Paige Hankla, Organizer of PlayThink Movement & Flow Festival
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Many of us associate hula hooping with a backyard childhood pastime, or possibly with a fitness class or summertime beach activity. But for a growing underground culture focused on “creative movement” – at which hula hooper, fire dancer and arts organizer Paige Hankla is at the local helm – hooping is known as a passage into moving meditation, and is a central element of a commonality known as the “flow community.”
As Hankla explains, the parameters of the flow community are ever-evolving and interpreted differently by different individuals. When she first got involved with flow and creative movement – through a college yoga elective – she says the term “flow” was generally viewed as a combination of movement with object manipulation, such as juggling, hula hooping or spinning poi balls (metal balls attached to the end of chains). The yoga class she took in college explored the growing notion of connectivity between “flow” and “any activity that you could get into a flow of mind or a flow of movement – anything where you can completely lose yourself,” she said, adding that those activities can range from martial arts to visual arts to gardening.
“If you’re in the garden and all of a sudden a couple of hours have gone by, and you’re like ‘what happened?’ – you’re completely focused on one thing, you’re not thinking about your person or anything else – that’s flow,” she said.
The connectivity of mind, body and meditation explored in that class resonated with Hankla, who picked up the hula hoop within a couple years and soon found herself hooping for three to four hours a day.
“I was going through a bad break-up,” she laughed. “It just kinda hooked.”
Hankla soon connected with fellow Lexington hula hooper Sonya Blades, who she jokingly refers to as her “gateway drug”; Blades turned her on to the more high-octane flow activities of fire-spinning and fire-eating, which Hankla has incorporated into performances with a number of local flow performance troupes over the years, including Amalgamation Fire Nation, Hearts on Fire, Passionfire and Sacred Fire Circus.
Today, however, she says she prefers to flow with a flame-free hoop, which she says allows her to use her range and pull out skills and movements not possible when fire is involved (thought she still brings out the flames on occasion, as well as her favorite prop – a parasol).
Currently, she’s dedicating most of her energy to organizing the second annual PlayThink Creative Movement & Flow Festival, a weekend festival full of workshops, performances, live music and community meals, which takes place at Berea’s HomeGrown HideAways June 7 – 9. The festival is an opportunity to celebrate the flow arts community and the many varied forms of moving meditation, Hankla said, as well as impart some of the skills and knowledge that have enriched and opened up her life.
“When I started hooping, I wouldn’t hoop in front of anybody – it really kind of changed my person,” she said. “I don’t know how to explain it, except that it opened up these pathways, either mentally or physically, to become a more confident, well and healthy being.”
She paused and then laughed. “That sounds really cheesy,” she added. “But I was never really confident, and then all of a sudden I was teaching people how to move their bodies.”
What are some of your favorite local haunts?
Third Street Stuff, Mecca, Co-op, Urban Indigenous
What’s currently on your iPod / CD player / record player?
Medicine for the People, Rising Appalachia, MC Yogi, Suzanne Vega, Cat Stevens, Edith Piaf, John Prine, Iron & Wine, Mavis Staples, Jill Sobule
What’s the last good book you read?
“The Night Circus,” I think, but it’s been quite some time since I’ve had the time to really sit and read. “Water for Elephants” stands out in my mind. I usually end up reading a chapter here or there of books on raw foods, health, gardening, or the like. My favorite magazine is Tathaastu and I read it pretty regularly.
In your opinion, what’s the best kept secret in Lexington?
The sweet community vibe; the willingness of neighbors ready to help at any cost; the girl next door teaching food fermentation class; the strong support of local artist collaboration; always running into a friend. I never wanted to live in Lexington until I did – then I realized that Lexington truly has an amazing, cohesive community. The uplifting environment is quite inspiring.
Favorite way to spend a Saturday?
Walking barefoot along the grass, sitting on the porch with a freshly cooked breakfast collected straight from my sweet hens’ coop, shopping and friend searching at the farmers market, hula hooping, dancing, learning some aerial skills, or finding an adventure of any kind.
For more information on the PlayThink festival, visit www.playthinkfest.com.