Hoop Dance as a Tool for Empowerment

Ninja Hoops Badassery

Since my last post I have experienced some serious up's and down's, as per usual. It's been the theme of the past year. Consistency in mood is a thing of the past. Instead I am feeling intense highs - super elation, true gratifying experiences, exciting opportunities - and equally intense lows - confusion, betrayal, disappointment, emotional mood swings, harsh realizations about myself. It feels like this Saturn Return is still holding strong. As I make my way into my late 20's and see the dawn of my 30's closing in, I experience super-charged downloads about who I am and what is important to me. I feel a serious break with my past-self and an opportunity to create my new present/future self. That opportunity is always there but for some reason, at this time of my life, it's very apparent. Change is good, right? Bags said that when you initiate change on your own, it makes you more flexible and ready to deal with change when it happens without your consent. I like that outlook. 

Check out the Spin Summit!

The future is truly shining bright! I am ecstatic to have some tremendous opportunities ahead. I will be performing all over California in April, including at the Lucidity Festival in Santa Barbara, an exciting burlesque show in San Francisco with Mynx D'Meanor and onboard a yacht (!!!) for the High Seas Tease. Just to name a few! Ninja Hoops from Oakland will be gracing us with their presence teaching workshops in San Diego the weekend of April 27th & 28th. You do not want to miss that!

Then I am off to Colorado to participate in the Spin Summit! I am so excited to be going back there this year! I will get to teach, perform, play, share and connect with amazing flow artists in the beautiful rocky mountains. If you are interested, check out their amazing instructor line-up. The tickets are incredibly affordable for all of the epicness you get to be apart of. 

Hello Vegas! Are you ready?

Shortly after that I will be heading to Las Vegas to compete in the Best Group Category with my troupe, The Hoop Unit at the Burlesque Hall of Fame! This is a dream of mine that I have had for 3+ years! And it's finally happening! Woohoo! (<--- insert that "Manifestation...Hoop Dance as a Tool for Empowerment HOORAY" here!) I have applied to be apart of this event since 2010 and am honored to have been accepted in the running. Needless to say, my life will be consumed with preparation for such a HUGE opportunity. I better start rhinestoning NOW! My life can't be completely

Travel through Time and Space on June 14th!

consumed by it though because not only will I be preparing for that, I will also be producing a show June 14th in San Diego! The Time Machine Show will take the audience on a journey through time and space with Tribal, Circus and Burlesque fusion performance art! We even have a Tardis! And Bags, the male hooper of the Year on Hooping.org from the UK, will be performing an epic Dr. Whoop act! This is the second time in 2013 I will have an international headliner. I think I am seeing a pattern :) There is also an out-of-state performance happening from Caterina Suttin (If you don't know who she is yet, you're about to! This woman is taking the hooping scene by storm!) and my number-one Burlesque inspiration, Kristina Nekyia, will once again be gracing my stage! I am beyond stoked to be having her back!

Epic Road Trip!

If that wasn't enough. And if that didn't get your head spinning into a frenzy of excitement, I am ALSO planning a 3 month cross country road trip/workshop tour "Dreaming Circles" with Bags starting in mid June and ending after Burning Man and the Lake Tahoe Flow Arts Festival. I get to live in my car, camp and stay with amazing hoopers all over this beautiful country with the Male Hooper of the Year who also happens to be my lover and has a British accent :) Not only does he speak British to me and make me feel like I am imbued with Super Hooper Powers (juggling has become an obsession and I blame it on him) he is also vegan and pretty much holds every quality in a human that I want from a lover at the moment. How did I get so lucky? LIFE IS SWEET! If you live in any of these 20 cities, or know people who do, please spread the word! I am excited that I get to visit cities like New York and New Orleans that I have never been to (I will be in New York on my 28th birthday!) and I am excited to be spinning fire with the UK Fireworks Collective at Burning Man this year. Yes, I am an honorary Brit. Yes, I am obsessed with British culture and pretty much wish that I am British. I'll admit it. 

Dreaming Circles in Nicaragua

Watch our Nicaragua Hooping Video HERE.

The combination of traveling somewhere new, an obsession with hooping and hanging out with someone whom I respect, admire and inspires me has done amazing things to my brain. I am absolutely buzzing! The thoughts, the words, the ideas, the poetry - it's all racing through me. Gotta get it all out. That's what this blog is good for...

