Uploaded April 2013 | Updated September 2026, 14 hours ago
This week was QUITE a challenge.
I chose "The Ugly Duckling" as my fairy tale. Maybe an odd choice, since I'm not a duck or a swan, so mine is an "inspired by" not a "literal interpretation". I wanted to use it because the story spoke to me. It's about TRANSFORMATION and ACCEPTANCE (of oneself and by others), which is something so relevant to hooping. For me, hooping has been a mind, body and soul transformation, and I've come to accept myself AS IS inside and outside the hoop. So, this video chronicles The Ugly Duckling (see yellow feet) aka "the early stages/awkward hooper" and the transformation into the graceful Swan. (WINGS = SWAN not fairy. :-D Just go with me here...). This also tells the story of the duckling finding her people, being shunned at the beginning by everyone to being accepted by the other Swan at the end.
An amazing amount of love and props to Gina Wolfe for spending an afternoon helping me film the beginning scenes by taking on multiple personalities for me! And also for loaning me some costume pieces (orange suspenders) and practically forcing me to find bright yellow shoes. :-)
Also, many thanks to everyone who has continually supported me through this journey. You know who you are.
Credits:
Filming locations: Maxcy Gregg Park - Columbia, SC and Kalmia Gardens - Hartsville, SC
Ashley Long - The Ugly Duckling/Swan, filming, video/music editing
Gina Wolfe as The Perturbed Man/The Woman on the Bridge/The Snooty Lady/The Hoopy Swan Queen
Music:
Creep -- Radiohead
Cracks - Flux Pavillion Remix
Dance of the Shadow Planets -- Jon Durant
This week was QUITE a challenge.
I chose "The Ugly Duckling" as my fairy tale. Maybe an odd choice, since I'm not a duck or a swan, so mine is an "inspired by" not a "literal interpretation". I wanted to use it because the story spoke to me. It's about TRANSFORMATION and ACCEPTANCE (of oneself and by others), which is something so relevant to hooping. For me, hooping has been a mind, body and soul transformation, and I've come to accept myself AS IS inside and outside the hoop. So, this video chronicles The Ugly Duckling (see yellow feet) aka "the early stages/awkward hooper" and the transformation into the graceful Swan. (WINGS = SWAN not fairy. :-D Just go with me here...). This also tells the story of the duckling finding her people, being shunned at the beginning by everyone to being accepted by the other Swan at the end.
An amazing amount of love and props to Gina Wolfe for spending an afternoon helping me film the beginning scenes by taking on multiple personalities for me! And also for loaning me some costume pieces (orange suspenders) and practically forcing me to find bright yellow shoes. :-)
Also, many thanks to everyone who has continually supported me through this journey. You know who you are.
Credits:
Filming locations: Maxcy Gregg Park - Columbia, SC and Kalmia Gardens - Hartsville, SC
Ashley Long - The Ugly Duckling/Swan, filming, video/music editing
Gina Wolfe as The Perturbed Man/The Woman on the Bridge/The Snooty Lady/The Hoopy Swan Queen
Music:
Creep -- Radiohead
Cracks - Flux Pavillion Remix
Dance of the Shadow Planets -- Jon Durant
