Who says you can’t hoop in the snow?!? Sure you’ve gotta bundle in the most body hugging gear you’ve got, & get hold of a hoop with enough size and weight to spin thru your extra layers, but what a better way to truly stay warm in the midst of winter than the super fly […]

On Saturday, December 20 from 12-5pm, be sure to swing by the Whole Gallery on the 3rd floor of the H & H Building, located at 405 W. Franklin where it intersects with Eutaw, for an afternoon of crafty goodness brought to you by your local friendly B’more artists, including hand-crafted hoola hoops from Noelle […]

Last weekend’s trip down to Norfolk to hoop in support of Pam Brown proved to be a wonderful experience! Although the turn-out was small and the weather started off grey and rainy, there was such loving energy over the 2+ hours that it was impossible to keep smiles off our faces! Pam’s caseworker Marylin and […]

In a story that’s spreading outrage & compassion fast throughout the hooping community thanks in large part to Philo Hagen of hooping.org, Pamela Brown, a.k.a. The Hula Hoop Lady of Granby Street will have a hoopjam take place in honor of her and other folks who’ve suffered from traumatic brain damage this coming […]

A belated post to say what a fun time I had hooping for all the City Paper’s Best of Baltimore award recipients this year at the beautiful waterfront Museum of Industry. Having only lived in Baltimore a year now, it was great to get to meet & celebrate the accomplishments of the many wonderful and […]

We just wrapped up week three of our new & delightful Mindful Hooping class creation. During our class we’ve been incorporating quotations of writers who inspire us how to be more mindful, intentional, and joyful in our practice. What follows are the names and/or books of the people whose words we’ve been celebrating within the […]

Baltimore residents may recognize this background as the view from Federal Hill over the Inner Harbor, along with three charming and love-filled hoopers enjoying an afternoon of hooping fun in the sun! Federal Hill is a sweet spot to hoop, and it’s so very close to both the Visionary Art Museum and the Trapeze school, […]

While it’ll usually take a person that’s been alive a handful of years (if not 6 or 7+ years) to get the swing of the revolution around the waist, it’s really never too early to introduce the ring of wonder & joy to your little ones, provided that they are toddling around a bit and […]

Whether in a structured hooping class or on your own hooping journey, I highly recommend making it a point to reverse your direction of spin as often as you can, with the goal (in mind and body) of being completely ambi-hoopstrous at some point in time. Just like it is a lot easier to learn […]

Tonight (Friday the 13th!) at the Palace of Wonders! comes another fabulously-faux-French cabaret hosted by the one and only Monsieur Paco. Also starring hooper Strange Powers, bellydancer Ariel, beatboxer the Bow-legged Gorilla, and burlesque starlet Sable Sincyr. A night not to be missed! Show at 10pm. Cover at 10 dollars. Bring your friends!

Tonight, June 5th, brings yet another fun-filled edition of the Dutch Oven at the Palace of Wonders, brought to you by the L’il Dutch, and her sweety sidekick MC Gary Gutter. Come out and watch my Strange Hooping Powers, in addition to the divine Lily Stark White, the debut of Poppy La Rouge, and of […]

This month I was fortunate to meet and hoop with the lovely Rayna McInturf of Los Angeles’ Hoopnotica fame in my home city of Baltimore. It was awesome to get to spend time with such flowing and renowned hoopdancer as Rayna. Beginning this Thursday at Studio Edge in Mount Washington, I will be combining my […]

Check out two of my brand new shiny acts: a whacky new solo hooping creation that’ll put a crinkle in your chaps, and a delightful & danceful duet sans hoop with the inimitable Paco Fish (aka Monsieur Paco for the night). Vive La Decedence at the Palace of Wonders begins at 10pm tonight! Along with […]

Hoopy new year folks! I hope that everyone’s had a peaceful and loving transition thus far into 2008. Have you yet hooped this calendar year? If not, what are you waiting for? Reflecting back on the last year, I am tickled with how much the hooping revolution has taken off…Perhaps the most significant hoop event […]

Here’s a little last minute notice of the Hoop-Making Workshop I am having tonight at my place in Baltimore. It’ll be from 6 to 8:30pm. Learn all you ever wanted to know about making these fabulously fun revolutionary rings, and try it out yourself. $25, plus a $5 materials fee so that folks […]

Hey beginner hoopers and hoopers-to-be: getchur hoop on this holiday season and new year! I am currently lining up my next six-week series of adult classes for January. Classes will either be a late-morning weekend time, or an early-evening weekday time. Feel free to email me at hoopingpowers@gmail.com with your preference, as I will take […]

Join us at the Palace of Wonders a week from tonight for San Fran’s fabulous songbird slash ukulele-slinger Tippy Canoe to kick off her east coast tour. I, Strange Powers, will be hooping it up whilst throwing down all kinds of delectable dance moves, along with the varied talents of Sarah Azzara, Kitty Victorian, and […]

As part of Performa ‘07, New York’s 20-day biennial of performance art, here’s a shot of 2 out of 20-something synchronized hoopers spinning it up for an hour on Chinatown rooftops. It reminds me of how revolutionary and exciting it felt to me as a kid watching the U2 video where they’re playing a […]

Believe your eyes, this is actually a rather fuzzy but sweet shot of a real live praying mantis on a hoola hoop! My friends Paco, Trixie, Monkey and I were hooping it up one recent afternoon in Baltimore’s charming Patterson Park when we came upon this friendly, zen~ly fellow.

The modern hoola hoop whirl is definitely making its way throughout towns all across the world. This weekend was no exception, as I hooped with and for residents of the suburban mecca in Rockville, MD that is the King Farm Community.  Here’s a shot that photographer Deborah Stanley snapped of me while hoop~dancing the day away.  And for any King Farm folks who are reading […]

I think my toddling, nugget-of-a-nephew Elias may have some spinning competition based on several shots of my baby-friend Mackenzie’s recent hooping exploits. It just goes to show, you’re never too young (or too old!) to get into the sweet revolution~

I am happy to see that more and more people are dropping the hula from hooping- and that many of those who are not are choosing to use the spelling ‘hoola’ instead of the more culturally appropriating ‘hula’ term. The two presumably white men from California who patented the ‘Hula Hoop’ in 1958 were said […]

The 2nd annual Virgin Festival which took place at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Track proved to be a thrilling and jam-packed, albeit swelteringly hot weekend for all. From The Police and the Wu-Tang Clan to Matisyahu and M.I.A., there was no shortage of stellar entertainment, and that includes HOOLA HOOPING! We got hundreds of concert-goers happily […]

Considering what a fan I am of all things that sparkle and glow, it surprises me a bit that it’s taken me this long to hop onto and into the LED (light-emitting diodes) hooping bandwagon. I am thrilled to have this hoop to add to my fancy stock~ A big thanks to sweetheart Jules for […]

Here’s a delightful shot of my new lovebird friends Josh and Jess, embracing in a sweet moment with my gift of wedding hoola hoops in hand. For those of us already turned onto hooping, we know what a great present a hoop can be- but what’s an even BETTER gift, in my opinion, is TWO […]