I just got back from an exciting adventure in Central America with Bags! He is currently living in Nicaragua for three months and working with Performers Without Borders. PWB's main goal is to "teach performing arts to vulnerable children in countries of high child poverty." I got to see firsthand how amazing this project is! It seems to be truly effective and I hope to work on a project like it one day.

Cutie at the Barrileta School

During the first two days of my trip, I went to the Barrileta School where they've been teaching hoop, poi, juggling, music, stilt walking, diablo, staff spinning, acro, etc. for about a month and a half. The students performed 2 shows for an audience including other students, the PWB team, teachers and parents of the community. The first show included some traditional Nicaraguan dances as well as clowning acts and circus arts they've learned from PWB. What a fun, funny and vibrant culture they have! 

The next day they performed only the various circus skills they've learned while working with PWB. I was completely impressed! Stilt walking and juggling/hooping at the same time?! Full-on 6 person balanced pyramids with someone standing on top juggling?! Epicness. They seemed really happy, confident and stoked to be building these skills. One of the teenagers read aloud a letter she had written (in English) to the team, expressing their gratitude for the time spent teaching them such amazingly empowering hobbies. It was extremely touching and meaningful! 

Bags hoopin' at the cool park we found in Matagalpa 

I had fun on the second day during the free-time just hooping, dancing and playing with the kids. They were so excited to see the team everyday, running up, hugging and jumping on the team members. The kids had so much love to give. Even though I couldn't communicate with them very much because my Spanish is basically non-existent, I could still interact with them through body language, facial expression and play. This type of interaction helped me realize the universality of human nature. We are just people. We're all humans. We all want the same things in life. We all just want to love and be loved. Somehow my brief interactions with these kids exposed me to this realization in a whole new way.

After that project was complete, we headed to Matagalpa, a mountain town in central Nicaragua. We wandered through the town, soaking it all in...exploring the parks, the cathedral and the shops. We drank cold Tonas everyday, the Nicaraguan beer. Ate the standard meal of beans and rice with plantains at the "comedors" (dining room) - which literally felt like you were eating in someone's living room. There was usually a mom-like character cooking your food for you (delicious!), possibly some bookshelves with family pictures on them, a TV on in the corner and a few tables with modest table clothes covering them. We drank coffee locally grown in that region and ate frozen bananas covered in chocolate. YUM!  

One of my favorites days was when we hiked to the top of a mountain overlooking the city. I felt like we were super resourceful travelers! Bags had done some research in an outdated guidebook which mentioned a Centre that provided hike outlines. We could have hired a guide to take us but what's the fun in that? Through asking various people and looking at a map, we happened to find the Centre with the brochures and picked out a few hikes we wanted to do. The brochures were in broken English with instructions like: "When you get to the water pump, go under the roof covering the pump, find the side of the pump the handle is on and then go through an opening in the fence on that side." Huh? We were sure to get lost but we were up to the challenge and getting lost is half the fun anyway! 

On our hike

And we did. We got lost, had to backtrack, had to ask locals in broken Spanish which way to go, accidentally walked through people's property with angry dogs barking at us, laughed at the blank stares coming from village children as we walked by in crazy circus clothes and hoops strapped to our backpack....the usual :) But what an adventure! We romped through mountains, forests and villages. I saw a snake! We saw huge beautiful multicolored butterflies and all kinds of lovely trees. There were farm animals in the villages - chickens, cows, donkeys, horses, dogs and cats everywhere. When we made it to the top, it was so worth it! We went straight up to the viewing tower, cracked open a bottle of wine I brought from home and ate some much needed snacks. The view was spectacular! 

We made it to the top!

We had super intense and wildly satisfying hoop sessions as well. Before coming to visit, Bags told me he had 12 pages of new hoop material he had thought up! 12 pages! Swoon :) We only touched on a fraction of the material but still covered many epic partner moves that came from that brilliant brain of his. When we juggle-partner poi-hoop together, it makes me feel like I can do anything! Like I am an invincible super hero....a hooper hero! It is a feeling like none I have ever experienced and I actually remember feeling it the first time I met him in San Diego years ago. We went to the grass in OB to have a play b/c he was in town to teach workshops. Without actually explaining his partner Z-Spin sequence to me, he just started doing it with me and it was like I already knew the moves and their order even though I had never done them before. I remember being stupefied by this. You can imagine how this synergy has been intensified by the month we spent playing together in England and the countless hours I have spent practicing while away from him. I have to say I am proud of my progression. When we came back to play in Nicaragua, it was like we never left each other. I have never met someone who makes me want to practice so much! He really makes me want to get better and I feel like I am instantly better just from sharing the same airspace as him :)

