Hoop Dancing for Beginners – How to Do It

Hula Hoop Dance is a constantly evolving genre, which may be customized to suit any kind of music. Solo dancers, couples, or groups of all ages and body types can enjoy it.  

Some variations of hula hoop dancing require individuals to continuously rotate the hoop around their midsection, while also focusing on their footwork and the movement of their arms.  

Various methods include maintaining distance between the body and the hula hoop constantly, managing several hula hoops to generate motion around the dancer.  

In addition, certain methods include moving the hula hoop through various planes, emphasizing the midsection, and integrating movements away from the body.  

Occasionally, the hula hoop rotates around a limb, travels on a path, or stays still. But how do an individual improve their dancing skills better or more efficiently? 

This article is all about Understanding Navajo Hoop Dancing and learning how to do it. So, let’s keep reading to learn more about them.  

Step – 1: Keep an Eye on Your Waist Hooping Foot Work

If you’re starting to use your hula hoop or have been enjoying it for a year, go back to when you first started swirling it around your waist.  

Keep in mind that the size of the hula hoop will dictate how quickly your body needs to rotate. To learn more about selecting your hula hoop, be sure to read “What hula hoop size do I need.” 

Put the hula hoop around your lower back. If you tilt your body backwards, you will sense the exact area where the hula hoop starts to touch your body.  

Move one foot ahead to ensure that one foot is positioned in front of the other. Choose the foot that feels most comfortable to begin with, as it doesn’t make a difference which one you use.  

Hold the hula hoop horizontally and push it forcefully towards your stomach to allow it to spin around you without you needing to move.  

Mastering the initial push’s control is crucial for the success of your hula hoop practice.  

Attempt this activity with the opposite foot leading or by using your opposite arm to push and familiarize yourself with both sides. 

After you have the hula hoop spinning around your waist, shift your body in a linear direction to align your belly button with your toes.  

Ensure your heels remain planted while keeping your knees relaxed as your body follows the rhythm of your hula hoop.  

Try out the three-foot positions by keeping your belly button moving in a direct line between your toes. The organization is implementing new policies to improve employee satisfaction and productivity levels. 

Put your right foot forward and move your body from the front to your back.

Now put your left foot forward and do the same body movement as before.

Finally, move both your feet side by side and do the same with your body as well.

Practice pushing the hoop in both directions in each position to be able to spin the hoop right or left with each foot position. Next, keep on attempting altering the positioning of your feet while keeping the hula hoop from falling. 

Step – 2: Taking Care of the Dance

Begin by playing your preferred song.  

Practice altering your foot placements to position your foot at the next spot during important parts of the song such as the start of a new line or a powerful beat.  

As you progress through the song, experiment with changing your foot position frequently or repeating movement patterns. Once you feel more self-assured, try out different foot movements such as a grapevine, a box step, or a cha-cha.  

Try listening to various genres of music and observe how each one influences your dance movements. This represents a fundamental aspect of the footwork in Hula Hoop Dance.  

The more you practice this idea, the more your body will get used to it, distinguishing the motion of your hips from the motion of your feet. As you move to the rhythm of the music, your feet will adjust their pace accordingly, but the spinning of your hula hoop will remain steady.  

Feeling frustrated initially is normal, so using a larger hula hoop than usual can be beneficial when learning new footwork. 

Step – 3: Learning How to Turn Your Body

Moving in the same direction as the hula hoop’s spin will cause the rotation of the hoop to seem a lot slower from your perspective.  

However, moving in the opposite direction will cause the hula hoop to speed up relative to your body, requiring you to also increase your pace.  

In beginner hoop dance, it is important to turn your body in the same direction as the hula hoop spinning. A compass turn is a firm foundation and beginning point for novice dancers.  

Choose a supporting foot depending on the direction of the rotation of the hula hoop. If the hula hoop is rotating in a counterclockwise direction, use your left foot as the support. When the hula hoop is rotating to the right, make sure to keep your right foot as the stable base.  

Position your feet next to each other and settle into a relaxing stance to hula hoop, swaying your hips from side to side. As you pivot your anchor foot, use your opposite foot to propel your body in a slight 45–90-degree rotation. After putting your foot down, pause to confirm that your waist is still in charge of the hula hoop before turning again. 

A floating turn functions like a compass, but it rotates your body completely around 360 degrees at the same speed as a hula hoop for one rotation. This creates the appearance that the hula hoop is levitating as you twirl. Begin by placing your supporting foot in front and propel yourself with your other foot, applying sufficient pressure to rotate yourself completely.  

After finishing the spin, lower your lifted foot and keep hooping around your waist. Make sure to rotate your body in the same direction as the hula hoop and resume hooping at your waist as soon as your foot touches the ground. Don’t forget to practice these turns in both directions! 

Step – 4: What to Do with Your Hands?

One of the most typical actions arms will perform while learning to hula hoop is mimicking a t-rex. These short arms resembling t-rex or chicken wings are great for staying clear of the hula hoop, but not ideal for hula hoop dancing.  

The initial step in addressing hand and arm movements is to begin observing their positioning and allowing them to move freely rather than resembling a t-rex.  

Consider it as a 3-step procedure involving your shoulders, your hands, and your arms moving gracefully among them. Begin by calming down and adjusting the position of your shoulders.  

Roll your shoulders forwards, then upwards, backwards, and downwards a few times, finally ending by exhaling and visualizing your shoulder blades descending alongside your spine. 

Afterwards, consider alternate positions for where you place your hands. Stretch them out to the sides, stretch them in front of you, place them behind your head, or hold them on your heart. Your hands have the potential to reflect each other or work independently. Try different hand positions and finger placements to treat each hand like its own distinct and calm work of art. 

Ultimately, shift your attention to your arms. Extend your arms outward or keep your elbows relaxed and slightly flexed. Your arms can form distinct lines of strength, or shape into round circles. Discover new arm movements by changing the positions of your hands. 

 Related reading: 5 Ways to Introduce Music to Kids