Aerial Hoop

Aerial Hoop has been a skill that I have secretly always wanted to learn, but never had the time, money or determination to bite the bullet and go for it!

In the summer of 2011 I finally took the plunge and began my true love affair with the circus art. I joined the Hanger Arts Trust, a small but perfectly formed school in North Greenwich. At first it was a little bit too far to travel just to train once a week, however once I was there it was totally worth it.

I began my 6 week course under the brilliant tuition of Jo Foley, a fellow Cabaret performer who is not only strong as hell, but, to my annoyance, very very bendy!

I picked it up like a natural, whizzing through moves and demonstrating strength that I never really knew I had (hoisting yourself onto a hoop 6 ft in the air requires a lot of strength)
Don't get me wrong, I have always been very strong, due to waving 7ft feather fans each weighing 5kg PLUS air resistance, but these were different muscles, different parts of my body that I has never engaged before.

Since then I have regularly taken a class a week (unfortunately leaving the hanger in November after discovering a friend's "circus warehouse" only down the road) But I have fallen in love with it a million times over, learning more dynamic and challenging manoeuvres, pushing my strength to the limit and building my stamina enough so maybe one day I will perform a "full length" hoop act.... but I do say *maybe*

I have already in fact performed a burlesque Christmas act incorporating my hoop skills. I ceased in continuing this act, despite promising I would carry on into the New Year, as it was a little out of my comfort zone and as I am used to kicking ass at burlesque, being sub standard on hoop, was enough to stop until I kicked ass en l'air as well.

So I still have a long way to go, but I passed a big milestone in my training today! I mastered the Belly Roll!!!!! A move I have been working and working and working on since late October.

I would recommend this to anyone! it has transformed my body, toned me in places I never imagined and made me more determined to develop my craft as a burlesquer and overall cabaret star.


There are of course down sides (which do not mesh well with having a semi naked job) and that being the bruising, the cuts and the manky hands!