Valentina (Unity)

 

The Hoop Unit is Valentina's ever-evolving project. Valentina has been belly dancing with her Mom, Leela and her mentor Mesmera since she was 12 years old. Adding Hoop Dance, Fire & Burlesque happened after her first visit to Burning Man. She has always dreamed of creating a collaborative fusion performance group, and in 2009 it  finally came true! Valentina's mission is to constantly push the boundaries of performance art by melting diverse forms of expression into one. Valentina is a talented hoop fabricator as well as choreographer, costume designer and troupe leader. Do you want to be apart of The Hoop Unit? Email Valentina to find out how: unitydances@gmail.com

Kiana

Kiana was born and raised in San Diego, CA, with a culturally diverse upbringing that inspired her unique approach to dance. Although she has been performing all of her life, she was never formally trained in one particular style of dance. Not until 2006 did she truly begin to enrich her life by exploring various dance forms such as belly dance, salsa, and those traditionally performed by the natives of Peru. Kiana was quick to grasp the nuances of each style, and even quicker to fall in love with dance as a whole, which she reverently refers to as an "expression of the soul." In 2008, while living in Mexico, she was introduced to the use of the hula hoop as an integral prop, which has taken her productions to soaring new levels. Kiana integrates her natural grace, passed on from her Father's life in Hawaii; rhythm, inherited from her Peruvian Mother; and interpretation of her own life's story to create a surely mesmerizing, incomparable performance.

Christine the Tall Blonde Goddess

Christine the Tall Blonde Goddess is a scientist by day but a sensual, alluring dancer by night.  Her dancing career began with belly dancing after being inspired by her love for the music and elaborate costumes. Although she intially got into belly dancing as a fun way to stay in shape, she quickly got hooked and started performing with Vilia & The Hip Slingers as well as doing solo performances.  She especially enjoys dancing with props such as veil, sword, candle tray, veil fans and more.  Christine found The Hoop Unit when she saw Valentina perform a belly-hoop dance routine and instantly wanted to learn how to add a hoop to her extensive list of props.  She loves being a part of The Hoop Unit because it merges all of the different dance styles she has learned into one, unique style.  The Hoop Unit also gives Christine the opportunity to continue learning Burlesque dancing which she was first introduced to through Pole Dance classes.  Christine belives that so much variety in her dancing is a great way to balance out her daily life as a scientist.

Leela (Lady Leeloo)

Leela has been inspired and mesmorized by hooping since the day she witnessed her first hooping video.  From that moment on she made it a necessity to get herself a hoop and start learning the art as soon as possible.  This led her to find Valentina Unity's hoop dance class at UCSD where her passion allowed her to learn very quickly and months after, she joined the Hoop Unit.  Her experience being on a Competitive Latin Ballroom dance team, taking ballet classes during highschool and now continuing to gain dance skills with hooping and belly dance has directed Leela's life a whole new direction.  It has also brought her an amazing new confidence in herself.  Leela loves being apart of the Hoop Unit because it gives her the opportunity to collaborate with many other amazing hoopers and dancers on a regular basis.

Carly

Carly is a classic beauty with a new found passion for dance.  Her inspiration stems from being surrounded by so many creative and passionate individuals that are in love with what they create.  Hooping has brought increased happiness and a new channel of creative expression into her life. Ever since she picked up her first hoop Carly has been developing more and more self awareness and confidence in herself.  She belives the beauty of hoop dancing is the constant growth and learning that comes from her dedication to it.  Carly loves being in The Hoop Unit because it allows her to be a part of Valentina Unity's creative visions for new routines.  "To be a part of such a dynamic group is inspiring and always fun!" Although Carly is relatively new to dance, she has fallen in love with it in many different forms including hoop dancing, belly dancing, ballet and more.  Hooping first brought dance to her life and she will always be grateful for that!

