What a great post! The feeling is mutual, hoopdancing is an incredible feeling and there are so many songs out there that draws out the best of how I feel...it really depends on my mood. Sometimes I feel like grooving to the 80s, R&B, pop, world music, African drums, electronic music, and even jazz! There are songs that tickle my heart, brings a big smile to my face, gives me a lift and really elevates my spirit. I love Kaskade's "4 AM", Cyndi Lauper's "Into the Night", Mary J. Blige's "Just Fine", Alicia Mathewson's album "Winds of Sinai", Norah Jone's "Come Away with Me" & "Don't Know Why", Mother Amma's 2007 & 2008 World Tour album, Samantha James' "Rise", Lovetronic's "You are Love", Madonna's "Hung-Up", many songs from Shanti, Vibrasphere and Protoculture, and so many more. I just dig songs that have a range of bouncy playfulness and flirtatiousness, eclectic electronica (electro/psy/house/porgressive/breaks/yummy baselines), or just pure vocals. World music really moves me too, and when combined with electronic beats, like Rara Avis's music, I'm thrilled!

When my heart's tickled the energy just skyrockets!

Hoopdancing creates pure ecstasy. =)

I just love to dance with my hoops. I have become a music junkie as a result. I'll dance to almost anything and it really depends on my mood what I choose. If I get the music choice wrong for my mood I get frustrated and annoyed. So I either change it or stop and come back later.

Therefore I can't answer your question because all types of music have given me joy in the hoop at different times and stages of my learning. Sometimes I want fast, fast, fast, but others I want melodic or soothing, sometimes fun and sometimes slow.

Not only has the hoop given me movement, flexibility and fun, it has given me such a huge appreciation of all music. I didn't really bother much with music before. Now I have a fast growing collection!

The song that stands out most for me as having been part of a moving hoop experience is "Now We Are Free" by Lisa Gerrard (NOT Enya, although lots of people think it's her...all those breathy European singers sound the same). It's actually from the Gladiator soundtrack, but the song means a lot to me A) because it's beautiful, B) because it was a song from a very emotional religious retreat that I went on, and C) because of this one hooping experience.

It wasn't much on the outside, really. I had just come out as bisexual to my closest friend at college - my high school friends have all known for a while - and she was having a really hard time dealing with it. I had that stomach-dropped-out, can't focus can't loosen your muscles type feeling; it was like quietly panicking all day. She was just being uncommunicative and I had no idea what was going on in her mind, plus she was the first person I had told at college, and I was wondering how I'd ever have the strength to tell everyone.

So instead of dancing to the loud, clubby, bass-heavy stuff I usually hoop to, I put on a more meditative playlist with this song at the end. Through the whole session I just kept worrying, I couldn't concentrate on the music. It was like it wasn't loud enough to block out my brain. But when this song came on I slowed down, really breathed, and really listened.

The interesting thing about this song is that the "words" have no meaning - it's not another language, it's actually a sort of gibberish. So instead of blocking things out I just opened up and let myself be worried, let myself be comforted by the song and the memories I associate with it, and by the end I felt calm and strong, ready to deal with the situation.

And for the record, my friend has dealt with whatever her discomfort was and now we're basically all good :D happy endings, whee!

Anyway, here's the link: youtube.com/watch