View of Matagalpa

We shot some video in another beautiful scenic location overlooking Matagalpa - HERE it is. We are trying to create awareness and interest in our cross country US Workshop tour from June - September this summer! Woohoo! I will be focusing on that project now that the Burlesque Circus show is over. Oh and how could I forget to mention...The Burlesque Circus was an EPIC display of beautifully crafted performance art expressing endless passion for the fusion of sideshow and strip tease! We sold out both nights, rocked the house with inspiring performance, raised money for the US tour and created rippling feelings of empowerment for everyone involved. Thank you for coming if you were able to make it! Some of my favorite feedback includes:

The Burlesque Circus

"...this show was so amazing!!!! By far the best $20 I've probably ever spent. All of the performances were so detailed, emotional, sexy, powerful! I was especially inspired by seeing all the beautiful body types being so clearly valued in burlesque. I'm a bit closer to getting on stage myself because of what I saw at your show! Thank you!" - Keli Lalita

"Thank you for putting on such an amazing, sold out show last night! All of the performers gave me a new definition of what is possible in the arena of dance, movement, and expression. I was frequently at a loss for words. Can't wait for the next show!" - Daniel Walsh

Needless to say it was a success and I can't wait for the next one! Mark your calendars for the weekend of June 14th-15th!

What's coming up this month? Anah Hoopalicious is coming down to SD THIS weekend to teach 2 days of workshops! 

THIS Saturday night is Breaking The Chains: A burlesque Benefit for Autism at Sunset Temple. 

Saturday, March 16th is Bobby Burlesque's Fantasy: Masquerade Show in LA! BUY your tickets asap!

April has all kinds of goodies as well! Stayed connected to know about all of it. 

The Power of Play

I love these Juggling jesters :)

As I think about my England trip, (yes I am STILL thinking about it...it had that much of a profound effect on me) I think about what else I want to write about. I already talked about some of my favorite experiences from the first couples weeks in my last post, but haven't really touched on the rest of the trip. There is so much more to share!

One of the main things I think I gained from the experience is a new outlook on how I want to structure my life...and my time. What's important to me? I think that my value system has shifted slightly. That's why we travel, right? New perspectives on life...stuff like that :) 

I am a Type-A personality, I have a slight case of the overachiever syndrom. This can be both a good and a bad thing! I have been taught from a young age how important it is to work hard. Do good in school, and do so by working hard. Study, spend time, read. Reap the benefits of that hard work! It can be rewarding! I have transfered this approach into my daily life and into my business. Self-employment means that you do have to work hard, very hard. Especially in the industry that I am in. A self-proclaimed performer and teacher in the circus/dance arts seems like a fun route, but it is not always the easiest. As a self-employed entrepreneur, you can ALWAYS be working. There is always something you can be doing for your business. I think I have allowed myself to get sucked into that and have put too much importance on spending time being productive. Sounds silly but it's true. I can be my own worst critic and I can really push myself, sometimes too much. 

Playful Bags at the beach!

Being in England and having free time to JUST PLAY showed me how important playtime is. Playtime is just as important as productive time! Lots of my days in Bristol consisted of spending hours in the practice space at Bags, Nick and Gail's house. I did have some obligations like workshops on the weekends and a couple shows, but for the most part I had more free time than I usually allow myself to have in San Diego. I felt myself grow tremendously. Not only did my hooping skills grow, my psyche was bursting with freedom. No constraints! Having such an amazing play partner around like Bags didn't hurt either. The balance between play and work is super important! It has been so easy for me to get wrapped up in the work side of things, I think I forgot how important it is to play!

When I was learning to juggle, I experienced a meditative state that I had never felt before. I was able to have an out-of-body experience where I could look into my own brain and see my thought process pathways. Whoa! Nothing like that had happened before! I think I haven't given myself proper meditation time up until now. A similar thing happened when I went to my friend Monica Grave's meditation class last week. It was my first structured meditation experience. I was able to see what I think about! Having a mantra to continue to repeat in your head allows you to see what your thinking about that's NOT the mantra. So funny. I actually kind of laughed at myself when I thought about what it is my mind wanders when left to it's own devices. A lot of it was about hooping, some of it was about guilty pleasures like fashion, clothes and costuming. I'm such a girl! Definitely some worries, insecurities and anxieties came to the surface too. I think meditation, weither it be through movement or not, is a good way to see what your voices are telling you in your head. Awareness is the first way to stop some of the negative ones.  

