Photos: Hoop Dancing with the Hoola Monsters
June 15, 2009 at 12:43 pm by Samantha
Since I was a kid I’ve always had a weakness for hula-hooping; I even bought my own a few years ago. Little did I know that hooping is more that just rolling the hoop hula-style around your waist.
I started noticing hoop dancers at shows and festivals. These girls could wind the hoops over their bodies so that they’d flow like water, from head to ankle, out to their arms, and back again.
Abby is one of those girls; I met her at the St. Pete Saturday Market. She is a certified Hoop dancing Instructor, and is president and founder of St Pete’s own Hoola Monsters. She invited me to photograph some of her Hooping classes.
I visited Abby’s class at the Roosevelt in Ybor City. Right off the main drag, the Roosevelt is a totally green (as in CL’s Green 100) artists’ warehouse. Lit with energy-efficient bulbs, it’s great for the environment, hell for the photographer. Later in the week I joined her class at Hip Expressions in St. Pete, where the lighting was easier to shoot in.
Abby’s smile and positive energy are infectious. Both classes had dancers of all levels, and Abby did a great job of working with the group as well as focusing on each student individually. It made me feel that, even though I’ve got no moves, Abby just might be able to teach me.
You can get more info from the Hoola Monsters website at www.hoolamonsters.com
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