Instructor: Missy Cooke

This workshop will challenge the way you think about your hoop – how it moves through the air, the way it lands in your hands, and how you pass it around your body. Rather than focus on trick completion, this class emphasizes your ability to direct your hoop using momentum, breaks, and purposeful plane changes in order to create a fluid and uninterrupted state of flow that helps you glide effortlessly between tricks without thinking.

Instructor: Déa

Beginner/Intermediate – This workshop is all about single hoop techniques utilizing your elbows. We will cover elbow hooping, various elbow passes, and more!

Instructor: Mya

Total Isolation is a single-hoop workshop with a focus on exploring unique ways to isolate your hoop. We will play with variations of ghosting, static, and folding isolations. This workshop is perfect for all levels of hoopers who are interested in getting creative with isolations!

Instructor: Jennifer Dennehy

This workshop will be dedicated to participants learning segments of repertoire from Jennifer’s extensive collection of choreographed hoop dance works. We will then have a discussion about what choreography is and what some of the choreographic devices/tools are that choreographers use to create original works.

Instructor: Nora Phillips

In this “workshop” we will have some fun with all kinds of hoops games. Musical chairs, relays, and ring toss are just a few classic games that happen to be more fun with hoops. No experience is necessary for participation but it may help in a few of these games!

Instructor: Déa

This beginner friendly double hoop workshop focuses on Thread The Needle variations.

Instructor: Nora Phillips

Bring a hoop that maybe doesn’t see much action anymore (but is in good shape) and write down all the places that hoop has been or anything else noteworthy about it then exchange it with someone else. Learn something new about another hooper, make that connection while trying a new hoop size and/or color!

Instructor: Spaces

Although prop manipulation is often the focus of a flow arts performance, overall stage presence comprises far more than our hoop related skills. Through a visualization and imagination based approach, learn an intermediate on and off body hoop combination with Emily aka Spaces. The goal of this workshop is twofold- to learn a few new hoop skills, and a new way to approach learning new skills in the future. Some hoop experience is recommended, but there is plenty of space for beginners as well.

Instructor: Kay

This class will focus in on different ways to get into a downward escalator and upward escalator. Also the many different combos you can get out of both.

Instructor: Kay

Focusing on the basic chest roll. Chest roll back and fort. Chest roll breaks, chest roll pops, and then go the many different combos after chest rolls to smooth out your flow.

Instructor: Remy Darnell

No prior experience or knowledge needed. This workshop introduces the basics of levitation wand to those who know nothing of levitation wand as well as those who are looking to polish their beginner wand flow. We will cover the basic anatomy of the leviwand, four foundation moves (floats, stalls, circles, and spins), and the use of levels to enhance your flow! A few wands will be available for participants to practice with but it is encouraged that participants bring their own.

Instructor: Kris MJ

This class is where I teach the basics of improvisation with a partner, and facilitate a contact improv jam. No experience needed

Instructor: Remy

Prior experience with levitation wand at a beginner-intermediate level needed. Contact levitation wand is a style of wand flow that adapts moves from baton and contact staff to being string assisted. We will cover balances, teeter totters, baton twirls, perches, traps, schwag rolls, pillar stalls, and halo rolls, a few variations, and finish off with combining all these skills and learning an around-the-world combo. A few wands will be available for participants to practice with but it is encouraged that participants bring their own, also recommended that the wand you’re practicing with is weighted and taped for contact.

Instructor: Christian Knoll

This class will be going over using pendulums with poi to slow down your flow, help transition between timing and directions, and experiment with different ways to spin your poi to help people just starting out poi learn how to find their flow.

Instructor: Christian Knoll

This class will be going over how to start using 2p1h poi by teaching the 2p1h butterfly and 2p1h forward and reverse weave. We will also be going over entrances and exits of 2p1h. Basic moves such as butterfly and 2 beat weave needed for this class.

