Posts Tagged ‘Burlesque’

• Episode 14 – Valentina Martin: Fusion in Life and Love

  Date: 2015.10.11 | Category: PODCAST! | Response: 0

  

  Belly Fusion Workshop

  Recorded in March 2015 in San Francisco before her performance at the DNA Lounge, Valentina Martin caught me up on her life – a fusion of her talents and passions.

  

  Hooping with Nicole Wong in Dolores Park

  I happened to be in town spending time with my husband (we eloped in January 2015!). I timed it just right so I could take Valentina’s Belly Fusion workshop that combines belly dancing and hooping. She’s an amazing teacher and I continue to say that I want to be her when I grow up.

   

  Imitation is supposedly the sincerest form of flattery. I made a run at imitating Valentina when I went to the Rose City School of Burlesque and combined my hooping with a couple of acts. That lasted about 6 months basically because 1) I accomplished my goal and 2) it’s hard to come up with a new act and costume every couple of weeks! My hat – and bra! – off to this lady. She has created spectacular performances and shows with her hoop troupe, The Hoop Unit, her belly dancing and burlesque talents and now in Twisted Orbit, her partnership with her husband, Steve Bags. Fusion.

  

  Partner Possibilities Workshop at Hoopcamp 2015

   

  Lucky for me Valentina and Bags were teaching a Partner Possibilities workshop at Hoopcamp this fall. Now even I can juggle and partner hoop! Looking forward to teaching those new skills to my hoop friends and maybe even my husband.

  Enjoy the interview and please explore the many, many links to her work.

  Happy Hooping!

   

  Video Goodness
  Unity YouTube Channel
  Twisted Orbit YouTube Channel
  Circling the Infinite – Twisted Orbit
  Twisted Orbit Manipulation Theater June 2015

  Unity Hoops Website
  Unity Hoops Facebook Page
  Twisted Orbit Facebook Page

  Performers Without Borders
  https://vimeo.com/135901309
  https://pwbblog.wordpress.com/2014/02/14/sombra-2/

  Hoopcamp Retreats
  DNA Lounge

  Music by the dawn machine
  https://soundcloud.com/thedawnmachine/sets

  

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• Episode 8 – The Tease, featuring Valentina

  Date: 2013.11.17 | Category: PODCAST! | Response: 0

  Hello hoopers, hoopers in the making and hooper lovers!

  I’m a lucky, lucky hooper!  I love doing this podcast but it has been become difficult to put together due to the old age of my computer.  But out of the blue, a brand new computer arrived on my doorstep a few weeks back.  A gift from the wonderful man in my life.  *happy sigh*

  So what does that mean?!!!  Well, I’ve had 4 interviews in limbo and it’s been driving me crazy!  I want to share these with you so badly.

  I’ve been a hooper officially since April 2009 and I feel I’m immersed in the hooping culture enough to be wonderfully geeky about the hoops, the performers, the instructors, the clothes, the retreats, all of it!  And I want to share it as experienced by other hoopers.

  This episode is the “tease” episode.  I started an interview with Valentina of Unity Hoops and Twisted Orbit in February in San Francisco…so long ago!!  She was THEE reason I started taking Burlesque classes which in itself is the art of teasing.  I wish I could take all of her classes in San Diego and be in her hoop troupe, The Hoop Unit!  So, during our interview – which was AMAZING! – I did not hit the record button twice and didn’t get any of the main interview.  So sad.  But I did get a little taster, a tease if you will, before and after.

  

  Me and Valentina

  In addition, I sat down to interview two of my friends in Washington State, successfully recorded one interview in which we discussed, in length, how to hoop on rollerblades – I’m still hoping for either a video or a picture as proof!  – and hooping blindfolded with Baxter. As we were about to start the second interview with my friend Annie, my batteries died.  What we were about to talk about is her 50th birthday party celebration.  I got to hoop with fire for the very first time.  My hoop mama, Merilieu, felt I was ready, loaned me her hoop so I could practice and I performed for Annie using the same music that my hoop mama did for her fire hoop debut. And it was a total surprise for Annie.  Yay!   I’ll be interviewing Annie again to talk about that night and her life after finding the hoop.  Yet another tease!!!!

  

  Andreas and Annie

  Stay tuned for a follow up interview with Valentina. Her life has really taken off.  She’s teamed up with UK Hooper Steve Bags and together they’ve created Twisted Orbit.  Also her troupe, the Hoop Unit, went to the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Vegas this year!

  Tease, tease, tease!  The glove is off, people!  You know you want more! Well, I’m gonna give it to ya!

  After I put out this episode and Episode 9 with Beth Lavinder and Antonio Gomez for Episode 10 – because the Bay Area Hoopers (BAH) celebrated their 10th anniversary this year! – I want to make this podcast legit.  I’ll be looking for advertisers, sponsors, interviewees, web designers and musicians to make this a hooper’s resource of hoop geekery and love!

  Till then, thanks for listening and happy hooping!

  Facebook Goodness
  Valentina Unity
  Unity Hoops
  The Hoop Unit
  Twisted Orbit

  Website Delights
  Unity Hoops

  My First Fire Performance at Annie’s Birthday Party
  http://youtu.be/DrJ3EMebcKI

   

   

  

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• Revealing

  Date: 2011.03.14 | Category: Exploring The Path, Performance | Response: 0

  So I’ve decided to take a Burlesque class to improve my hoop performance.  It’s working! I’m having a blast and am interacting with my audience more.

  Why Burlesque? Well, at HoopCamp this past year, Valentina Unity did a workshop on Burlesque hooping.  Holy Crap! It was amazing! She was amazing!

  I looked into Burlesque classes and really wanted to go to Seattle and immerse myself in classes up there.  Luckily I found the Rose City School of Burlesque in town.  I was able to shift all my classes in January and open up Tuesday in February just in time to start taking classes.  Manifestation, big time!

  We’ve learned history, make-up, hair, dance moves, created our names and developed personas and I’ve been working on a removable and hoopable costume for weeks.  eeeeee!!!!   I haven’t even told my mom.  Not sure that I’m gonna. Hmmm….

  Next week I get to do a solo performance…watch our for Chica Vroom!!!