Jessica

Jessica may not have any recent history in performing but she makes up for it with her dedication, perserverance and sassy red locks.  She says she was drawn to The Hoop Unit because of the "graceful and inspiring women" that know how to always make rehearsal fun even on not so perfect days.  Jessica loves how the ladies of The Hoop Unit give encouraging support and always strive to have positive spirits.  Her inspiration stems from the cheeky, sexy, humor associated with Burlesque and Cabaret as well as the playful and colorful nature of Hoop Dance.  This fusion of dance has become Jessica's favorite thing to melt away stress from a hard day.

Siouxanne

Siouxanne is another one of the Hoop Unit's sexy scientists.  She loves having the opportunity to get out of her rational, scientific mind and enter into a creative, dancing space.  It helps to bring balance between mind and body in her life as well as a great mode for self expression.  Sioxanne likes The Hoop Unit for it's seamless combination of burlesque, hooping, fire and belly dancing.  Since fire performing at Burningman, and two separate years performing at LA Decom, Siouxanne has joined The Hoop Unit to continue her performance history.

Natalie

 Stephanie

Stephanie has been exploring movement for her entire life. Having studied wushu, ballet, theater, and swing, she incorporates all of her kinetic culture into her dance practice today.  Having graced small stages in Algeria, France, and Cleveland, Ohio, she now joins The Hoop Unit as a belly dancer. Stephanie first began her belly dance journey during her travels through Algeria, Egypt, Turkey, and Morocco five years ago. She instantly fell in love with the expressiveness and musicality of the dance, and has used it to relate to others ever since. Stephanie dances because it is "much more informative than talking". Stephanie is grateful for the opportunity to add hooping to her dance practice with The Hoop Unit.

Heidi

Heidi’s love of hooping began in the summer of 2010 when her friends gave her a hoop and began teaching her tricks.  Since then she has been learning, playing and dancing her way through the experience of becoming a better performer, with the help of Valentina and The Hoop Unit. Heidi’s experience with the group has given her a more structured approach to learning and exploring the dance. Rehearsal has become the highlight of her week because everyone gets together to learn from one another.  Every time Heidi watches her friends and local hoopers of San Diego she feels further inspired to explore her own style of dance and transcend the boundaries of her own skill level.  Heidi says, “when I am in the trance-like state of the dance I also find inspiration in the music and in myself.  It is for these reasons and more that I continue to hoop, learn, and to love the experience of the hoop.”

WendyT

WendyT's dancing career began with her practicing dancing on her toes as a chlid while listening to her parent's array of music.  Her passion for dance and music has continued to grow since then.  Dancing has always been Wendy's outlet in life, and she still hasn't met a hurlde that couldn't be danced over.  Wendy has had formal training in ballet and jazz along with two years of performance history during high school.  She fell in love with hoop dancing through going to festivals and personally began hooping in May of 2010.  Belly and hoop dancing have become her second language with a unique accent.  Wendy has always been told that wathcing her dance is "like watching a fish swim" and after joining The Hoop Unit, she feels that she has finally found her school of fish.

Heather Danielle

Heather began belly dancing approximately three years ago after she saw a girl perform a beautiful veil-fan dance at the Escondio Renaissance Faire. She tracked her down and began taking lessons from her and has continued belly dancing ever since, joining the troupe Alioth Lotus. About a year later, she met Valentina at the Arabesque Bellydance Competition and saw her do a belly-hoop fusion, and after talking to her decided to begin to learn hoop dance as well. After some time of taking hoop lessons, Valentina asked her to join The Hoop Unit and Heather has been dancing with them ever since!

 Adriana Rueda-Green

Adriana believes Hooping is one of the most fascinating activities she has ever experienced.  She is inspired by the creativity involved in developing her own personal body expression.  Hoop dancing gives her a much better sense of her body while being challenged.  Adriana says she "feels continuous sparks of fun," while she hoops.  Belly dance has given her an amazing sense of her own power over more intricate body movements and she is inspired by the intensity of the music as well as being surrounded by other beautiful belly dancers.  Adriana wanted to be in The Hoop Unit after seeing the girls performing with full smiles on their faces and freedom in their bodies.  To her, the message was obvious: be creative, play with passion and share your happiness with the world.  When Adriana was younger she was a classical ballet dancer. She performed several times at the National University in Mexico City with a combination of Classic-Cuban Ballet and Contemporary Dance with the Royal Academy troops.  

