A hooping good time

For about a year now I have been "getting serious" about hula hooping. I fell in love with hoop dance (as the hooping community calls it ... yes, there is a hooping community) at my favorite music festival Shakori Hills in North Carolina. Watching these women (and even some men) dance to music in a field while decorated hoops seemed to spin effortlessly around their bodies, was quite mesmerizing. I sound like quite the creeper don't I? But seriously, it is a beautiful form of dance, just as ballet or hip hop is. Haven't you heard of a little bump N' grind? (that joke is for Anna).

I decided that I wanted to learn how to hoop dance. I have taken a few classes/workshops and now attend "hoop jams" on a regular basis. I have drank the red cult cool aid of the hooping community and it tastes good!

Maybe if you are lucky I will post a video of me hooping. That should give everyone a good laugh ... I don't quite hoop as effortlessly as the festival hoopers yet. But I'm getting there!

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Last summer we attended our friends outdoor wedding on a farm in Orange, Virginia. We camped at the wedding site and partied the night away. A few people, including myself, brought hula hoops for the reception and they were a big hit with all the guests. That is when I decided that our wedding reception would also turn into a big hoop jam!

So, as one of my bridesmaids gifts (the other bridesmaid gift is a surprise) I decided to make hula hoops for them. I had the instructor of one of my hooping classes cut and connect the pvc pipe for me. (She had the tools to do all that, I didn't). I ordered the tape and began decorating my first hoop.

Step One: I covered the whole hoop with a yellow base of gaffers tape I ordered from Tape Brothers. Gaffers tape has a fabric like finish and is not slippery so it has good body grip while hooping.
Note: I think when taping my next hoop I will angle the tape more while doing the base, like step two. I got a lot of air bubbles and tape folds doing it this way which I did not get when I applied the blue tape at more of an angle.

Step Two: I angled blue gaffers tape as a candy stripe around the entire hoop.
Warning: The photo you are about to view, exhibits a scrappy, exhausted-looking me. I was sick this day, as evidenced by my tissue box, cup of water and mismatched house-bum outfit. Although, this is not much different from my usual after-work attire.

Step Three: For the last layer, I applied glow tape at the same angle as the blue tape. This was a little difficult getting it to match up perfectly but with a slow and steady hand it went on just fine. This final tape is a glow-in-the-dark tape that after being charged by the sunlight it is "supposed" to glow for 10 hours of hooping fun! I tested it, and it does indeed glow. Not sure about the length of glow time yet.
Super Fun Game: Can you spot Snookie and Splinter, our kitties, in two of the photos? They enjoy hula hoops too!

My hula hoop is now decorated and ready for action! This was a test hoop for me. I have four more to decorate for my lovely bridesmaids. Glad I did a test run because I think my next hoops will have a smoother finish.

The wedding is sure going to be a hooping good time!