It's official, the Hoop Path Tour will be in beautiful LA, CA, on April 7th at the Hollywood Dance Center (www.hollywooddancecenter.com/) from 4 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. The space holds a lot of hoopers I'm told, but if you know you would like to come you can hold a spot by emailing The Hoop Path at thehooppath@gmail.com. The cost of the workshop is 65 dollars payable by cash or check at the time of the event. As with all of my workshops, tuition assistance is available to those who have special needs. Below is description of the workshop and some answers to questions you may have.

****I have posted a new video on the Hooping Videos tribe in case you want to see my hooping style.****


"The Hoop Path: First Steps" Workshop

This 3-hour intensive will introduce you to the inspiring myths and powerful metaphors of The Hoop Path, a spiritual approach to hoopdance that has slowly built itself out of Jonathan Baxter's years of daily Hoop Practice. Bax's teaching incorporates prayerful guidance and unique storytelling as well as the straightforward breaking down of moves and practice of new techniques. This workshop is for those of us who already feel a connection with Hooping that goes far deeper than pure fitness, or for those hoopers who yearn to deepen and expand their Practice into subtler levels of awareness and grace. Together we will define and explore Hoop Path terms such as: pe*A*ce, Ritmo, One Tree/Two Tree; as well as established techniques such as Reversing, Breaking, Paddling and Angle Hooping.

Thoughts based on the recent PacNW shops:

I have learned many lessons already in this tour. Some of you may notice that I have omitted some terms from the curriculum for the "First Steps" workshop. As the workshop took shape we realized that we had been a little too optimistic with regards to how much info we could pack in. We have shortened our list and we believe the workshop is better for it.

Here are some other things we have learned:

1. Students are encouraged to bring pads and pens with which to take notes. We do not provide a printed text, so if you are the sort that likes to have things written down, then by all means, we encourage you. If you should forget, we will have pads available.

2. This workshop is rigorous. We hoop a lot. Though there is a long opening talk, we will easily hoop for two solid hours. Please come prepared with water, snacks, redbull (hooper crack), or whatever else. (I don't endorse redbull, I'm only trying to be funny here.)

3. My workshops are not "move swaps." At least, not by design. We work on developing a Hoop Practice and opening oneself up to winds of undiscovered expression. I expected to feel friction with this, but I think not having a list of moves to work through actually relaxed the students who came.

4. We don't actually hoop naked. Sorry. That was just a joke.

5. This didn't come up in PacNW, but we do not allow video taping.

6. The "First Steps" workshop emphasizes the Core and the Current. We will not get into Samurai Hooping.

7. You do not need to have a super small hoop for the "First Steps" workshop.

8. This is a BYOH event.

PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING:

Many have asked about what level of hooping skill is required to attend the workshop. This has proved to be a tough question to answer. I would suggest that those interested in coming should have some flight time with hooping in their Second Current, at least, at the waist level. For those of you who are unfamiliar, this means that you should be able to hoop both directions. You do not need to be fluent in both, but some experience in both will make for a much better workshop for you. Know also that we may go over things which are beyond what you can currently do. There is no way of getting around this. If you can afford yourself some patience, this doesn't have to be frustrating. Honestly, I think is the "newbie" hooper who may have the most to gain from the approach we take to Hoop Practice.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Baxter