Hoop dance is primarily a performance dance, by nature very different from many other traditional dances. It is “one of the most individual—it features a dancer’s manipulation of a dozen or more hoops over and around his torso, legs, and arms to form a variety of geometric shapes” (Heth, 11). Aside from its modern origins and competitive nature, this possibility of individual input that goes into the dance also differentiates hoop dancing. According to the official website of the World Championship, judges evaluate dancers in five categories: “precision, timing/rhythm, showmanship, creativeness, and speed”. Dancers use anywhere from four or five, to fifty hoops in their pieces, and many different styles exist.

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