More Thoughts on "Flow" Compared with "Show" Style Hooping

Still on my journey to understanding the distinction between circus hooping and flow hooping!  Some thoughts on this I had today - please comment if you agree or disagree - like I said - this is a study in process for me!

With circus, when you make your piece to perform, you do so with a very deliberate effort to include skills you will not miss.  You are not trying to show everything you can do or even the best stuff you can do, you are trying to be 97% or above without misses.  At least, that was what they wanted from the flying trapeze act - I would imagine the pressure on the ground acts is no different.

With flow hooping, you just try to show the music through your movement.  If there are drops - you pick up in the way you most feel it, and keep going.

What's interesting about it to me, as a viewer, is that I would rather watch someone try their best stuff, even if they miss.  But I feel that way as a trapeze artist as well, despite the fact producers just want clean.  I like to see people working at their limits.  I enjoy observing the hunger for improvement, and the application of oneself to that effort.

Another thought, as I collect hoopers to follow and observe how I feel about different people's videos - when I like someone's hooping - it seems to have less to do with the skills - but really more about "how" they move.  Their style of movement between the skills can make the difference between interest and boredom.  Musicality has a lot to do with this too, but I think this interest in movement style would even hold true for silent hooping.  I also think that movement style - while somewhat innate - can be developed.  

A Rut Busting Movement Study

Ever feel like you know all these moves, but when you actually hoop to music you forget them, or don't use them, or don't know how to fit them in?

I experience this a lot, and I think others do too.

I have a feeling putting myself through the following studies will help.  I also think it will be awkward and uncomfortable - but I know it sometimes takes getting through that to get to that delicious place.  So, here goes...

1.  Pick two skills you like and would like to use more.
2.  Think of ten different ways to connect them.  (The number ten is important.  The first two or three will be easy.  It's around turn 7 or 8 where the creativity becomes essential).  Really consider all directions here - over, under, around, above, below, diagonal, through other skills, through the air, across the floor etc.
3.  Play a "insert music category" song,  and record each transition at least five times.
4.  Watch the tries, and assess:

-  Did any work?  Do you like them?

-  Did any happy mistakes happen, that have nothing to do with this exercise, but that might be useful elsewhere?  Note them, save these!

-  What didn't work?  Does it have potential, and it could work with more practice?  Or it's just not even worth trying to salvage?

Next, change the following:

-  the order of the two skills

-  lipstick color (or some other external appearance factor, it doesn't really matter what!)

-  outfit

-  music category

-  camera angle - perhaps even location.  (But actually, even though I used a picture on a rock on a beach for this post, I don't recommend that!  Do it somewhere private so you don't even have to think about others and can be completely, unapologetically self-indulgent in your study!).

Repeat steps 1-4.

Next, think of your favorite hooper (or three!).  How would they connect these skills?  Try it.

From all this, take your three favorite outtakes (the combos or movements you liked most).  Now pick three adjectives.  Here are some ideas:

-  excited

-  sad

-  sultry

-  sharp

-  fluid

-  edgy

-  sassy

-  slowly

-  intensely

-  animal like (any animal of your choice)

-  child like

-  robotic

Really, anything you think of will do.  Now try to perform the combination, in that style of movement.  

(This is an exercise we used to use on balance beam when I was a kid growing up in gymnastics.  It helps by focusing the mind on something other than the obstacle.  I actually used a similar tactics in a skiing lesson last weekend.  I had a really timid, controlled skier.  Her skill level exceeded her confidence.  I tried a bunch of things with her, but what ended up working in the end, was to give her a chant to repeat while skiing - "bend, plant, extend" while she was turning.  It was amazing to see how much more fluid her skiing got - and more importantly, how much more joyful she got!  I felt so relieved and happy that I could help her, because for a while nothing I was trying worked.  But the reaction was like freeing someone from a cage!)

This approach may seem really high maintenance, and frankly - anal.  I get it.  If it takes longer than 20-30 minutes to work through all of this - I would stop and divide it into 20 minute chunks on different days.  It's super important to have fun while hooping, or I know I personally get not as consistent about showing up.  But I do believe that getting "scientific", or uber-process oriented about the approach to study can yield great results!  I wouldn't want to do it all the time - but in it's place, it really opens doors!