About Us
Frenchy....
Frenchy has a range of performers she can collaborate with should your event require more than one practitioner - please contact her for more details - frenchy@dreadsnhoops.com
Frenchy, formally Claire French or Clairey Faerie has been hooping since the start of 2008. Frenchy first got involved in circus arts at The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts in 2001 when she completed a BA Honours degree in Community Arts.
Following this Frenchy span fire poi for audiences on the beaches in Thailand. Frenchy has worked with young people for over ten years and currently has a professional role as a Youth Engagment Officer on Manchester community radio station 'Wythenshawe FM' 97.2. In this role Frenchy supports young people in delivering shows live on the radio, works with hard to reach young people, trains young people in radio production skills and works on various projects within the community. She has ran children’s areas at festivals and conducted various circus skills workshops across the country and is involved in autonomous arts events in Manchester.
Frenchy is currently working with the Travelling Light Circus and has just been accepted to work for Spin Off events. She just finished a cabaret routine using LED staff and hoop in a 'cheesecake' style to Betty Huttons 'It's oh so quiet' which she showcased at this years Temporary Autonomous Arts Event in Manchester.
Also an alternative model (www.alienskin.co.uk), DJ, encaustic artist, djembe player and snowboarder Frenchy loves ashtanga yoga, cycling, meditation and fingerknitting and can be seen enjoying an occasional cheese based snack : - )
Gems....
Gems is currently travelling in Nepal
and working with the charity circus troupe 'Performers Without Borders' in India but will return in March 2010!
www.performerswithoutborders.org.uk
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. Gems trained as a professional HoopDance teacher under world-renowned 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 intermediate and 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 also involved in the autonomous arts scene with 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 also organised the UK Hoop Gathering 2009, a hooping and creative arts movement weekender in England in the summer (www.ukhoopgathering.com). She also ran a 'hooping stage' at Southern Lights circus festival in summer 2009 (www.southernlightsfestival.com)
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 :-)
Dreads 'n' Hoops
- Fire-dancing - L.E.D Hooping - Stilt Walking - Workshops -
