Native American Hoop Dance Class

According to the Heard Museum, ‘The art of hoop dance honors the cultural traditions from multiple Indigenous communities that first employed hoop dance as a healing ceremony. Today, hoop dance is shared as an artistic expression to celebrate and honor Indigenous traditions throughout the U.S. and Canada. Hoop dancing is a long-standing tradition in many Native cultures. This unique dance can involve the use of more than 50 hoops. Passed down from one generation to the next, hoop dancing communicates individual and tribal stories using hoops to create symbols and depict animals of great meaning in Native communities. The continuous circle of the hoops symbolizes the circle of life and the continual changing of the seasons.’

Born on the Navajo Nation in Tuba City and growing up in Mesa, Arizona, Ginger Sykes Torres is Diné (Navajo), Tódich’ii’nii (Bitter Water) born for Bilagáana. In 1997, Ginger became the first female to win a world title at the Heard Museum’s World Championship Hoop Dance Contest. Ginger’s groundbreaking style was the first to incorporate modern dance and gymnastics elements into the hoop dance, and her victory paved the way for female hoop dancers of all ages. Ginger graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Earth Systems Science Program. She is a certified environmental planner and consultant on tribal and environmental issues, such as renewable energy and climate change. She currently serves as a Commissioner for the City of Phoenix Environmental Quality and Sustainability Commission and she is on the Board of Trustees for the Heard Museum. Ginger and her husband live in Phoenix with their three young children.

Ballet Arizona has formed a Tribal Nations Advisory Council to explore ways to engage local native communities in ballet. Initial members of the advisory council include Otakuye Conroy-Ben (Lakota), Colin Ben (Navajo), Roxanne Thomas (Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe/Navajo), and Ginger Sykes Torres (Navajo).

If you are a current Ballet Arizona Hoop Dance student, you may use the video resources below to help you prepare for class and practice what you’ve learned!  Please use the password(s) provided to you to access these resources.

Hoop Building

Multi Hoop Moves

One Hoop Moves