Hoop possibilities

I've just finished my first 6-week course in Hoop and we finished with a little presentation that was lots of fun.

Flying Fantastic 6 week hoop course - The results (1) from Flying Fantastic on Vimeo.

I'm the one on the right.

This was a beginners course in Hoop and while my trapeze background made the physical movements fairly easy, I enjoyed the slow pace which allowed me time to focus on doing things properly and cleanly. I'm always fighting my instincts to be slap-dash so I feel like I've been starting from scratch for the last 12 months: relearning how to do everything with control and elegance. It was great to learn from Clare Midgely and when I wasn't learning moves, I was watching how she taught the classes. I still have a lot to learn.

Next week I start a 4-week course in Hoop with the lovely Rose Donnelly at MAH. This is likely to be faster paced - teaching to MAH students experienced in a range of aerial skills. I'm excited about developing my hoop skills further and hopefully ending up with the basis of a routine I can work on.

This is leaving me feeling very conflicted. I feel like I'm betraying my static trapeze and turning my back on years of tricks and experience. This is stupid, and I know both can co-exist. Hoop for crowd-pleasing, easier-to-rig, more accessible work. Trapeze for pushing myself to put more difficult tricks into routines and choreograph to please myself.