Instructor: Spaces

Levitation wand on a long string opens a whole new world of potential for flow and dance. In this workshop we will tackle the basic mechanics of long string levitation wand with different anchors, and explore flow together. Participants will explore body wraps, stalls, spins, isolations and more with a focus on maintaining and playing with illusion. This workshop is perfect for both new levi wand artists with some experience, and more seasoned performers interested in long string

Instructor: Mya

Dynamic Russian Fans is an all skill level workshop with a focus on incorporating dance/musicality into a short Russian Fan sequence! We will be focusing on leg movement, turns, and serving performance face.

Instructor: Jennifer Dennehy

This warm-up is inspired by the artistic director of Dafmark Dance Theater, Dafna Rathouse-Baier. These movements are some of the ways in which we as a dance company warm-up prior to rehearsals. It is a fusion of ballet, modern, yoga and pilates. It is a fluid moving beautiful way to begin your day.

Instructor: Nora Phillips

This workshop is designed to help you learn more about your flow and specifically how music impacts it. Together we will experiment with all kinds of music and our flow. We will spend some time discussing how important music choice is for performing and how to choose the best song for your piece. Perfect for hoopers of all levels.

Instructor: Jennfier Dennehy

This workshop is to encourage people to explore moving their bodies in new ways. It is designed for people of any skill level, with or without previous dance experience. Creative dance is a fusion of the mastery of movement with the artistry of expression. Dive into dance exploring the elements of dance; space, time and force. This class will begin with the BrainDance as a warm-up followed by interactive explorations and improvisations. This is a great way to connect with others as there are partnering, small group and large group exercises.

Instructor: Kris MJ

This class is to help dancers to better understand music and to become aware of how to use every part of the music to fill out a piece of choreography as well as performance.

Instructor: Kay

This class will focus on basic stretching techniques while also using your prop a very easy going class that will set your intention and leave you feeling very relaxed and ready for the next workshop!

Leader: Spaces

Write a letter to yourself at the beginning of MHDR weekend. We will explore where you are right now with flow arts, and where you would like to be in a year. Then we will seal up the letters for you to open next year at (or around MHDR). This is a great way to integrate reflection and goal setting into your practice.

Instructor: Spaces

Instructor: Kris MJ

Sit down with MHDR Inclusivity & Diversity Ambassador Kris MJ to discuss how we can improve and approach inclusivity and diversity in the flow community.

Leader: Kris & Mya

Kris and Mya will cover ways we can be more eco-friendly as flow artists, campers, and humans in this world. Check it out!

Leader: Chloe

No experience needed to take this work shop just a open mind and willingness to learn and try new things. In this workshop I will go over the basics of manifestation and life skills that are taught at DBT (Dialectical behavior therapy). If you practice these skills when you are mentally stable it will help when you are in a unstable place. The goal of this class is to give people resources so that when they are in a state of sadness or anxiety they will have these skills to help them get out of it.

Leader: Spaces

We are all connected through each other and our experiences. Join Spaces as she leads you through an easy exercise to reflect on your time spent at MHDR.

Instructor: Chloe Millard

In order to take this class you will need a pair of fire eating torches and a soda of your choice to rinse your mouth out with. No experience needed to take this class I will be starting from the very beginning. In this class we will cover the after care of fire eating and all safty precautions. We will also talk about the dangers of fire eating and what can happen if you don’t take care of your mouth and body after a fire eating session. We will go over the basics of fire eating fleshing and vapor pulls.

A sensory experience you don’t want to miss!

Join your host, Missy Cooke and the rest of the MHDR team, to go over important info you’ll need to know for the weekend, meet the old (and new!) members of our hoop fam, and play some fun intro games. Wear your play clothes. You never know what will happen when family gets together!

Leader: Remy

Loosen up and conquer performance anxiety through play! We will play games that encourage us to get silly and move our body in new, fun ways, and work on breaking down barriers that prevent us from being fully in our flow. You don’t want to miss this workshop. You’ll laugh until you cry and then laugh some more!

Hosts: Remy & Mya

Join us for the first ever MHDR Lip Sync Smack Down! We want to see your moves so sign up early, or just show up to watch the show!

Leader: Missy

Join Missy as we reflect on our weekend and experiences and share in one last moment of caring, love, and kindness before we head back home.