Top 4 Tips for Performance Hula Hooping
Learn to unlock the art of performing as a hooper with these key tips from Go-Go Hoop Performer Madison Orange 
For any hoopers who are interested in booking paid hooping gigs and bringing their absolute A-game, here is a some fantastic practical performance advice: 1. Keep it Simple Madison's first rule of Performance Hooping is to keep things simple! Be aware that the things that we as hoopers think are really cool (like fast transitions, breaks, and lots and lots of spinning) may not translate over to an audience in that same way. So pick some moves that may seem "simple" to you but that are visually stunning for audience members to see, such as floats and stalls, which you can perform almost effortlessly. 2. Play it up for the Paparazzi Lots of people will be impressed with your hooping skills on stage and will want to capture the moment to share with their friends. The pictures people take of your performance are your calling card as a hoop performer so make sure you're giving your audience the best photo ops! Keeping your silhouette in mind is key! You can create beautiful photo ops and an engaging performance simply by holding the hoop in the vertical plane behind or in front of you. Spend some time in front of the mirror before the performance picking and perfecting your favorite hoop poses so that you can whip them out during slow songs or at the beginning or end of your set! (For more tips and tricks on starting and ending your performance, check out our video tutorial) 3. Repetition, repetition, repetition! Don't try to go too "big" for your first hoop performances. Trying to memorize an intricate choreographed routine can get you caught up and you never know for sure what music will be playing or if the song you were counting on hearing will get interrupted. Know which hoop moves you want to put on show and then keep on repeating them. If you do it artfully and to the beat of the music, the repetition will look great and you won't be exhausted or get sloppy with your hooping. 4. Stick to the 3 Levels of Performance Hooping Madison outlines three "levels" of performance hooping as part of her comprehensive Go-Go Hooping Curriculum that can become your go-to levels while performing:
For any hoopers who are interested in booking paid hooping gigs and bringing their absolute A-game, here is a some fantastic practical performance advice: 1. Keep it Simple Madison's first rule of Performance Hooping is to keep things simple! Be aware that the things that we as hoopers think are really cool (like fast transitions, breaks, and lots and lots of spinning) may not translate over to an audience in that same way. So pick some moves that may seem "simple" to you but that are visually stunning for audience members to see, such as floats and stalls, which you can perform almost effortlessly. 2. Play it up for the Paparazzi Lots of people will be impressed with your hooping skills on stage and will want to capture the moment to share with their friends. The pictures people take of your performance are your calling card as a hoop performer so make sure you're giving your audience the best photo ops! Keeping your silhouette in mind is key! You can create beautiful photo ops and an engaging performance simply by holding the hoop in the vertical plane behind or in front of you. Spend some time in front of the mirror before the performance picking and perfecting your favorite hoop poses so that you can whip them out during slow songs or at the beginning or end of your set! (For more tips and tricks on starting and ending your performance, check out our video tutorial) 3. Repetition, repetition, repetition! Don't try to go too "big" for your first hoop performances. Trying to memorize an intricate choreographed routine can get you caught up and you never know for sure what music will be playing or if the song you were counting on hearing will get interrupted. Know which hoop moves you want to put on show and then keep on repeating them. If you do it artfully and to the beat of the music, the repetition will look great and you won't be exhausted or get sloppy with your hooping. 4. Stick to the 3 Levels of Performance Hooping Madison outlines three "levels" of performance hooping as part of her comprehensive Go-Go Hooping Curriculum that can become your go-to levels while performing:1. Above the head (Think halos all the way!)
2. Behind your back (Think weaving, isolations, and dramatic posing)
3. The bee's knees! (Think knee hooping, and don't forget, while you're catching your breath with your hoop at your knees, you can move your arms to the music!)
If you decide that you want to add your own spin to this system, or haven't yet discovered the joys of knee hooping, feel free! The idea, though, is to stick to 3 basic hoop positions that you can return to time and again (repetition!) throughout the performance and which you can sustain without burning yourself out! Oh, and, here is one final performance tip from the Hoopnotica vault: Hooping is fun, so....DON'T FORGET TO SMILE!!!! Madison Orange is a professional Go-Go Hoop Performer, read her full Q&A with Hoopnotica here.
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