Maria Randolph of HoopME! featured as one of the upcoming Pecha Kucha presenters Feb. 15
She hoops, she twirls, she educates... in a roundabout way
Maria Randolph, founder of HoopME! will be one of Pecha Kucha presenters. (photo: Maria Randolph)
(photo: Maria Randolph)
(photo: Pecha Kucha/Midcoast Magnet)
Maria Randolph, founder of HoopME! will be one of Pecha Kucha presenters. (photo: Maria Randolph)
(photo: Maria Randolph)
(photo: Pecha Kucha/Midcoast Magnet)
Let's clear up something right away. A Hula Hoop instructor does not "stand there gyrating a hoop around her waist for an hour." That's usually the first misconception people have about Hula Hoop dancing, most likely generated from their impressions of the 1950s fad.
Maria Randolph is one of the presenters in the upcoming Pecha Kucha Night Friday, Feb. 15, at Watt's Hall in Thomaston. Organized by Midcoast Magnet, Farnsworth Art Museum, Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors, Waterfall Arts, and various creative community members, Pecha Kucha (the Japanese word for "chit chat") is an event where eight local presenters do visual storytelling in a unique presentation style. Only given a 20 minutes for their slideshow, they discuss their work, their ideas, and their creative process with 20 seconds per image within the slideshow.
Maria Randolph picked up on the hooping craze in 2010, when very few others were doing it in Maine.
Maria Randolph picked up on the hooping craze in 2010, when very few others were doing it in Maine.
"It looked silly," she said. "It looked fun. It looked beautiful. And graceful. And creative. It looked... like something I should try."
She put music to hooping and from there admitted it became an obsession. She decided to throw a random hooping introductory workshop, and due to its popularity, literally built herself a new business out of her wacky hobby. She now runs regular classes and workshops in hooping as well as hosting retreats for hoop instructors from all over the world to come to Maine.
"I'm just connecting other hoopers all over the world with the hooping communities in Maine," she said.
For Randolph's presentation, she will explain the background of hooping, but more importantly, how it has turned into a mesmerizing art form "and that it is definitely not looking like the '50s anymore," she said.
Hooping can range from high-energy acrobatic tricks to integrated dancing to weight-loss workouts. To get an idea of how Randolph uses it as a light-hearted past-time, view the short videos. In the HoopME! Rendezvous in Maine video, Randolph, her husband Dave and her daughter, Devi, reenact a silent 1920s movie scene with Hula Hoops on the beach. Randolph and her daugher's hooping skills show the kind of range that makes this activity a dedicated passion. The Breathing Breaks and Wonky Planes video is of one of the hoop instructors that Randolph has invited to Maine and shows another meditative side to hooping. Caterina Sutton, from Argentina will be coming Feb. 23 to teach a class at the Thompson Community Center.
As a departure from Pecha Kucha's typical format, once her presentation is done, Randolph will give a live two-minute demonstration of hooping to the audience.
Other Pecha Kucha presenters include:
Kerry Altiero, chef and owner of Café Miranda
Kerry Altiero, chef and owner of Café Miranda
Hope R. Angier, interior decorative painter
Shlomit Auciello, photographer
Alexis Iammario, community artist
David Lyman and Chuck Kruger, The Bert and I Company of Maine creative director and show producer
Tom Ulichny, director of the Midcoast Music Academy
The doors open at 6:30 p.m. The presentations start at 7 p.m. Stay after to enjoy conversation and light snacks; $5 cover at the door.
For more information, visit Midcoast Magnet's website or email rockland@pechakuchamaine.org
Video credits: HoopME! Rendezvous in Maine by Emma
Breathing Breaks and Wonky Planes by Caterina Suttin
Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com
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