“I put my favourite song on and hula hoop in every direction. It’s really fun” – Liv Tyler

An account of my day as hula hooper extraordinaire…

Upon entering Don’t Drop the Dumbells on Hardman Street, an arty underground space with welcoming couches and all sorts of unusual paintings on the wall, I was greeted by multiple flashes of colour. Flashes, I say, because these colours were not stationary; they were the whirling shades of the hula hoops a-balancing on the hips of several happy ladies. Held by Kay Dent, professional hula hoop artist and the same girl that had mesmerised me one week before at the Canary Cage, I had arrived at my Introduction to Hula Hooping class. Slightly late (as usual), the other members had already mastered a basic hoop technique and now it was my turn to get stuck in.

Despite having danced incessantly throughout my younger years, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to master the hoop! Luckily, Kay was on hand to offer regular tips to the entire group and then to dip in and out of the crowd to address each individual hooper’s needs. After a few clumsy attempts and lots of perserverance, I managed to master a few little tricks!

• The basic hoop: balancing the hoop around my waist by shifting my weight from front to back, dispelling the popular myth that hula hooping is all about rotating your hips.
• A hand hoop: balancing the hoop on one hand and spinning it above me or to my side, and even managing to shift hands during the flow without disturbing the rhythm.
• A bootie bounce: those of you that are aware of my junk in the trunk can insert a relevant bum joke here (yes, Matthew David Breen and Vicky Horrocks, I can hear the laughter from here). This was the most difficult to master but by far the most rewarding! I managed to shift my body while the hoop was around my waist so that I was bouncing my legs, sticking out my bum and generally feeling a little bit like Rihanna at the Brits. Such a cute move!

Because I was having so much fun I didn’t notice the amount of work I was doing; for days afterwards my belly and legs felt stiff and it sounds crazy but I actually felt a bit more toned after such a short session. If you’ve been putting off that January diet and are looking for a hilarious way to learn a new skill and sculpt yourself to perfection then hula hooping could be the thing for you.

Kay is launching a new five-week hula hoop class in Liverpool. You can either drop in and out of the sessions every week or sign up to the full course. Beginners will be taught all they need to know and those wishing to take things further will be able to learn from a master! Here’s all you’ll need to know if you’re interested.

Prices
Per 90 minute session: £6
Entire five week course: £25 (saving £5 overall)

Venue
The Belvedere, Liverpool

When?
Saturday 5th March, 12.30-2pm
Saturday 19th March, 12.30-2pm
Saturday 2nd April, 12.30-2pm
Saturday 16th April, 12.30-2pm
Saturday 30th April, 12.30-2pm

Hoops
Hoops are provided in an array of sizes, weights and colours and are available to purchase after the class for £5.

The lady herself, Kay Dent aka Pink Hoops

If you’d like to find out more then click here to join the Pink Hoops Facebook group. This is where Kay posts lots of information about the courses and her upcoming projects and I’m sure she would love to hear from you.

Happy hooping!

www.pinkhoops.co.uk

The Canary Cage, Liverpool

The Canary Cage
Blue Bar, Albert Dock
Tuesday 1st February

Enjoying a glass of wine with the girls from my burlesque course and catching up with friends such as Heather Marie, I was excited to sit myself front row at the Canary Cage last Tuesday.

Opening the evening were the Boxcar Children, a singing duo who brought some comedy to their act by telling the audience lots of funny stories in between songs. Performing an array of pieces from country classics to Careless Whisper, the leading lady had a powerful and velvety voice and was received warmly by all of the audience.

Next to debut her burlesque pieces was fellow Burlesque in the Blitz starlet Cerise Derriere. A local girl, Cerise flaunted her snow white skin and retro lingerie to Feeling Good by Nina Simone and Fever. Exuding confidence and engaging her audience, Cerise went down a storm and was greeted with cheers and applause.

In the middle of the evening, the audience was divided into groups and each group given a balloon. Our task to pop, the balloon held a challenge for each group and was in some way inspired by burlesque. The winners (a group that created their very own Canary Cage with little supplies) won tickets to next month’s event.

Finishing the Canary Cage was hula hoop artist extraordinaire Tess la Coil. One of the most truly unique and beautiful performance pieces I have ever seen, Tess performed a hula hoop burlesque act to the 16 Bit remix of Britney Spears’ Toxic. She began her piece in a lovely lingerie outfit with a lit up hoop, and no sooner had the music started than the lights had been axed and the glow of the hoop was all that there was to illuminate her frame. This created an almost haunting silhouette as she performed her strip tease, meaning that lots was left to the imagination but the art the tease could still commence. I am delighted to say that I will be taking a hula hoop class with her this Saturday and will report back with news of my experiences.

Be sure to enter the Canary Cage next March… it is kept unlocked on the first Tuesday of every month at Blue Bar on the Albert Dock. For more information, fly over to the Canary Cage website.

www.thecanarycage.co.uk