I've dabbled in the meaning + imagery of the hoop + the Native American hoop dance inparticular as a bit of a side project for a few years. But I’ve recently had my interest in it reinvigorated + recharged!
This may be in part beacause I've made the decision this year to move away from focussing solely on children's art. It will remain a 'sub category' as I do enjoy it, but I want to start creating + sharing a wider range of art that is more personal, + hopefully engaging + interesting for a wider audience.
I was so sad to hear of the passing last year of Nakotah LaRance- a world champion hoop dancer + the inspiration behind my 'Hoop Dancer' painting. Some of the incredible shots of him in the music video 'Geronemo' helped stir my fascination + got me delving deeper into the history of this beautiful art form.
I’m enjoying playing + exploring, painting new subject matter + look forward to stepping out of my comfort zone and sharing more of it. We’ll see where the new journey takes me! In the meantime, I'll leave you with some history of the hoop- the ‘sacred circle’, + the hoop dance. Along with some images, I think most of which I've shared before.
The hoops used in the dance "symbolize a prayer that the promised renewal of the collective human spirit will accelerate and that we will all find our place in one great hoop made up of many hoops." - Wikipedia 'Native American Hoop Dance'
The neverending cycle of life + time.. balance + harmony between the spirit, physical, mental + emotional.
The sacred directions + seasons of Mother Earth.
The idea that what you put out in the Universe comes back to you.
Dancers mimic animals or birds or working of hunting, fishing, planting + harvesting. Hoops can interlock to form appendages such has wings + tails.
"Somewhere along the line the circle has been broken between human beings + nature. We need to learn to live again in the circular flow." - Dallas Arcand, Hoop Dancer. Tedex talk 'Living a Circular Life'
RIP Nakotah.
hiy hiy.