Talents walk among us everyday on campus, but it’s hard to do something to make a person stand out – hula-hooping is just one of those many talents. However, when watching a hooper perform, you could get lost in the loops. Hooping has become more than a world-wide craze – it is a community of talented individuals who strive for creative expression.

Psychology senior Andrea Smith started hooping after graduating high school in 2015. Before entering the University, she was having a slow summer, so she wanted to pick up a new activity involving intense performance.

“I like performing,” Smith said. “I did ballet, tap and jazz, but after I graduated I completely stopped doing those things, so I really wanted another creative outlet and that was hooping.”

Smith said hooping was a gateway to possibilities for her. It would help Smith through her tough times with school and life in general. After three years of this new hobby, she realized it also a great meditation device.

“After a while, it became a stress reliever. When I was sad or upset, I would go outside for 30 minutes to practice and come back in feeling refreshed,” Smith said. “When you’re in that moment, you feel free and you hear the music and you dance to that music and everything else just disappears.”

Smith said hooping does not really contain any negative aspects because it is also a great activity for working out and just plain fun exercise.

“I like the fitness aspect of it, as well, after hooping for maybe 10 minutes, you’re drenched in sweat,” Smith said. “It is nice cardio, and builds arm strength since you’re constantly working with your arms.”

Hooping is Smith’s passion, but she said it was not easy at first. Through determination and some training, Smith has come to master most of the skills.

“I legit had to start from square one, from learning how to hoop on my hips, to chest rolls, then pizza tosses, and also shoulder hooping,” Smith said.

Smith said she learned perseverance and determination through practicing her hooping skills.

“You have to work from ground zero all the way up and you have to keep drilling and practicing, and honestly it will just kind of come to you one day,” Smith said.

Smith has the strife to perform and show her talent to the world. She enjoys performing to the fullest extent and hopes she can show others what she is really made of.

“I love psychology and I love stats, but performing is something that balances off using my brain and utilizing my creative side,” Smith said. “My whole goal with hooping is to eventually make it to a festival or a rave and perform.”

She also wants to meet others who hoop and the girl who showed her the hooper life, Instagram icon Rachel Sullivan. Sullivan is a well known hooper who posts videos daily and performs as well.

“I also would like to go to different states and meet other hoopers, especially Rachel, so I can thank her for making her videos because she was my driving inspiration to do hooping,” Smith said.

Smith is not the only hooper on campus. She said there are at least three other hoopers attending the University who practice on campus occasionally. Not only are they on our campus, but within the city.

“There is definitely a community of hoopers here, especially in Baton Rouge,” Smith said. “Every Friday, hoopers and poiyers meet at the levee to socialize and practice tricks, and that’s just locally.”

Smith said she hopes one day the University can have a club or just meetings where they can share their talent with each other and, possibly, the world.
“I feel like as a hooper you need to be connected with other hoopers to develop your flow and become better at tricks, or maybe create cool group videos,” Smith said.