MacGeezel's Page

How do you define "skill toys"?

Anything that requires you to hit yourself in the face a few times before you get it down, but you don't mind.

What is your skill toy of choice?

HOOPS. I've so far proven pretty useless with the poi, the staff, and pretty much everything else. ALWAYS willing to learn, though.

How long have you been spinning/hooping/juggling/etc?

I've been hooping for about 3 years.

Have you learned to play yet? What introduced you to this world of motion?

If you mean, "Am I any good?"...I'm okay. I tend to be hypercritical of my own skills and WAY impressed with those of other people, so I honestly have no way to tell. I fell in love with hooping at Burning Flipside in 2006, when I picked up my first "big girl hoop" at a nearby camp and then commanded a campmate to get me one when he went to town. When I arrived back in Dallas, I purchased my first "real" hoop from PhilthyHoops and worked it for 6 hours NON-STOP the first day, resulting in some fantastic bruises. Since then, I've been making my own hoops and spreading the love wherever and whenever I can, and trying to expand my Basket of Tricks and get my flow down.

Where is your favorite place to "play"?

I'm a fan of the Across the Street Bar Drum Jam on Wednesday nights; the rhythms prove quite conducive to fun. Parks, yards, parking lots, driveways...all good, as long as there's room. Of course, now that it's summer, my answer is (temporarily) ANYWHERE IT'S NOT 100-DEGREES!

How do you find your "Spin-Zen"? What helps you get your groove on?

A good hoop works wonders. I LOVE testing/getting used to a new toy. I actually got quite used to hooping without music, as I used to get the majority of my play-time on smoke breaks at work. Good music, however, is the ultimate motivator and ass-mover.

Why do you do it? What motivates you to spin/dance?

it's fun. It's challenging. It sometimes hurts. It helps me FEEL my body and connect with it. It helps me turn off my highly-overactive brainmeats. It lets me show off. It keeps me learning. It makes me laugh.