http://spinmatsuri.com/2012/01/05/calculating-your-ideal-hoop-size-a-new-way/

Hula hoops come in a range of sizes and weights. How can you decide which is right for you?

The common wisdom advises beginning hoopers to choose a hoop that reaches from the ground to their navel or higher. But does that rule of thumb make sense? Hoops are more often around our waists than standing at our legs.

We also know that the bigger the hoop is, the longer it takes to rotate all the way around on your waist, so you can push bigger hoops at a slower rhythm. This is true, but really what’s happening here is not about the size of the hoop, it’s the ratio of the hoop to the hooper. For example, my husband and I have the same length legs and are of similar height, but I have a smaller waist than he does. When he uses my hoop, it’s pretty fast paced for him. If he uses a bigger hoop, we easily can dance to the same beat.

So maybe we ought to be using waist measurement to determine hoop size, not leg length, for our on-body hoops.

Of course we don’t only hoop on our waists. There are off-body tricks, mini hoops and more. Still, the idea of using our own bodies to figure out hoop size works in most cases.

I’ve devised some new metrics for hoop sizing for a few different kinds of hoops and hooping styles. They use your own body as the seed for measurements, so your hoops will always fit you well. If you are buying your hoop from a shop, rather than making your own, use your measurements as a guide to find the closest size available.
How to Fit Your Hoop

Hoop Sizes – onbody

On-Body Hoop: Measure your waist (in centimeters, inches, or whatever you like). Then multiply by the magic number* below depending on your preferred hoop rhythm:

Slow: 1.4
Medium: 1.27
Fast: 1.13

This is just a rule of thumb. People who are extra tall or extra short, very stout or thin might need adjustments. The average American 6 year old has a 22 inch waist and is about 47″ tall. A slow 33″ hoop could be a bit much for her to handle.

Also, hoop rhythm is subjective. Your fast rhythm might be faster than mine, or maybe it’s slower. It depends on your level of fitness, your creaky joints, how much caffeine you had today, your mood… Use these numbers as a guideline to build your hoop wardrobe and please share your feedback in the comments.

Hoop Sizes – off body hoops

Twin Hoops: With your hand held comfortably at your side, measure from your fingertips to the floor, and subtract an inch (or 3 cm). Use this measurement as your hoop diameter. This makes hoops that are easy to swing in poi style moves without hitting the ground.

Mini Hoops: With your arm held out to the side, measure from your wrist to just before your armpit. Alternately, for buxom hoopers, hold your arm straight out in front of you and measure from the inside of your wrist to just before the bustpoint. Either way, this produces mini hoops that you can isolate and spin along the inside of your arm without snagging. Smaller is fine, too.

Yoga hoop: Measure your inseam, from crotch to ankle. This allows you to use your hoop as a yoga prop and to do inverted walking meditations without catching on your torso.

Tandem/meditation hoop: Waist measurement multiplied by 2 is a good place to start exploring these ultra-big hoops. This produces a hoop large enough for two to hoop in pretty easily, or an extremely slow rhythm for a solo hooper.
About Weight

Whether you want a weighted hoop or one that is ultra-light is up to you.

Heavier hoops are great for toning muscles and weight adds stability, but they can leave bruises and are sometimes too heavy for faster hoop tricks or tosses. Lightweight hoops are wonderful for long sessions of hand hooping and fast tricks, but they are harder to control because they tend to fly around.

If you have a hoop that is too light, you can add tape to it to make it heavier. If you have a hoop that is too heavy, you can give it to a friend who likes heavy hoops.

All hoops are good hoops for something! Even the much derided “kiddie hoops from the dollar store” can be fun to play with and make fine hoops for off-body hooping – no bruises – or a good challenge for waist hooping.
* How did I come up with these multipliers?

I did it partially by observation during my hooping experience, and a large part by math.

I calculated some examples of hoop to hooper ratio. I used common hoop sizes as my base, and a range of US dress sizes for my waist measurements. I rounded to two decimal places and averaged the results to get the final magic number. The larger the number, the slower the rhythm. The hoop size is inner diameter of the hoop, the size of the surface that touches your body.