Playfulness with 2 of my besties :)
WHD, Nov 2011

Well the reason I finally did start writing this blog post today (I have been putting it off until it felt like the right moment) is because I am so blissed out from my day. I spent about 4 hours hooping and juggling on the grass at the end of Saratoga in OB. I nailed some super tricky tricks I've been working on. Finally stuck the foot hooping headstand! YEAH!!! I do also feel like I am officially a hoop juggler. Got it on lock down! Also feeling solid on a couple 4 hoop tricks. Today in between my little mini training/flowing sessions, I found myself just dancing and jumping up and down. Literally I was just jumping around. For no reason at all. Well I guess there was a reason...purely for the sake of joy. PURE JOY! WOW endorphins are the best drug in the world! Thank the goddess who invented endorphins. They rock!

So my current outlook, mantra, mission, power-word, whatever you want to call it...is PLAY. Another concept I am really feeling right now is collaboration. Collaborating with a partner or with groups of people, many people...to make something bigger than what you can do on your own. The power of collaboration is most evident to me right now because of all of the partner circus fun I've been having lately. Partner poi, partner juggling/passing, partner hooping - GROUP hooping! Yes it's possible and I have been playing with some super rad group hoop awesomeness (a la Bags) with my troupe. I really love the feeling of partner work in circus, it's addicting. To have that connection with someone else, get on the same wavelength, the same rhythm as someone else. It's magic. Especially with hoops!   

Hooping Headstand!

I dedicated today to me! I carved out the whole day to do things that are fun and that, in itself, is productive. I am building the skill of play. I am building skills in hooping, in bonding with others and in nourishing myself. Nourishing myself with things that I enjoy and that feel good. It's important! It makes me happy and makes my work better if I'm happy while I'm doing it.  

HERE's a video my friend Ringo made about Flow.

Halfway Through my UK Tour: The Gift of Breakthroughs

Giant's Causeway Hooping

I am not even halfway through my UK workshop tour adventure and I am already reeling! Soaking it all in. Feeling the inspiration and new environment do it's thing in my brain. My body is constantly sore, I am sleep deprived (insomnia is a bitch when life's exciting), I have been living out of a suitcase for months and spending LOTS of time in airports, buses, trains and taxis. But it's worth it. Sooo worth it.

This trip has allowed me to surrounded myself with people that truly inspire me. People that are artistically and creatively pushing the envelope. I look around and see absolute rockstars and marvel in any possibility that I could complain about my life. Ever. Again. 

This realization of sublime gratitude came when taking pictures and shooting a hooping video at the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland with such badasses as Gail O'Brien, Revolva, Tiana Zoumer and Catherine Simpson. 

Giant's Causeway Rocks

The Giant's Causeway is a beautiful and unique natural land formation on the Northern Irish coast. There is a story that is was created by an Irish giant who wanted to battle a Scottish giant so he started building a "causeway" or road to Scotland. It is actually created by a specific dance between the ocean, rock and moving tectonic plates. 

We hooped on the hexagon shaped rocks and I vowed to remember the moment with fondness forever. There really never should be a reason to feel disappointed with life after you've hooped with epic legends in such a beautiful, naturally dramatic place. Check out the video HERE! And HERE are all of the pictures from my whole 6 week trip.

Even the people working there were keen on the whole thing! We walked up with our hoops and they were instantly interested, asking us if we would perform on the Visitor Center stage for a tour group. For a modest fee of a free entrance into see the Causeway (only £8.50!) we rocked out for the tourists and the staff. They loved it. That kind of thing would never happen at home! America is too afraid of law suits.

My Hoop Burlesque Workshop at SWHoop!

Before venturing to Ireland, I was fortunate enough to teach and perform at SWHoop in Bristol. That event and it's organizer, Kenna Hoops of Hooping Mad, is one of the main reasons I came out to tour the UK! SWHoop was pivotal for me on many different levels. I learned SO much! Friday's highlights include nailing an epic new double foot hooping move thanks to Karin de Wit who was featured on "Holland's Got Talent." I also taught a Hoop Burlesque workshop and some of the ladies (including Tiana Zoumer!) from the class joined me on stage later that night for the informal open stage show. It was the first time some of them had ever performed! Saturday night was the teacher showcase and might have been the best Hoop-based show I have ever been in. The variety and level of talent was mind blowing! HERE is the video of my Belly Hoop Fusion piece. After the show, the Bristol Samba Band brought dozens of drummers and intense, amazing beats for LED hoopers and dancers to get down to! It was the best after-show party I have ever experienced. There was so much energy realized from the show and sometimes it can be hard to channel that after-show energy. The samba band harnessed it wonderfully and everyone at SWHoop danced and hooped like crazy! I danced my ass off!

