Hoopdance Beginning Level 1

I bought this off Amazon about a month ago. I think this is a great DVD and the girls are very, very good at instructing. I like the troubleshooting tips too. If I can't seem to get the hang of how they are saying to do something, it usually "clicks" after I have worked at it a little bit and I am like "okay, I get it!" I am getting it down one chapter at a time like they say you are supposed to. I am starting to see some real progress and find myself laughing and having fun. I don't usually do that when I am exercising: When I have mastered this DVD I will definitely be purchasing the next level in the series. I can't wait to get a cute outfit and dance for my boyfriend:) Guys just love watching us do this, haha!

In Hoopnotica Hoopdance Beginning Level 1, veteran hoopmeisters Rayna McInturf and Keaton Talmadge manage to systematically teach basic moves of the art of hoop dance to virtually anyone with the desire to dance and the appropriate hoop with which to do it. Their methodology is simple; each segment of the DVD whether viewed in the sequence presented or not offers an introduction that outlines and introduces the subject goal, a demonstration with instructions that repeats the move adequately enough to enforce the mechanics without annoying repetitiveness and a troubleshooting follow-up that details the most common mistakes along with the associative adjustments needed to tweak the move and get it under control.Hoopnotica Hoopdance Beginning Level 1 details the following hoopdancing maneuvers: waist hooping, hip hooping, halos, passing and floating, and corkscrews. The DVD begins with a general introduction that defines the overall goal of the first level and a warm-up using the hoop as a tool to help stretch the body before attempting to dance. One of my only complaints about this program is the lack of a dance sequence as a finale that the student can watch and copy that incorporates all the learned moves. Some fun music and a beginner's routine would have capped off this DVD and launched it into a 5 star rating.For those who are new to hoop dancing: make sure your hoop is an adult sized hoop made specifically for dancing. I own two different hoops from two different companies: the Hoopnotica Fitness Travel Hoop Combo fits the bill nicely as it comes apart and can be easily transported. Although perhaps a bit flimsy, this hoop is slightly weighted but not to the extreme as the Empower Cardio Core Hoop with DVD is. The Empower model is too heavy, making performing halos, passing and floating and corkscrews a little more painful if done incorrectly. Stick to a hoop made with dancing and not strict cardio hula-hooping in mind. A further caution--exercise or dance with your hoop in either a studio with a lot of individual space that does not restrict your movement and an extremely high ceiling with no dropped paddle fans or outside on level ground. When I use my backyard as my dance palace, I am unable to view the DVD instructions simultaneously, so some adaptation must be made: I watch first, try it and then observe again to make the appropriate adjustments helped out greatly with the troubleshooting segment. Even though I am not the most graceful dancer it didn't take me long at all to learn the first few moves and totally enjoy what I was doing. Working on the halos and the pass and float moves requires a little more space and a bit more patience. Nonetheless with very little practice, I was able to master these maneuvers with little additional viewing of the corresponding segments. Presently, I am working on smoothing out my corkscrew move--it took me a while to realize I had to rotate within the hoop to get it to settle on my waist/hip from halo position. Once accomplished, the body remembers the feel of the move and it becomes ingrained as part of the overall repertoire.In general, hoop dancing is a fun way to tone the body and work up a healthy, cleansing sweat. Initially, you will feel the stress in your arms as you work through halos and passing and floating; similarly you will feel your waist and hips working as you keep the hoop in movement around your body. Although the two dancers featured on this DVD are in their prime, this activity makes a wonderful group activity for all ages and activity level--there is a local retreat house that sponsors a Cancer Survivors Weekend where I think this type of class would be phenomenally fun and therapeutic. My only other less positive comment is to depict dancers of all ages to illustrate the agelessness of this activity. Don't dis those of us who want to age gracefully and defiantly!Bottom line? Hoopnotica Hoopdance Beginning Level 1 teaches the rudiments of hoopdancing in a concise and extremely efficient manner. Pop it into your DVD if you want to learn waist hooping, hip hooping, halos, passing and floating and corkscrews and then practice, practice, practice your way to a wonderfully therapeutic form of exercise that will keep you "hoopy." Looking forward to mastering my corkscrews to move onto Hoopnotica Hoopdance Beginning Level 2. Recommended for good fun and great exercise.Diana Faillace Von Behren"reneofc"

If you are looking to begin Hooping but don't know where to start this dvd is the place. They really take you step by step through the whole process. They give you a ton of trouble shooting tips on how to improve so you don't become frustrated during the learning process. It is a beginner dvd but I was happy to see that it had some tricks that are, in my opinion, beyond beginner. There is nothing worse then getting a beginner dvd and watching it once and mastering it too quickly.When I got the dvd I was just able to keep the hoop up. Now I can see the foundation of hoop dancing with the help of the dvd.It's a good investment if you want to learn how to hoop dance.

This is a good workout, however, it takes a very large empty space, think an entire bedroom size area or larger, to safely perform all moves. I got through the first 30 minutes of the video by minimizing movements so I didn't get the full impact of moving with the hoop. Had to just watch and just keep moving for the rest as I didn't have the space to do what was needed. There is also a great deal of down time between segments, so don't kid yourself that you are getting what I would term a FULL hour of workout with it without continuing the basic stance hoop in between segments. Added to my difficulty besides very limited space, I am a short, round person, but very active, pass and floats were difficult as I can't get my hands together or even close behind my back (yet). Great instructional, easy to follow. Nice slow pace. Would be perfect if everyone had a gym size room to do this at home.

I was disappointed, I already know how to hoola hoop, but I thought this video would show me some cool beginners tricks for people that could already hoola hoop. No! Basically this video just shows you how to hoola hoop, no tricks nothing. Complete waste and disappointment.

this is an excellent workout for a beginner hooper. I've been hooping for about 7 months and i have mild scoliosis and degenerative disk disease so i have been taking my time with the beginner moves. this video is perfect for learning the basic moves and has a nice warm-up to prevent injuries. I already knew most of the moves except i'm having trouble perfecting them and with halo transitions from lower body to above my head. The troubleshooters section of this dvd helped me tremendously. I'm getting the second video asap. I recommend it to all new hoopers. Enjoy!

I haven't been able to watch this much because the DVD won't play in my normal (otherwise functioning) DVD player. It will play on my computer's DVD player, but without sound. The DVD will play fine on my laptop, but that's not a screen that's very conducive to practicing in front of. The DVD does play on my friend's DVD player for some reason. Also, I bought volumes 1 and 2 and both are so short, it seems obvious that they could have put all of the lessons on one DVD. I guess they knew they could make more money by making us buy both.