Shavaun Hairston
ZouZou - Washington DC
Professional Hula Hoop & Fire Dancer, Instructor, & Choreographer. Boss Babe.
q & a
Hula Hoop, Fans, Poi, Double Staffs
I used to have a lot of anxiety which caused me to appear to be a shy person which I was not. Hooping has almost completely freed me of that handicap I had on my life. I am much more outgoing and my self esteem has skyrocketed!
Also being a black woman in a community where there are not many people who look like me has allowed me to inspire others people of color to start hooping. I love that between myself, my troupe Nubian Spin, the Facebook page I help admin, Black Hula Hoopers Unite, and the organization Color Flow I am a part of, I am able to bring visibility to black hoopers and help diversify the flow community.
I mainly practice at my weekly hoop and fire troupe practices and drum circle jam.
I began my journey into the flow arts January 11, 2014. I was backpacking through Central America and I came across a girl at a hostel on the beach in Nicaragua who was hula hooping. I was completely fascinated with what she was doing so I asked her to show me. I could always hoop on my waist but never learned any tricks. She taught me how to lift the hoop from waist to lasso and I became completely obsessed! A few days later she asked me if I wanted to make hula hoops, completely dumbstruck at the fact that we could make our own hula hoops we partook in the most amazing and hilarious adventure through Leon, Nicaragua trying to find parts to make hula hoops with our awful Spanish! It was one of the best days I have ever had!