This is not my first group wedding! 

That night it became clear that I need to create my own Southern California Hoop Gathering. It's something I've wanted to do for a while now. It's on my "Long Term Goals List" and I think it's now going to shift onto the "Short Term Goals List". I'm going to make it happen with the next year or so! The community that Emma created is inspiring and the way she leads it is selfless and admirable. I can't wait to bring that project into fruition. There are surely important challenges and satisfaction the experience will bring.

Sunday morning at SWHoop, I taught a Belly Dance workshop and then landed myself in a 6 way all-woman marriage including Gail, Revolva, Zoe, Beth, Catherine and myself :) Emma married us and Bags gave us away. If that doesn't scream dysfunctional family, I don't know what does! Something I really cherish about the UK Hoopers is their lack of seriousness. They are not afraid to try new things or be absolutely silly. Sometimes it seems like they have less holding them back than we do at home... 

I am not sure I have ever laughed so hard! So much laughter-medicine on this trip :) 

4 Hoop Split after Revolva's workshop in Dublin

I have also had some truly amazing hooping breakthroughs on this trip. I have unlocked moves that I have wanted to get for years and some I didn't even know were possible! For weeks, every time I picked up a hoop I nailed something new and absolutely epic...hooping headstand, the 4 hoop split, the fountain, juggling...the list goes on! 

I owe it all to the change of scenery, the amazingly inspiring and talented company I have been keeping and the ability to spend time honing my craft. At home it is easy to focus on other aspects of my career - the business end. Organizing, promoting, producing events, teaching, making hoops. It has been awhile since I have given myself time to just practice. Practice for the sake of practicing. I am going to give myself time to continue training at home. I want to re-focus and allow myself to really level up :) If you ever find a plateau in your hooping practice, I suggest traveling. Just putting yourself in a completely new environment is enough to open new passageways in your brain and your body. 

There is so much more to share about this trip that another blog post is on the way!

The Light Emerging from the Dark

The light that I find within the dark.
The reason I face myself and my demons.
My imperfections that I accept and embrace.
The fresh scars on my body representing my flaws.
Forgiving myself and moving on.

I am not Wonder Woman. I can't do it all.
I need to understand my limits and true abilities.
Don't take on too much.

Humility is key.
Selflessness and surrender.
I am a shooting Star but I vow to be a humble one. 

Think before you speak.
Speak your mind with compassion.
Choose words carefully
And deliver them with kindness.

Emerging from the darkness into light.
As a new and improved soul.
Within duality I find myself.
Shadow and light.

(Pics from Eve Olution's FB)

The Teachings of Thailand

The BLISS of Tonsai on my face 

I am processing a whirlwind of adventure. An opening of the heart and the mind. A reintroduction to myself and the world. A reintroduction to life. A new outlook and fresh mindset. A renewed sense of faith in myself, humanity and mother nature.

Sounds like Burning Man, right? Well, this year my Burning Man was Thailand. All of Thailand was unforgettable but Tonsai (a unique place in the South where dramatic limestone cliffs meet the calm, flat, light blue ocean water) especially struck a cord in my heart and will forever leave an imprint on my soul. I will always be a burner. The playa goes with me everywhere I go. I mean, I'm a hula hooper for a living! If that doesn't scream Burning Man I don't know what does! I am glad, however, that I have opened myself up to other types of adventures. I have made San Diego my home, the playa is definitely my home and now so is Tonsai. I plan to actually make it my home at some point. I am already devising plans to live there :)

Sunset in Pai

I learned a lot in Thailand. Some lessons I learned were not new. But they obviously deserved rediscovery. About a week into the trip I fell while driving a motorbike in the rain. The roads were wet, the bike was in poor condition and I was having too much fun, clearly! A very nice Thai man drove me to the hospital where I was cleaned up and bandaged, given antibiotics and pain meds for about $11. Wow! That was part impressive. The rest was traumatic, painful and scary. I'm almost healed now! Just more battle-wounds for this temporary vessel we call our bodies. It occurred to me how everything can change in an instant. One second you're riding through life having a blast and the next you're a bloody, crying mess. Then you have to slow down. Slow way down. That's what I did. I was forced into a vacation from my vacation. I rested a lot. I slept. Read. Made friends. Hung out in hammocks and enjoyed staring at the Pai landscape.

