SpinJoy
Caitlyn Woods - Sydney, Australia
Caitlyn is a Sydney based professional hoop dance performer, instructor, hoop maker and co-host of the SpinJoy HooperCast podcast.
Her mission is to use hula hoop dance as the catalyst to empower women to connect with their bodies in a joyful and positive way. She’s super passionate about creating space for women to feel empowered, sexy, silly and free with their bodies, with the goal of taking the focus of movement and exercise away from feelings of lacking or not good enough, and moving towards joyful body connection and self expression. Caitlyn also works with kids and teenagers and is inspired to help educate kids from a young age to have a positive relationship with exercise and their bodies. She’s a mental health awareness advocate and cat lover.
q & a
Hula hoops are my flow prop. I specialise in on-body hoop dance (body rocking) with larger weighted dance hoops. My style incorporates high energy dance and movement with sustained spinning.
I’m passionate about encouraging people to get out of their own heads and do ‘the thing’ whatever ‘the thing’ might be for them. I talk openly through my channels about my personal mental health struggles with depression and anxiety and how I use hoop dance as a tool to prioritise joy and self-care in my life. I want to inspire other people to feel comfortable to share their authentic selves. To know that we as a community are providing a safe and inclusive space that is supportive and truly cares.
I’m also passionate about the fact that hula hoop dance and joyful movement in general is for EVERYBODY. Making hula hooping and exercise accessible and enjoyable for people is so important to me. We were not put on this planet to suffer. By experiencing joy, sharing ourselves, our creativity and love, we are a community are making the world better.
While I’m constantly inspired by my peers, the amazing local and global hoopers and wider hoop community, too many people to count that impress me with their dedication, skill and talent every single day, I like to keep my personal hula hoop practice pretty internal.
I’m inspired by music, my hula hooping style is full body – how can you dance with your WHOLE body? Feet, arms, hair, your energy. Being in the moment and doing what feels good, despite how goofy or wild it might look is what I’m into.
I live near a beach here in Sydney and take my hoops in sunrise to a concrete pier by the water. That’s my favourite hoop spot and I’ve definitely had to modify my dance style to accommodate (to avoid needing to go for a swim in winter time to fetch stray hoops).
I began hula hooping back in 2014 after seeing hoop dance for the first time online. I was looking for a new hobby and a way to meet new people. After several months of practicing in my backyard, I started a local hoop jam with a couple of friends, which then connected with the wider Sydney flow community. I began teaching after about 6 months and by the 8 month mark, I quit my office job to pursue hoop dance full-time.
I have been working as a professional hoop dance performer, instructor and hoop maker since.
Before I started hula hooping, I was seriously lonely. I wanted to be involved and inspired and feel connected to people but found that it was so difficult to find “my tribe”.
Becoming a part of the flow community has enriched my life in so many ways, I couldn’t begin to articulate adequately. The feeling of belonging to something bigger than myself, having people to turn to. Daily inspiration, love and support from people here in my local city and Australia to the furthest reaches of the planet. The flow community has provided me with some of the most enriching relationships and friendships of my life and I am eternally grateful for the amazing people that I get to call friends. And excited for all the friends that I have yet to meet.