Taylor Flows
Taylor Duffrin - Milwaukee, WI
Taylor Flows, aka Taylor Duffrin, is a specialty performance flow artist based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her love of hooping blossomed in March of 2014 where Taylor was scrolling on Youtube and witnessed the first hooping video she had ever seen. The style and grace of the hooper in the video, Grace Good, moved Taylor so deeply she ordered her first hoop within an hour after watching. From that point Taylor knew that she wanted to make hooping a huge part of her life and began performing a year after starting. Her love of performing all began at her first casting for Suwanee Hulaween 2015. Taylor has performed at festivals all over the United States including UpNorth Music Festival, Disc Jam Music Festival, Tipper and Friends, Lunar Tide Music Festival, Sonic Bloom Music Festival, Kosmic Kingdom and The Buku Music and Art Project. LED single and double hoops, fire hoops, fire fans, dragon staff, poi, palm torches, and fire eating are all apart of Taylor’s performance repertoire.
As well as performing, Taylor also loves to share the art of hooping through teaching. Taylor was invited to instruct at The Hula Hoop Institute’s Hoop Dream Retreat in Malaysia in May of 2017, Rendez v’hoop 2018 (Paris Hoop Convention) and has taught many workshops within the US.
q & a
Hoops, fans, dragon staff, poi, fire eating, fire dancing
I am passionate about the way that hooping activates a certain freedom in flow artists. That it allows us all to express a sense of individuality without the confines of words/language. Hooping is a universal language within itself that allows us to be our purest selves, I think that is the most beautiful part of hooping/flow arts. I want to influence others by taking this vantage point in the fullest extent, always being myself when flowing. I want to inspire people to be themselves and allow them selves to express as such.
I would say I have a more dance influenced flow. I never took dance growing up, in fact I played softball my whole life. I think I have been searching for an outlet like this my whole life to be able to express myself in a creative manner and you can see this when I flow. All the pent up creative energy while growing up has infused my style now, allowing me to channel emotion. A couple of artists that have deeply inspired me have been Grace Good and Alexis Collier.
Outside in my work parking lot and in my sun room at home.
I started hooping in March of 2014 because I accidentally stumbled upon a hoop video on Youtube of Grace Good.
I was so entranced by her movement and grace (haha) with the hoop I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to being that good one day.
The flow community is a completely expansive part of why I have stuck with hooping over the years. It is fantastic to connect with others who share the same passion and encourage each other. The flow community has also been a huge, inspiring learning database when I feel as though I am in a rut. The flow community as a collective whole can make an impact by allowing flow artists to grow together, by helping each other and pushing each other to knock down perceived impossibilities <3 I see myself being apart of the flow community by encouraging members of the community and teaching. Sharing knowledge is something that is so important to me about being a part of this community.