Coconuts everyday!

I am humbled. 

I had an interesting epiphany about my life in San Diego. Traveling so far from home gave me a different perspective and new appreciation for my daily life. In San Diego, I am surrounded by support, love and admiration. It was hard at times (especially while I was healing from my motorbike accident) to be constantly meeting new people. I really missed my tribe! Luckily I had Leeloo with me :) When you're traveling (just like at Burning Man), no one knows who you are at home. You can be anyone you want to be! You can make up a new name for yourself, a whole new identity even! This anonymity made me appreciate everything that I have in San Diego in a whole new way. All of the friends, family, love, supportive community and inspiration that I have in my everyday life. Wow! I am truly blessed! It's funny how leaving home makes you realize what you love about home so much.  

I also realized that it is possible for me to have more than one home on this beautiful planet. It's ok to feel like you belong or you came from more than one place on Earth. Oh Tonsai!  Tonsai gave me some of the most potent natural highs I have ever felt. They came from the intense natural beauty, the rock climbing endorphines and the people. All of it made me write my version of poetry...

Hello Paradise!

I am a mermaid
I am a lion
I am One
I am one with the universe
Every one of my cells is connected to every cell in the entire universe
Every plant, animal, water, rock, grain of sand, insect
Intoxicated with Love
High on Nature
Blissfully Happy

The first day I discovered Pra Nang beach (next to Tonsai) I had what felt like a psychedelic experience while I was completely sober. I was high on nature! I kayaked to the beach with some new traveler friends. We climbed to the top of an epic cave that looked back onto the almost deserted beach. It was low tide so I was able to walk around a rock that jutted into the ocean and find a tiny little private patch of sand. Completely untouched and hidden. The little beach was at a perfect natural slant for reclining. I laid down in the sand and looked up at the limestone stalactites hanging down over my head. I rolled around in the sand as the waves lapped over my body. I couldn't stop saying, "I am One. I am One with the Universe" over and over in my head. I swam out into the extremely salty, warm, clear blue turquoise water and floated on my back looking up. The large, colorful stalactites hung over me as I lay in the ocean and let the water drops falling from the stalactites land on my face. This was one of the most beautiful moments of my life. I will never forget it!

Stalactites over the ocean

Not only did Tonsai show me a whole new understanding of the concept Unity (universal connectedness), a concept that I obviously feel strongly about, it also showed me how many other amazing skills there are to master in this life! I love to challenge myself. Especially physically. I have attempted pretty much every circus and dance skill that is somewhat accessible to me. Never have I tried rock climbing and I had no idea I was going to love it so much. Man, is it a rush! A huge challenge too. On so many levels...physically and mentally. I was lucky enough to meet some pretty fabulous people in Tonsai who introduced me to this new hobby. All I want to do it get better at it! Part of me is overwhelmed by all of the "things" I have already set out to master but part of me is telling myself there is time. There is time for everything that I make important. So this is a new important obsession. Yay! The other one is slack lining. The locals in Tonsai are some of the most epic slack liners and rock climbers I have ever witnessed. These people grew up walking on tightropes and rocks, like it ain't no thang. It's so cool. They spin fire poi, staff and juggle fire on the slack line! I was beyond impressed! I didn't see anyone fire hoop on the slack line so that's another new challenge I have set for myself. Create a slack line-burlesque routine as well as master slack line-fire hooping! Woot! I can do it! I can do anything I set my sights on! And so you can YOU!

Rock climbing w/ Laura's help!

There was a crazy rainstorm for a couple days while we were in Tonsai. It reminded me of the dust storms at Burning Man because it made you run for shelter no matter where you were or who you were with. It forced you to make new friends and get drunk in the middle of the afternoon, for lack of anything else to do :) More poetry...

Everything is wet
Breathing in the beauty
Absorbing and reflecting it
Breathing in the green
Lush and drippy
Giant leaves
Jungle love

I am in love with all of the new friends I made in Thailand. Interesting, open-minded people who I hope to see again someday. I had intellectually stimulating conversations about modern gender roles with a mixed group of people from Iran, Austria, Germany and America. I got to know some of the nicest Canadians ever (of course!) and lots of Australians who were way too much fun :) Connecting, laughing, playing, learning, admiring and sharing with each other. Leela and I hooped everywhere we went! We hooped in the hostels, the bars, the beaches and even at the temples. We taught locals and travelers alike how to hoop :) There will be a Thailand Hooping Video coming your way soon! Singapore performance pictures can be found HERE and our travel pictures are HERE.

