acts of jennius

Birthday Hoopiness

Posted on by jennabee25
Post by Acts of Jennius – Hoop Performance & Instruction.

I was so glad I went to hooping class on my birthday.  At the end of the hour, Jenny had a Happy Birthday Hoopla for me, complete with balloons, glow sticks, bubbles, and comb tiara for me.  She even gave me a little birthday “wand” made out of a glow stick and plastic cake stuck on top of it.  I waved it around wearing my tiara like, well, it was my birthday.  Jenny took the photos above, and I am in the one in the pink shirt.  I had a great time, and I want to thank Jenny and my fellow classmates for making me feel extra special last night!

As for class, we compounded on what we learned last week.  Jenny showed the experienced students how to experiment with spin and anti-spin, including doing the lift while spinning in the opposite direction of the hoop.  It’s a cool move!  We also did some sequence work using helicopter in vertical plane, including tosses.  The gym we have class in has wonderfully high ceilings. 

Just for fun, here’s a photo of me in my birthday glory and my wonderful Flyers-colored “Jenntober” ice cream cake.  Yay!

Hooping and Monkeys

Posted on by jennabee25

I wonder what a monkey would do if you gave one a hoop. 

Katie had a run in with a monkey while spending time out in a state park.  She met some guy who kept one as a pet.  And it bit people.  A lot.  Eeeee.

Ok, monkeys aside, class was great last night!  We did a pretty intense warm up and the strengthening exercises we did were pretty intense. 

Technique-wise, we worked on paddles and breaking.  This was completely new to me.  I would see other hoopers doing these moves, and thinking, that was a long way off for me.  By the end of the night, I was doing it!  Yay!  Katie says it will help with my shoulder hooping.  I wish it wasn’t raining outside right now so I could practice doing this tonight. 

We also worked on elbow hooping.  I had done elbow hooping in Jenny’s double hooping class, so I had the basic idea of what to do.  Katie showed us how to pass the hoop from elbow to elbow behind our backs, too.  I have the right idea, but it will come with practice.

Speaking Jenny…..she has a spiffy new website!  You need to take a look.

So, that’s my hooping fun from yesterday.  I’m thinking of making a short video of my progress thus far and posting it.  I have some old video game remix tunes that would be great for a soundtrack.  If the weather cooperates in the next few days, perhaps.

Shiny Hoops and Class Reboot

Posted on by jennabee25

There were A LOT of people at the start of Jenny’s new session of the core class.  Some were there for the first time, and others, like me, were there for the second time around.  Or third, even!  She kept all levels of hoopers there occupied by either trying new things as a group, or sectioning the two levels of experience off there, showing one group one, and the other a more advanced move.  It was so much fun, as usual!

To the right is a heavily edited picture of one of the hoops I made.  I used purple electrical tape as the base, and got some indigo sun tape and white gaffer tape from Hoopologie.  Gaffer tape causes me stress if I use it as a base.  It does not cooperate.  When I use it on top of the electrical tape, though, things go much better.  The indigo sun tape was paper backed, so I cut into strips as I applied it somewhat haphazardly.  Still, the effect is cool.  I was surprised that the indigo tape wasn’t solid, but rather translucent.  It’s pretty neat, otherwise.

Another girl in class, Tara, made some hoops, too, using a lighter type of piping, namely 100 psi tubing.  I’ve been using 160 psi.  After discovering this, we’re both going to cut piping in the size of the hoops the other wants, and trade what we have.  I want lighter hoops, and she wants heavier.  It all works out!

So, that’s the hooping scoop for this week.

End of Class and Spreading Hoopiness

Posted on by jennabee25

Yesterday was the last day of class.  Coming out of my cold/flu/thing, I went and hooped it out of me.  Well, almost.  I’m still stuffy, but I feel better!

Below is a photo that Jenny took of us in her class and posted on her Facebook page.  I’m the one in the green shirt on the end with bare feet.

I think I may have spread hoopiness to some other members of my family.  I invited my mother to the next series, and she in turn told my aunt about it, who is interested in trying out hooping now, too!  Yay!   I sent them the pertinent info about signing up.  I hope that they do.  Mom and Aunt Ellen, if you are reading this, DO IT.  We will have so much fun together!

Post by Acts of Jennius – Hoopiness.