Swinging Hoop

My swinging aerial hoop act from the June 2006 National Circus School production of "Robinson", performed at the City of Circus Arts, La TOHU.

The May version included a static solo performed without a safety line after the swinging act was completed; this version is kept short to fit into the show better.

Fun side notes:
(1) What you don't see: I actually begin the show lying on the crane bar (what the hoop is hung off) 40-odd feet up, and had to stay there, motionless, for the last 10 minutes of intermission and the first 10 minutes of the show each night, until my act starts. Who needs a warm-up?

(2) I was lowered off the grid to begin the act on my hoop from a dead hang, and had to get the 30-pound apparatus swinging on my own power - very unusual for a swinging act, where normally someone on the ground "gives" you your initial swing with a rope.

(3) At the end of my act, I also had to transfer back off from the hoop while it was still swinging, avoid the grappling hoop descending to catch the hoop, and be lifted back into the rigging grid - that's more like 80 feet up - then sprint down the stairs of La TOHU all the way to the bottom for a rapid costume change, and straight back out onstage.

This was a great learning experience, and I'm very glad I got a chance to be the first person at ENC to pioneer this unique apparatus!

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• circus
• cirque
• hoop
• swinging
• cerceau
• contorsions
• contortion
• aerial
• aerienne

[nexaramon]

Beautiful... What's the name of the song?

[thecircusgirl]

@nexaramon The intro is by Bjork ("I Miss You") but the swinging song itself is "Sálfræðingur" by Johann Johannson.

[nexaramon]

@thecircusgirl Thank you, grazie :-)

[emmyfaye1]

This is incredible!

[MaddScientistt]

Oh my gosh I have never seen anything like that before! That's amazing

[mrmacman413]

where did you get your chevalliers?

[whawhawha19]

this is really beautiful. what is the song?