Amazing new friends!

More highlights from Thaiand include: street food (all of the food!), tropical fruit shakes, Oh wait...just the tropical fruit in general! fresh coconuts to drink everyday, Thai massages that cost $7, tuk-tuks, the Sunday market in Chiang Mai, Thai cooking school, riding motorbikes (on the left side of the road) up to the Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, thunder and lightning storms, rainbows everyday, ocean sunsets, waterfalls, the Pai canyon, fireflies, monkeys, SpicyPai and Kit, Julie's Guesthouse, Mama's Chicken, painting each other with neon paint because it was the full moon, Chang beer, lots of spliffs, beautiful seashells, Toffee & his band, Maxi...all the Tonsai locals actually...Bao and Lai and Zero and Yoni and Dee...the Sunset Pirate Bar, the Sawadee Bar, the owners and family at Pasook, holding Leela's hand hanging in hammocks in Pai and getting closer with her than ever before, laughing with her and going through a lot together, OMB (Oh My Buddha!), Boom!, "Shake, Shake...Shake Everyday", "Why not?", Same Same but Different, kayaking, hooping with the ocean as my partner, Ben and his infectious enthusiasm :) Thai reggae, and the kitties everywhere!  

LED Hooping at the Singapore Grand Prix

We left our bungalow made out of palm trees on the beach and went to Singapore to perform at the Grand Prix. We were put up in a fancy 5 star hotel and the woman at the front desk actually asked me if I wanted someone to carry our backpacks to the room! I had to laugh. Coming from hippie-land and ending up there was quite the change. What a gig! The most amazing one I have ever done. There is no question about that! People carrying all of my props for me and my own private dressing room?! Yes please! So spoiled! The event was HUGE! Thousands of people, bands, DJs, art, other entertainers, stages and of course the races zipping through the streets of Singapore constantly. I performed 3-5 sets a day so pretty much one Fire/LED set per hour for 5 hours. It was hard work because it was super humid and extremely hot! Lots of fun though! People loved it, I loved it :) It was win-win. Jovi was our assistant/helper the whole time and we loved him! So sweet and really on it. On the last day we had a longer break and walked around the event for an hour or so. What a bizzare experience! The races were so loud we had to wear ear plugs just to walk around. Then we couldn't really communicate with each other so we just gave each other weird faces and laughed a lot. Damn it was sweaty there!

Fire Hooping at the Singapore Grand Prix

Now I am looking forward to producing a Day of the Dead themed show on Nov 3rd, teaching and performing in San Francisco Oct 19th weekend and then touring England & Ireland in Nov-Dec. More soon. Thank you. Thank you for reading this, being in my life and inspiring me to continue to do what I do. Thank you universe. Gratitude!

Shedding Skin

Dancing with Manasa

The last month or two has brought on LOTS of changes in my life. As I have been going through these changes, one of my dance partners, my ball python Manasa (pronounced Menesha, named after the Hindu Snake Goddess) shed her skin again. It was like she knew I was doing the same thing! I felt closer to her than ever and understood her cyclical life on a whole new level. I realized that we are all constantly changing. This quote from the book I am currently reading really hit home: 

"He seemed to see time shimmering and moving up above him and through the leaves and down around his feet and through his middle. Nothing was like anything else, including himself, and everything was changing all of the time. He knew he couldn't perceive the change because he was changing too, along with everything else. There was no still point." - Jim Harrison, "Legends of the Fall"

Sometimes you have to shed your skin. Get rid of the old and make room for the new. Grow out of your current situation into the next one. The process might be painful but the outcome is always shiny, new and fresh.

I have taken most of the comforts out of my life and have already learned a lot about myself. Moved out of my apartment, got rid of most of my possessions, put the rest of them in storage and am currently living in my friend's RV. I have entered into the "nomadic" phase of my life. My mom says "nomadic" is just a romantic word for homeless, ha! I feel like I am actually living the traveling circus, gypsy, nomad lifestyle that I represent on stage so often. Instead of just performing it on stage, I am living it! It has been an interesting journey so far and it promises to get even more interesting!

