September's Hooper of the Month
Hey there!
It's the big moment.... It's time to reveal this month's feature hooper! YAAAAAAY!
I have been waiting to ask this person for quite some time and it's been killing me to wait. Truthfully, I get antsy every month before I ask the next person because I have so many amazing hoopers to share with you, (and I keep meeting more) but I can only pick ONE per month... That is only TWELVE hoopers per YEAR! It's hard to pick! Hmmmm, perhaps I should have done Hooper of the Week? Actually....No way... hah
On that note, I plan to continue the HOTM blog post NEXT year but with a new set of questions or approach. I'm excited for 2019!
So, onto this particular person...
September features a very near and dear person to me once again... A student of mine whom has been attending my classes since the birth of HooperSonic. We actually started hooping around the same time and met through Sugar Hoops (Toronto). The reason I selected her, because there are a gazillion special things about her. Particularly, I have noticed her overall improvement. And she has been crushing everything I throw at her these days! Her shoulder hooping has been looking extra lovely lately! Not only has she has been working hard on her skillset, but she is always open to learning more. Anything I teach her, excites her! And further to this, her positivity helps her find the good in everything and you can hear that in her answers to my questions. She is supportive and kind. She comes into class with a smile, and leaves with a bigger one. She doesn't let things stand in her way and I love all these things about her.... it's ....
MARILYN SCOTT!
Here is her interview:
What is your name?
My name is Marilyn Scott.
How long have you been hooping and tell us the story of how you got into it?
On a flight to Malaysia in 2008, I read an article in MacLean’s magazine about hooping. When I returned to Toronto, I called the number quoted in the article and spoke to Sadie of Well Rounded Hoops. By the end of that phone call I had ordered a hoop from her, made arrangements to pick the hoop up a week later and a week after that, went to my first hoop class.
That first class was life changing! I loved hooping…. I left that first class high as a kite (from hooping only) and was hooked.
Because of family obligations, work demands and my own health challenges as well as involvement in other endeavours, my “hoop journey” has not been a continuous one. There have been blocks of time when I have had to step back from attending hooping classes for much longer than I would have liked…. on one occasion for over two years. But during these breaks I always knew I would return to hooping when my circumstances allowed.
Where do you live and what is the hoop scene like there?
I live in Toronto. The hooping scene in Toronto continues to grow. From my perspective, interest in hooping has increased steadily over the last few years.
Who is your hoop crush?
As is the case with many hoopers I have hoop crushes on the hoopers I would describe as the celebrity hooper superstars – Baxter, Babz, Rachel Lust etc. These incredibly talented individuals are inspiring!!!
But my real hoop crushes are a little closer to home than these “celebrity” hoopers. My main hoop crushing is saved for the talented, inspirational and playful women who I have had the pleasure to take classes from: Mandy, Jenn, Scarlet and the amazing Amy. These individuals have kept me in the game because of their dedication to teaching everything from basic hoop moves to complicated and challenging “tricks”.
What else inspires your hoop dance flow?
I am inspired by the ladies and gentleman who I hoop with each week. We are a group of dedicated hoopers who come to class not only to learn, get some exercise and have fun, but to help each other to become better hoopers by sharing our expertise with each other whenever we can.
And key to our weekly hoop sessions is music. How I listen to music has changed since I began hooping. Songs are now evaluated not only for their melody, message and listening pleasure (!) but more importantly for how good they are to hoop to. Some people hear good music and want to dance; hoopers hear good music and want to grab their hoops and take a spin!!!
What move or technique was the most challenging to learn? Do you remember how you felt after you finally unlocked it?
I have yet to come across a hoop move that didn’t take me time to learn…. except for waist hooping…. but I remember working hard for a long time to learn shoulder hooping. It took me several months, and nailing it wasn’t really an “aha” moment, but more a steady recognition that I was getting better at the move…this motivated me to keep working at it until I mastered it.
One “aha” moment that I do remember is the night I unlocked the vortex. For a long time, I couldn’t do the vortex. Watching videos of the move didn’t help, neither did being shown how to do the vortex by different people. One night Amy announced we would be working on the vortex… (audible sigh from me) …. But somehow the way she explained and demonstrated the move that night…clicked for me…. I managed to do it after what felt like years of trying…. that was a rush! And the cheers from my hoop mates helped seal the moment in my memory!!! For me, the moment when you nail a move is one of the joys of hooping…the challenge of filling your kit bag with new moves is exhilarating!
I always hope I will get a new move right away, but I don’t worry when I don’t. I know that if I choose to work on that trick/move I will eventually learn it. I believe it is important to remember that your hoop is round, so if you don’t get a move the first time...don’t worry because the hoop will come around again and give you another chance to try the move.
What do you do to get yourself out of a hoop dance “rut”?
I don’t fuss about this because sometimes you need a break even from things you love. Often all it takes to get out of a rut is listening to some favourite music or watching some hooping videos. But for me it is so important to continue to go to class. Surrounding yourself with your hoop sisters and bros reminds you of why you love hooping.
What do you love most about the hoop community as a whole?
I love the comradery and the way hoopers help and support each other. There are so many amazing hoopers who are part of the Toronto hooping community that one can learn from by just watching them hoop!
Do you consider yourself more of a “body rocker” or an “off body wizard”?
I consider myself a body rocker. I love the off body moves but more often than not, my brain takes forever to communicate with my body when it comes to off body moves.
What is your hoop of choice?
My “honey” hoop, the hoop that started me on this journey, will always have a special place in my heart and in my hoop collection. However, my hoop of choice for the past several months has been a gorgeous 42” PE Dance Hoop.
How has hooping changed your life?
Hooping has brought many wonderful people into my life…many who I have the very good fortune to call friends. It has brought me joy, given me a form of exercise disguised as play, and reminded me of the importance of perseverance with respect to things you deem important.
I am a hooper who must play hard to learn a move. I drop my hoop often and it seems to fly through the air on its own accord with great regularity. But as my husband says, “If the hoop’s not flying, you’re not trying”! (I think he’s right.)
What would you say to a hooping skeptic to try and convince them to start hooping?
I would say, “Get your hoop on”! You will be amazed at how fun a round piece of tubing can be…. you’ll love it…. don’t worry if others are watching…. know this …. someone watching will think you are amazing….and you are, whatever level you are at!!
Anything else you want to say about hooping?
I love being part of the hooping community. The classes are a highlight for me and I do all I can protect time in my schedule to try and ensure I get to hoop class. But I also like that hooping is “portable” and something you can do solo. There is so much to learn in hooping that I see myself hooping for years to come!!
Thank you Marilyn for sharing your story with us!
Until next month...
Happy Hooping!!
<3