Leticia (Beautifullety*)

Leticia is inspired by many hoop and belly dancers.  She admires how they can magnetize a power and love for what they do.  Deep down inside her soul, she feels that same power and love. Leticia excietely declares, "I dance because it ignites the passion in my heart, it's fun, it's universal and it's magical. In dance you can be you, you can be someone else, an animal, an emotion, a story, a visual art piece - whatever your heart desires!"  Dance opens many doors to many realms.  Leticia wanted to be in The Hoop Unit because she knew that doing so would fulfill her desire to perform as a belly dancer and hoop dancer as well as fulfill her passion for dance.  Currently, she is also a Samba Dancer for Super Sonic Samba School.  Her long history of performing Hip-Hop Burlesque with Jiggle It Bitch Dance Troupe as well as taken Jazz, Ballet, and Hip-Hop Dance classes makes The Hoop Unit a perfect match for Beautifullety*.

Lilly

Lilly is a small town country girl who grew up with a passion for dance.  She started off taking ballet, tap, and jazz in kindergarden and continued these dances while adding hip-hop, salsa, modern and Hawaiian dancing in her daily life.  Lilly spun her first hoop Christmas morning in 2010 and has been in love with is ever since.  Inspired by the love of music and amazing beats of the drum she continues to grow stronger with every performance.  She hoops hours on end feeling the sensationally spiritual connection between flow, music, and the hoop.  She freestyles at every party she goes to and teachers new hoopers at the park.  The Hoop Unit has given Lilly structure, friendly hoopers to dance with, and a comfortable feeling while performing.

Kristin

Kristin began hooping when she saw her friend Jenny do some tricks with a hoop one day and she instantly fell in love. She got a hoop for herself, began practicing every day and finally caught on.  From this point forward, new tricks staretd to come naturally. Kristin is continually inspired by learning new tricks in hoop classes. She wanted to join The Hoop Unit because she wanted to be a part of something so awesome.  Kristin loved the videos she had seen of previous performances and knew she had to at least try.  Although she doesn't have history has a dancer, Kristin has been in plays and musicals throughout highschool.  The two arts, although not exactly the same, have plenty of cross-over of performance skills.

Jenny

Melissa

Melissa started flow art dancing in 2002.  She managed and performed with a group of fire performers called Versatile Voodoo in Tucson.  Since moving to California she has been seeking a new performance group to dance with because she missed the excitement of performing and the expression of dance.  Flow art dancing and hooping is a meditative and fun form of dance that allows Melissa to express her creativity.  Unity is an inspiration for Melissa and she feels very blessed to work and share the fun of dance and performance with the beautiful and inspiring girls in The Hoop Unit.

Sarah

Growing up living in New Zealand where fire dance is one of the Native's oldest traditions, Sarah has been mesmerized by the seduction of fire dancing.  After seeing her first fire hooping video in 2010, Sarah set her goal to learn the art of hooping.  Although lacking in any formal dance or performance history, Sarah has been dancing along to pop music since she was a little girl and recognized dancing as one of her burning passions.  She believes she was born to perform.  Sarah admires each and every different style of dance as a way for not only a group, but an individual to communicate, connect and fill their hearts with the confidence that comes from free-flowing creativity and self expression.  Dance has served as a form of personal growth and discipline in numerous aspects of Sarah's life.  It also helps her to become a positive muse, when she dances, she gets in the zone and forgets the chaos of the world around her. Inspired by the examples set by the ladies of The Hoop Unit, and her desire to learn and connect with others having similar interests, Sarah decided to audition for The Hoop Unit, a decision she will never regret!

Guest Performer: Mikayla