Jess (aka SpinSanity) is a Michigan flow artist, performer, and instructor. Her journey into the flow arts world began in January of 2016 and hasn’t stopped since. She is a multi-prop artist who specializes in hula hoops but also has a love for leviwand, fans, and dragon staff. Her favorite thing about the Michigan flow arts community is how supportive and encouraging everyone is. Jess is eager to share everything she knows and is even more eager to learn from all of you!

Classes:

Let’s Get Dancey

All About Them Angles

Let It Roll

Born in Buffalo, NY Jennifer began her dance training at the age of 3. Trained in ballet, modern, tap, jazz, African, hip-hop, hoop and creative dance. She holds a BA in Psychology from Mercyhurst College. Trained in Creative Dance @ LUNA Dance’s Summer Institute in Berkeley, CA. For the past 9 years Jennifer has danced with Dafmark Dance Company in Erie, PA under the direction of Dafna Rathouse-Baier. She teaches 25 weekly hoop and creative dance classes in Erie, PA, she is a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Rostered Teaching Artist, and is the CEO of Kinetic Creativity, the general manager of Dafmark Dance Theater and the founder and artistic director at Lake Effect Hoop Troop. She teaches PA State Standards Based curriculum (math, science, writing) through hoop dance and creative dance in schools. Jennifer has developed programs to teach dance to individuals with Parkinson’s Disease and another multigenerational program that brings school aged children and individuals with Dementia together to connect through creative dance. She also works with various social service organizations and community centers to bring dance to underserved and unserved populations such as inner city youth, seniors, individuals with developmental and physical disabilities, and people with chronic health conditions. Her areas of specialization are; teaching core curricula in schools through dance education, bringing dance to people of all abilities and ages, integrating dance technique with the hoop, creating hoop dance choreography, and teaching hoop dance to kids. 

In 2018, Jennifer was awarded an Emerging Artist Fellowship by Erie Arts & Culture. In 2015, Jennifer was awarded the Bruce Morton Wright Artist of the Year by Erie Arts & Culture. She also received two Top Hat Awards; 2015 Outstanding HoopDance Choreographer and 2015 Modern Contemporary HoopDance Fusion. Additionally, Jennifer came in 4th during the 2016 season of Hooping Idol. Nominated for the 2017 Hooping Video of the Year and received a 2017 Hoopie Awards Honorable Mention for her Hooping Idol 6: Horror week Video.

Jennifer has been hooping since 2010 and has taught and performed at Colleges/Universities through the United States, at the 2016 & 2017 National Dance Education Organizations Conferences in Arlington, VA and San Antonio, TX, and at many of the largest hoop/flow retreats in the US including; Hoopcamp (CA), Spin Summit (CO), Florida Flow Fest (FL), Return to Roots Gathering (PA), Hoop Convergence (NC), Frostburg State University (MD), Point Park University (PA), Spring Hill College (MA), University of Buffalo (NY), University of Connecticut (CT), Connecticut College (CT), Eastern Connecticut State University (CT), Allegheny College (PA), Gannon University (PA), Mercyhurst University (PA), University of Missouri (MO). Internationally Jennifer has taught in Peru, Canada, India, the Netherlands and Germany.

Classes:  Morning Movement
Creative Hoop Dance Experience
Hoop Dance Comp 1
Hoop Dance Comp 2
How to Be A Fulltime Dancer/Teacher Discussion

Steve is a multi-talented creative specializing in circus hooping. She has performed her entire life; drawing inspiration from ballet & yoga. Steve has been hula-hooping for five years; recently developing a deep appreciation for pyrotechnics. Whether it be fire, or LED performances you are looking for; Steve’s your gal!

Classes:

Grateful hoop mama is an Ohio based/Michigan grown flow artist. She has been hooping for almost 7 years and has taught and performed all over the United States and Virgin Islands. Although her main prop is a hula hoop, she also enjoys spinning poi, fans, levi wand, triquetras, and buugeng. Movement is one of her most treasured expansions of the heartspace. To share the medicine of flow is truly a blessing; and inspiring others around her is her main goal as a flow artist. She was nominated one of the top 40 hula hoopers of 2017 and has received the Unicorn Award from the Michigan Hoop Dance Retreat for being the ideal role model of a hula hooper. The journey of the circle has no dead ends: The sacred circle is forever evolving and the tricks to master are infinite.

Class: Dynamic Tricks & Advanced Combos

Growing up, Jenny Wags was surrounded by music and dance, being active in the school show choir and dance squads. After high school however, she greatly needed a creative outlet and thankfully soon discovered hula hooping, which quickly grew into a deep passion and married her love of music and dance. Through hula hooping and the hooping community Jenny grasped a new harmony with her body and a regained self-esteem. As she has felt the positive impact the hula hoop has had on her own life, it brings her great joy to introduce others to this meditative movement. Jenny hopes to share her love of playful movement and all its beneficial aspects to the mind, body and spirit through instruction, hoop events, and hoop troupe(s). It excites her to see this magical circle positively impact the lives of those who touch it, just as it has affected hers.

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Heyo my name is Kali Rockafellow also known as Fluid Unity I currently live in Ypsilanti and I have been hooping for the last three years, And have been preforming for two. I currently perform for two circus companies called GLOvation which is in Ohio, and Blue Crow Talent in Michigan. I dabble in a lot of things such as hooping,parter acrobatics, contortion, pole dancing, and fire play. Flow arts play a major role in my life and I’m super excited to escape reality this weekend and be able to flow and teach all of you. If you are looking to find peace through movement head over to my hoop and partner acro classes!

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Classes: 

Going Up & Going Down (Escalators)

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Production Number

Hi! I’m Missy Cooke, host of the Michigan Hoop Dance Retreat. A few years ago I dreamed of a weekend full of hoop dance, friends, and learning, where we could all come together to improve and share our skills. I never imagined the Michigan Hoop Dance Retreat would evolve into such a loving, fun, happy, flow family. And now, 5 years later, you all mean more to me than I can ever truly know. I am blessed to have met each and every one of you throughout your flow journey. Thank you for sharing your skill, art, and heart with me. The Michigan Hoop Dance Retreat wouldn’t be what it is without you.

Can’t wait to see you in August!

Classes I’m Teaching This Year: