November's Hooper of the Month
Noooooooooooooovember!
And another Hooper of the Month post is here to share!
I have been watching this particular person for some time now via Instagram and their feed provides a lovely window into a wonderful world of wobbly, wiggly, hoop tech! (WOAH! SO MANY W'S!) You will also catch them playing with a few other flow props such as buugeng and poi! Sometimes, our featured hooper will show off some sweet dance moves paired with a pretty technical style. This is really refreshing to see because pairing complicated hoop moves while independently moving other parts of your body so nicely, is not that common. If you want kiiiiiiind of an idea of what I am talking about, try rubbing your belly, patting your head, and then, dancing.... I'll give you a minute.....
Well done! That looked .....great?
So now, why not reward yourself by reading a delightful little interview featuring the HooperSonic's newest Hooper of the Month.....
CAMERON COZZI (AKA: RECIPROCATOR)
Here is his interview:
What is your name?
Hi! My name is Cameron Cozzi, I also go by a stage name, "Reciprocator". It's kind of a strange name but if you look into the meaning of the word you can see how it is fits into my flow and the community. To reciprocate is to respond to (a gesture or an action) by making a corresponding one - or (of part of a machine) move backward and forward in a straight line. To me, the name "Reciprocator" means to give back the positivity and love (and movements) I see in the community through my videos.
How long have you been hooping and tell the story of how you got into it?
My journey with the flow arts started 7 years ago when I went to my first music festival and was mesmerized by the fire dancers. I told myself I was going to learn how to spin poi and started spinning glowsticks on shoe strings. I picked up other props such as hoops here and there over the years but didn’t begin to apply myself to the art until September of 2017. I have immensely fallen in love with hoop dance since!
Where do you live and what is the hoop scene like there?
I live in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago just a good half hour drive (with no traffic) Downtown. The nightlife here is wild and there are always talented music and flow artists coming through. This city truly has my heart. There are tons of events that happen in the Midwest and I'm smack in the middle of all of it! It would be tough to move away from here. I highly suggest a visit to Chicago if you've never been and are looking for a good time.
Who is your hoop crush? Do they have any social media channels so we can crush too?
I don't think I could pick a single hoop crush because there is just so much talent out there! If I were to narrow it down to single hoop play, I'd have to say Cody Hughes who goes by @slinks_ on Instagram. As far as multi-hoop play, I'd like to mention Evan Davis who goes by @dankhoops on Instagram. Leena Park is also extremely talented and goes by @leen.illusions.
What else inspires your hoop dance flow?
My biggest inspiration for my hoop flow is music or a new term I've been hearing a lot - musicality. I find it hard to flow in silence, I like to reciprocate how music makes me feel and display it in my movement. I think a good mixture of tech and dance choreography make an amazing show for the audience. This mixture is what I strive for and inspires me to keep going!
What move or technique was the most challenging to learn? Do you remember how you felt after you finally unlocked it?
The hardest thing I've had to learn so far is juggling. You won't see me doing it much online because I'm still working on it! However, if you catch me in person you will most definitely see me trying ever so hard to get some catches in for a basic cascade. Check in with me next summer and hopefully I'll have taken a few workshops by then… haha!
What do you do to get yourself out of a hoop dance “rut”?
Hoop ruts are the worst! I've been there so many times and it's not fun. I've learned to take a short break to get my creative juices flowing or I'll reverse a pattern/sequence that I’ve been doing repetitively and find some new flow. A change in music also helps me get out of these tough times, sometimes you just have to hoop it out!
What do you love most about the hoop community as a whole?
The flow community is vast and always growing, and you can pretty much find someone involved in the art (or something similar) anywhere! Everyone always has a will to learn and better themselves, or to teach others who have just started. What I love the most about the community is the amount of love I see everyone giving out to one another, its truly a beautiful thing and it fills my heart with warmth. Show love, spread love.
Do you consider yourself more of a “body rocker” or an “off body wizard”?
I would definitely consider myself an "off body wizard". On body hooping has been another challenge for me seeing as I prefer a smaller hoop size.
What is your hoop of choice?
My preferred hoop(s) are a set of 24'-28' 5/8th polypro twins.
How has hooping changed your life?
The flow arts have changed my life for the better. As much as it is a hobby, flow is also an emotional outlet for me as well. If I'm ever troubled with something, I will channel all of that energy into a flow session and I immediately feel better afterwards. I can't imagine life without flow anymore. Not to mention I've made some incredibly beautiful and talented friends along the way!
What would you say to a hooping skeptic to try and convince them to start hooping?
Most people I've met that are skeptical about hooping usually just need some extra encouragement. I would help them believe in themselves as so many did for me in my first few years of flow.
Anything else you want to say about hooping?
I think I’ve said it all! ;)
Congrats to Cameron and thank you for this wonderful and inspiring interview!
If you'd like to follow Cameron's Instagram as well, you can check out @_reciprocator_
Hoops and Hugs!
Amy
<3
