These dancers are spin doctors!
A troupe of cosmic hula-hoopers will roll out their space-themed performance “Starship Hoopers” at the Manhattan Bridge Archway on Aug. 17, as part of the Live at the Archway event series. The show’s creator hopes the audience will get involved and move their hips — which is ironically a good way to stay grounded when faced with the world’s lunacy, she says.
“I feel like the world is in a pretty crazy state of chaos these days and there’s an overall feeling like we’re in outer space,” said Tanya Gagne, who owns Big Sky Works, an arts and circus space in Williamsburg. “It’s hard to figure out how to navigate our lives on this planet — hula-hooping is an amazing way to be in your body and have fun.”
Gagne chose an August date for her show to coincide with two major astronomical events — the lunar eclipse on Aug. 7 and the solar eclipse on Aug. 21. To celebrate, eight hula hoopers in glitzed out costumes will create a living planetarium out of 70 glowing hoops, all spinning to spaced-out songs from artists including David Bowie, the Beatles, and Modest Mouse.
After the performance, the Heavenly Bodies troupe will teach the audience their techniques for hooping it up, a skill that can be picked up surprisingly quickly, Gagnes said.
“I want people to get into it and learn a few things,” she said. “Some people think they can’t hula-hoop, and within 15 minutes they’re doing it.”
“Starship Hoopers” has no storyline, so people can drop in to gaze at one starry number, or stay for the whole 90-minute hoop-de-doo. Gagnes hopes that those who come by will discover the circular logic of hooping their worries away.
“I’m just trying to spread the love of people being in their bodies and having something that brings them joy that they can do anywhere,” she said.
“Starship Hoopers” at Dumbo Archway (Water St. between Adams Street and Anchorage Place in Dumbo, www.dumbo.is/live-at-the-archway). Aug. 17 at 6 pm. Free.
