Blue Honey
Pole Con 2021: My Aerial Hoop Debut in the Heart of New Orleans
Introduction
New Orleans, a city pulsating with soulful music, vibrant culture, and a dash of mystique, has always been close to my heart. Little did I know an intense hurricane would hit hours after my very first aerial hoop act in front of an audience of strangers out side of my home aerial studio.
Chapter 1: The Decision to Stay
I had originally to participate in the convention months in advance because it was in my city! What a great coincidence! I had been doing pole for 2 years at that point and aerial hoop for just one, but hoop had a special place in my heart.
Chapter 2: Cold Air
I decided to practice to the song Cold Air by Fyfe. When I decide on a song it will be someting I hear that week, then I may go to an open practice and do a freestyle to the song just to feel an artistic connection and then choose a few biger trickes within the sequence and add moments of flow in between. The song really resonated with me and I could listen to it over and over again. I precticed the sequence for weeks.
Chapter 3: Flight or Flight
With the hurricane looming on the horizon, I found solace and purpose in pursuing my upcoming performance on an aerial hoop. I was very very antsy. There was talks about shutting the convention down I attempted to not stress or worry, but I definitely did. August storms can be especially rough with the reminder of Hurricane Katrina as a looming thought pounding in the back of my brain. But there were only two options.
Chapter 4: Cherry Baby!
The aerial hoop, with its graceful spins and daring drops, became my canvas. Every bruise and ache was a testament to my dedication. I had a favorite hoop and spanset at the studio and the hoop was just retaped in red. My favorite span set was a light green color. The way the hoop looked like lonbe cherry hanging was just so cute!
Chapter 5: The Performance Approaches
As the hurricane’s arrival drew nearer, my debut performance loomed on the horizon. The venue was a nice major hotel in downtown New Orleans with many pole and aerial enthusiasts all over the world attending. The anticipation was electric, and my heart raced with a mix of excitement and anxiety.
Chapter 6: Dancing in the Storm’s Shadow
On the night after my performance, as the winds began to pick up and the rain started to fall, I stepped onto that stage with my aerial hoop. The audience was small but passionate, a reflection of those who stayed after the first day of the convention. With each graceful move and daring twirl, I felt a profound feeling of joy when usually in front of people I get tons of anxiety. I knew things would be alright in the future if I could just perform again and again.
Chapter 7: The Hurricane’s Arrival
The next day, as the hurricane made landfall, the city braced itself for the storm’s impact. It was a surreal experience, knowing that just days before, I had danced in the face of uncertainty. The storm hit hard and there was major wind damage. The power was out for over a week, multiple week in many cities. I am thankful that my parent were a city over so I could hunker down with them.
Conclusion
My decision to stay in New Orleans and perform my first aerial hoop act days before a hurricane hit was a testament to the city’s spirit of resilience and creativity. It taught me that sometimes, life’s most transformative moments occur when we embrace the unpredictable and follow our dreams against all odds. It was a rough patch, it being Hurricane Ida as ther restrictions and lockdowns from the COVID-19 pandemic were just starting to let up and people were starting to feel a sence of normalcy again.