winterizing
my goals going into the winter have been: 1) to continue polishing my solo routine, 2) to do substantial work in developing routines with others, and 3) not to turn into a beached whale. taking a look at the last few weeks, i’d say the goal realization has been going pretty well.
my solo routine has come a long way from the initial flawed performance at union square in december. i walked away from that gig discouraged. i’d blitzed hard in the preceeding weeks to complete my exciting new routine in time. but the actual performance felt like a bit of a mess. i ended up going off sequence early on, dropped my hoop, split my lip wide open with some freak mutant move i hope i never repeat, and had my wicks go out severely prematurely, before i’d gotten anywhere near the really good stuff.
when i finally got a chance to check out the video, i was relieved to see that the performance was far better than i’d remembered. not a complete disaster, after all. considering the short time frame, i’d put together a good core, even if i was too lost in the technicalities while spinning. even my recovery from the drop was decent enough that i was asked by a few folks if i’d done it on purpose. i was once advised to learn a few solid recovery moves. really grateful for that advice. sometimes you just drop it.
as i’ve mentioned elsewhere, post-spin self debrief is always a little harsh. i often have to take a breath and recognize not only what went wrong, but what went right. still learning how to do this well. after all, no matter how far i end up going with hooping, it will always be about the process. the journey is the thing; the performances are just snapshots.
since the awkward debut, i’ve spent the necessary time really practicing the difficult transitions, been through the entire routine a substantial number of times with only minor snafus, and have newer wicks available. except for a sequence or two, i feel pretty rock solid across the board. really focusing now on the overall flow, pacing my energy exertion throughout the duration, fine tuning angles/body position/timing, opening up the general showmanship, and relaxing into my flow. looking forward to finding a good opportunity to perform the current evolution of the piece in the near future.
photo by norm mcallister, 2010.
in addition to the solo, i’ve got three routines in the works with my super-talented fire peeps. i’m rocking a kickass duet with glittergirl (hoop/poi), upgrading the irish footwork in the showpiece routine with firish, and beginning to craft my duet with jaden towards our application to conclave with solar flare (hoop/hoop; possibly, double staff/hoop). really pleased to have the opportunity to work with such great people. (when i first typed that sentence it came out, “pleased to have the opportunity to work such great people”. i’m sure that will be true, both ways.)
i’ve said it before and i will say it again. while there is certainly nothing like building a solid solo piece, i think it is really important to experience working in combination with other spinners. i’ve found it crucial to making mammoth gains in skill, technique and expression. it forces me to do things i would not normally do, to create unique sequences/interplay, to strengthen marginal skills. i also highly recommend trying a piece wherein you are interacting with a different spinning tool than your own. it’s one thing to play with another hoop; you can share the inherent fluidity of similar, familiar movement. but a completely different tool means you have to learn how to play with the unique qualities of that tool in the hands of the person you are working with- it’s rhythms, range, flexibility, etc. you cannot help but improve your own control, flexibility, and overall strength from this kind of work.
in my hoop/poi duet, for instance, we’ve had the opportunity to build a fresh vocabulary of hoop/poi interactions. we are doing a number of things i’ve never seen done anywhere. it’s incredibly fun to blaze new ground. i’m already stronger for it and anticipate some of my best choreographed performances to date.
with firish, the emphasis has been on improving our irish dancing skills so that we can integrate more footwork into our piece. we’ve already benefited from some great coaching and a lot of hopping around in unison. by the time the gigs are upon us, lovers of light 2.0 will be fantastic. and i will have thighs of steel.
as for the final piece, i’m excited to work with my solar flarista sister, jaden. she’s talented with many tools, including spinning a graceful double firehoop. i don’t have a clue what we’ll come up with, but i know it will be amazing.
so, until mid-april when the big shows happen, i expect to be practicing the group routines a good 10-15 hours a week, at a minimum. add to that my solo work and that’s a lot consistent wear and tear on our hero. the lesson i seem to be learning now is how best to take care of my body when i am practicing at this intensity and frequency. i’m usually conscious of water and rest needs when i practice or perform, but haven’t always been super diligent about stretching, massage, or simply making sure to promptly replenish electrolytes. my body is being very good about reminding me that those things are crucial to being able to bring it to every practice.
as to the beached whale reference, last year after the fire spinning season ended i took a good-sized break from hooping, undoubtedly needed because i hadn’t been listening to my body’s needs that well. i ended up doing a lot more eating than exercising (damn holidays) and put on some winter weight like a good mammal. but, having recovered from type II diabetes a few years back, i need to keep my weight in a very healthy range. i’m not generally too successful when it comes to new year’s resolutions. it feels really good to have continued my progress toward maintaining fighting trim this time around the sun. the only drawback from not packing on some extra poundage over this winter has been that i’ve been noticeably colder. as a hooper i’m often outside, exposed to the elements, wearing a minimum of fancy, tight clothing. never really understood to this extent what many of the women in my life endure routinely with being cold at night when out on the town.
anyway, after the big shows, i’m off to firedrums to celebrate, socialize, camp, and spin. spinning for my collective fire tribe is a unique joy. i always walk away from the weekend exhausted, smiling, and inspired, basking in the pungent aroma of smoke and burnt hair. awesome.
until then, i’m going to work hard, give my performances my best, and earn that celebration. paraphrasing the teacher in the old tv show, fame, “you gotta pay in sweat!”
