Teacher Biography
Gems, aka Gemma Goddard discovered hooping in 2007 while traversing the epic mud at the Glade Festival and stumbling into a hoop-dancer. She bought her first hoop there and then and hasn't stopped hooping since.
She carries a BA (Hons) degree in English Language/ Literature and Film Studies from King's College University in London, and currently works as an IT Professional when not busy hoop-dancing and performing!
Gems trained as a professional HoopDance teacher under world-renowed hooper Christabel Zamor's instruction (www.hoopgirl.com) in June 2008, and trained with her for a further 6 days in April 2009 in order to teach advanced hoop classes. In September 2008 she travelled to California where she attended the Hoop Camp Retreat in Santa Cruz, dancing with some of the best hoop-artists in the world.
Gems taught hoop-dancing during circus and movement workshops to adults and children throughout the summer festival season 2008, and performed throughout that time in a multitude of styles to all sorts of music. She is involved in the autonomous arts scene with her hoop-dance partner Frenchy as well as in event organisation with different dance music collectives.
Gems' current project is to bring the art of hoopdance to the Midlands via her classes and free-form hoop-play sessions. She is also organising UK Hoop Gathering 2009, a hooping and creative arts movement weekender in England in the summer (www.ukhoopgathering.com). She is also planning on running a 'hooping stage' at two circus festivals in summer 2009.
When not attached to Facebook (!) she is also working hard to perfect her barrel-roll in reverse as well as crafting poetry, day-dreaming and writing songs on her piano :-)
Copyright The Hoop Centre 2008
Copyright The Hoop Centre 2008