42″ 105 cm Hoop example (slow)
35″ waist (US dress size 40) 42/35 = 1.20
33″ waist (US dress size 16): 42/33 = 1.27
30″ waist (US dress size 12): 42/30 = 1.40
28″ waist (US dress size 10): 42/28 = 1.50
25.5″ waist (US dress size 4): 42/25.5 = 1.65
Average: 1.40

38″ 95 cm Hoop example (medium)
35″ waist (US dress size 40) 38/35 = 1.09
33″ waist (US dress size 16): 38/33 = 1.15
30″ waist (US dress size 12): 38/30 = 1.27
28″ waist (US dress size 10): 38/28 = 1.36
25.5″ waist (US dress size 4): 38/25.5 = 1.49
Average: 1.27

34″ 85 cm Hoop example (fast)
35″ waist (US dress size 40) 34/35 = 0.97
33″ waist (US dress size 16): 34/33 = 1.03
30″ waist (US dress size 12): 34/30 = 1.13
28″ waist (US dress size 10): 34/28 = 1.21
25.5″ waist (US dress size 4): 34/25.5 = 1.33
Average: 1.13

As an aside, examine the lists to see some interesting connections. For example, a 42″ hoop on a size 40 hooper has about the same ratio (1.20) as a 34″ hoop on a size 10 hooper. Hmmm, no wonder so many new hoopers are confused about hoop size and how fast we should be moving.

It has been a lovely year of seeing my dreams come to fruition by having culminated a beautiful following of engaged students who attend my classes on a regular basis. I am eternally grateful to those who attend and support this endeavor on a weekly basis and allow me to be able to keep the classes going on a drop-in format. I also want to thank those of you who can not come weekly but come when your schedule allows. I am happy that with this support, I am able to provide an opportunity for you to continue your journey of dance and hooping.

Intentions for the New Year: I am very excited about 2012! I look forward to seeing all of you in class and journeying with you to expand and explore the very fertile grounds of hooping and dance…there is so much to learn, so much to feel and so much to enjoy together.

This will certainly include the learning the limitless repertoire of hoop tricks, dancing with our hearts wide open and expanding into other areas of movement mediation, healing and exploring the value of strength through movement. I look forward to furthering my education in all of these areas so that my teaching will continue to be rich, deep, fun and accessible for everyone. This year, I am also looking forward to collaborations with some incredible dancers, yoginis and healers in the Boulder community.

I decided not to have a Holiday Hoop Party this December as it is such a busy time for everyone and I decided to look into January/February for a fun Hoop Dance Party so that we can enjoy our community, hooping and dance without all of the holiday craziness. I also would love to facilitate more Hoop Building Workshops, Hiking and Hooping excursions perhaps and Hooping/Camping retreat weekend! I am also currently looking into venues for a monthly Hoopy Hour.

Evening Class?: Several people have asked me about evening classes as all of the classes I offer are during the day. I am certainly interested in teaching an evening class. Class space is hard to find during these prime time hours, but if there is a will there is a way. If there is enough interest, I would like to offer a 6-8 week session in which everyone would progress together as a whole. Please contact me if you are interested. Let me know days that work best for you and then I will have to research the venue.

Here is a link to a beautiful video to inspire you:

A quote from Gabrielle Roth:

“Dance is the fastest, most direct route to the truth — not some big truth that belongs to everybody, but the get down and personal kind, the what’s-happening-in-me-right-now kind of truth. We dance to reclaim our brilliant ability to disappear in something bigger, something safe, a space without a critic or a judge or an analyst.”

Blessings to all of you in this New Year and remember that we are a circle within a circle….with no beginning and never ending.

Kristina

All Zumba Classes will have substitute teachers.

Happy Holidays!

