula hoop: a $5 Walmart hoop covered in duct tape

As a child, I never liked hula hoops. I tried to do it and I never could. I actually refused play with them or to learn how to do it and gave up. Then, I found myself face to face with hula hoops again at age 25 on New Year’s Eve, 2011. My friend and I decided to goof around with some children’s hula hoops and I was not good at it. I tried it again with a group of friends about a month later and failed pretty badly once again. I had lost interest at that point. I had no motivation or reason to keep trying. Then, one day I went to Walmart and ended up purchasing a $5 hula hoop. I got it for my dogs to jump through for exercise and stimulation. When I got home, I put together an elaborate obstacle course for them. I tried picking them up and passing them through it. I tried throwing tennis balls through it, in hopes they would follow. They didn’t want anything to do with it. They were actually scared of it.

​

A few weeks later on April 1st, I noticed that hula hoop wasn't being used for anything. It was just sitting there. I decided to pick it up and try it out again. I had a determination about me that I never had before. As I was still struggling, I looked up “how to hula hoop” on YouTube. That is where I realized that the world of hooping was more than just rotating around the waist. I quickly found tutorials on many different moves and techniques. I saw Shakti Sunfire's Boulder Colorado Dance video and fell in love with how hoop dance looked. It was magical. 

After finally keeping it up on my waist, I moved on to my first trick, called the “lift-up”. I worked on that one for weeks. I had read that a heavy hula hoop was easier, so I went on to cover it in two layers of duct tape. The hoop was starting to dent, bend, and kink throughout learning. Shortly after, I discovered that I was using the wrong hoop. I found out that my hoop needed to be at least 40 inches in diameter, with thicker tubing and a heavier weight. I was going to purchase one, but my creative side took over and I decided to make my own instead. My husband and I went to the local hardware store and bought 50 feet of irrigation tubing, connectors, vinyl tape, and colored duct tape. We made one for each of us and found it much easier to learn.

​

At this point, I was discovering just how huge the hooping community was, spanning across the entire world. I knew I had found what I loved to do. For the first time in my life, I knew the group of people I fit in with. I began taking pictures and videos of myself hooping to share my experiences. I got a good response right away. I began finding other “hoopers” on facebook and building friendships. The first set of hooper friends I met around 2-3 months in were great at first, but ended up treating me badly. I went through a really hard time from this but I did not give up. Those people motivated me to be better than I ever imagined I could be.

​

I have struggled with severe depression and anxiety since I was about 15 years old. I had tried everything to get it under control. It ruined many of my days I could have spent functioning and happy. I mostly lived my life in a negative, sad, tired and pathetic way. I didn’t care to connect with other people or make friends. I was angry at and jealous of all people that were able to function normally on a day to day basis. That was before I discovered hooping.

​

I quickly began to realize that this hula hoop discovery was MUCH more than just something to keep me busy. It became the one and only thing that has made my depression and anxiety tolerable. Exercise is great for depression and anxiety, but this was much more than that. It was my exercise, hobby, escape, positivity, confidence, happiness, belonging, relaxation, challenge, health, motivation, inspiration, and my ambition. I am now turning this amazing part of my life into a career.

2 years and 4 months later:

Although throughout the years I was bullied, discouraged, broken, and hurt, I became a success story. I refused to be a victim to anyone who wanted me to fail. I used the hurt and turned it into proof that they were wrong. I wanted them to see me succeed, despite their great efforts to break me down.

Now,

I am sponsored by Citiva Creationz LED Hoops and Indika Creationz Clothing. 

I am a top paid writer for www.hooptricks.org. 

I have over a year of experience in performing and teaching hooping. 

I have taught classes at 3 locations so far. 

I have performed at over 20 different events. 

I have been partnered with YouTube with over 30,000 views and 435 subscribers. This means I am paid for certain videos and amounts of views on my channel.

Thank you to anyone who has been part of my success. Whether you have supported me or tried to make me fail. Either way, you helped me.