I have struggled with the concept of being a nomad AND being a performer at the same time. Not only a performer, but a hoop making performer! All you hoop makers out there know what I mean! Making hoops takes space! Rolls of 100' tubing, dozens and dozens of tapes and not to mention all of the tools involved in making them! Space is one of the biggest commodities for a nomad. You don't have much of it. Being a performer requires that you have lots of stuff...costumes, stage props, more costumes, jewelry, makeup, fire tools, more costumes, fabric, crafting supplies, you get the point! You have to be ready at any moment to fill the whim of a prospective client. Oh you want me to be a fire spinning hula girl at your beach party? A retro vintage hula hooper at your corporate event? A belly dancer at your birthday? A burlesque performer in your stage show? Suuurrrre. Let me just run to my storage unit. Again.

All in all I have figured it out. It has taken some organization, planning and forethought but so far so good. It can be done! The worst thing that's happened is I've lost a couple material possessions along the way. But who cares? It's just stuff! I'm liking this whole non-attachment to material possessions thing!

In about 3 weeks I leave for my first trip to Asia. I was hired to perform fire dancing for 3 days at the Singapore Grand Prix! I used our flight money to go to Bangkok and then 4 weeks later down to Singapore. That's right. 4 weeks in Thailand! Wow! I am so excited and nervous at the same time I can hardly stand it. It will be a grand adventure! I feel like I will learn a lot about myself and about the world at the same time. After getting back from Southeast Asia I will be going to Santa Cruz to perform at Hoop Camp's Movements Arts Festival. Could life get better than that??

Day of the Dead Burlesque Inspiration

I am already planning my next big production, The Dia de los Muertos Cabaret to be held in San Diego the first weekend of November (2nd & 3rd). More details on the way. Just know now it's going to be EPIC! Then only 3 days later I am off to my 7 week UK tour! Whew! And Weeeee!!!!!

I will be teaching at SWhoop (South West Hoop Convergence) in Bristol, then in Dublin for a Flow Fest, then the Brighton Flow Fest, then I'm off to teach workshops in Plymouth, Oxford and finally London for the Fantasia Belly Dance Festival. This will be the longest I have traveled alone, ever! I'm going to the land of amazing music and amazing hooping! I can't even fathom the inspiration about to be bestowed upon me! When I saw the Bristol Hoop Massive Video for the first time, I was blown away. It might still be my favorite hoop video of all time. The comment I posted when I first saw it was, "I want to come hoop with you all in Bristol one day!" And look, it's happening! Thanks to Emma (Kenna Hoops)! My favorite musicians have ALL come from England! Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Cinematic Orchestra, Mr. Scruff...just to name a few! I hope to see Cinematic live while I'm there. I'm already planning to see Caravan Palace while I'm in Brighton. They are another one of my all time favorite bands but they're from France, close enough!

When I'm back from England I will actually be finding a real address like most of the rest of the world. But not too long after I will be joining about 100 hoopers on the Hoop Ship! Woot!  It's a cruise for hoopers to the BAHAMAS! WOOHOOO! Ever wanted to go a cruise? Ever wanted to go to a Hoop Retreat? Ever wanted to go to the BAHAMAS?? Here's your chance ALL IN ONE AMAZING EVENT! And it's SUPER affordable if you think about all of the amazingness you get! Epic instructor line up and Hoop classes on the beaches of the BAHAMAS! Did I mention the BAHAMAS? Ha! Come play! February 2013!

Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum :)

There is talk of a potential trip to India after that and then in summer of 2013 I plan to tour the United States with The Hoop Unit in a painted bus. Hey, a girl can dream, can't she? Look out for the Kickstarter campaign to fund the first ever cross country UNITY Tour!

Enough about what's coming up. What's been happening? Here is where I catch you up on all of the past highlights from the last month or so....

• I was fortunate enough to see the Pretty Things Peep Show when they were in town. That might have been the best show I have EVER seen! If you ever get a chance, jump on it! 

• I taught 14 children how to make hoops, do  impressive hoop dance tricks and perform them for their parents at the New Children's Museum Summer Camp. Watch the video here. There is still one week left at Cuyamaca College. Sign up here!

Me as a Twi'lek!

• I got to be apart of Hell on Heel's Carnival Burlesque show! That was fun!

• I had my first paid Lyra gig that was not at one of my own events! It was with Aerial Revolution for the 4th of July at the Escondido celebration.

• I walked on stilts for the first time! Thanks to Mango!!!

• I got to be a Twi'lek for the Keyhole Cabaret Comic Con show, "Nerd-tastic Burlesque" It was the first time I painted my whole body. What an adventure! There are snippets of the show here. You can see me eating fire as a Twi'lek at the end of the clip.

• Oh yeah and I turned 27 :) My birthday was everything I could have asked for. Relaxing, yummy and full of amazing friends. BRING IT 27!!!