CLICK ON NAME OF STUDIO FOR DIRECTIONS

Tuesday 10:30 am  -Beginning Hoopdance–Alchemy of Movement

Tuesday 12:45 pm- Hoop Dance Fitness- Rally Sports

Thursday 9:00 am-Beg/Int Hoopdance– Circus Center

Thursday 10:00 am-Int. Choreography Hoop Class- Circus Center

Saturday 10:00 am -Beginning Hoopdance– Kakes Studios

Saturday 11:00 am-Intermediate Hoopdance- Kakes Studios

ZUMBA CLASSES FOR DECEMBER

CLICK ON STUDIO NAME FOR DIRECTIONS

Tuesday 6:30 pm – 24 Fitness Boulder

Wednesday 9:00 am – 24 Fitness Boulder

Thursday 11:40 am – BOULDER COUNTRY CLUB (PRIVATE)

CALL 303.918.6617  IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS!

As many of you have already heard, O Dance Studio will be leaving the space at 1501 Lee Hill Road #4 as of February 28, 2010.

But not to worry: I love teaching my classes and we will carry on together!  The energy and sustaining life force I get from each and every one of my students can’t be put into words.  You mean the world to me and I hope that you are as anxious to continue our relationship as I am.  If I have my way, we’ll be dancing together for another thirty years!

The drawbacks of running a physical studio, however, have outweighed the benefits for me so I am moving my O Dance classes to two other Boulder studio spaces.  Classes will be added for Children and Adults as time goes by so keep an eye out for upcoming newsletters.

Starting the last week in February, my classes will be at the following studios.

(click on studio’s names for more information and directions)

ZUMBA

Tuesday 6:30 pm – 24 Fitness Boulder

Wednesday 9:00 am – 24 Fitness Boulder

Thursday 10:30 am – Alchemy of Movement

Saturday 11:00 am – Kakes Studios

HOOPDANCE

Tuesday 10:30 am – Alchemy of Movement

Thursday 9:00 am – Circus Center (North Boulder)

Saturday 10:00 am – Kakes Studios

Punch Cards will still be available for the classes taking place at the Circus Center and Kakes Studios.

12-1pm – Dance Instructor Kristina Sutcliffe is going to be instructing a beginners Hoop Dance Class that will allow you to build a solid foundation for the dance form. All the while, you’ll be toning your abs, back, arms, hip, buns and legs, strengthening and opening your upper back and chest, increasing balance and getting a cardio workout! She will be providing free dance class passes to the studio that she owns, and the store will be doing a drawing for a Hoopnotica Travel Hoop for anyone that participates in the class!

COME CHECK IT OUT IT SHOULD BE A LOT OF FUN!

phone #303.415.1877

The studio will be closed these following days;We will be closed the week of December 24th through January 1st.

Free Classes in December!!!!!

Kristina’s Hoopdance Performance

Kid’s Hoop Troupe Performance 2009

Sol and Chris Dance at BDWTS

Sol and Dave at BDWTS

Saturday December 5th 2-4 pm.

Description: In this class Rainbow Michael helps you explore the world of isolation, linear isolation, linear extension and a variety of movements that build a comprehensive knowledge base as well as make you feel like a geometric super hero. We will learn how to link movements together and weave a tapestry of time and space into your auric field. Make your hoop feel like it is floating, gliding and flying right where you want it to,  A great class for learning a off body hoop language and having fun doing it.

Criteria: intermediate to advanced hoopers, a light weight smaller diameter hoop 31in to 35in is ideal. (Michael can make you one if needed before class)

Price:$35

Email Rainbow to reserver your spot (only 8 spots available)

rainbow@cosmicfiredance.com

The studio will be closed these following days;

Wednesday, November 25th and Thursday, November 26th.

Intermediate Hoopdance class on Tuesday, December 1st has been canceled.

We will be closed the week of December 24th through January 1st.

Free Classes in December!!!!!

Kristina’s Hoopdance Performance

Kid’s Hoop Troupe Performance 2009

Sol and Chris Dance at BDWTS

Sol and Dave at BDWTS

We will be perfoming 3 dance pieces two hoopdance pieces and a cha cha cha.  The kids hooptroupe will be performing one of the pieces.  We will be performing in the 4:00 slot on this Saturday, November 21st.

Hope to see you there to support our dancers!