Marianna De Sanctis

1. Tell us your roots - where were you born and raised? I was born and raised in south Italy, Catanzaro.

2. Why hooping? How did the journey begin? Before hooping I was waitressing in a bar and was severly underpaid. Silvia Pavone introduced me to the hoop and I instantly fell in love. It came naturally and I pursued it further by doing street performances and entering circus school. When I first entered school it was seen has more of standard circus prop as opposed to the flow prop it is known as in today's contemporary circus. Fortunately things are changing!!!

3. What has the hoop taught you about life? The hoop is everything to me. The hoop re-introduced me to my inner child and have been very fortunate to make it a working career. My work is a game and is the best gift I could have ever dreamed of.

4. What's next? How is your hoop life evolving? I worked a lot, traveled a lot, and met a lot of beautiful people along the way. But what I miss is that inner peace and lasting relationships you get from staying one location for long periods.
But two things are important to me. The first is my desire to teach more people that the hoop is not only technique but also a form to develop their personality. Currently I mostly teach in Europe but hope to travel extensively in America and teach creative workshops. I have heard there are a lot of hoopers in America, so I would love to bring my style to the US.
The second is to work on a new number with my juggling duo with my boyfriend. Currently we work together in a cabaret in various parts of Germany, the GOP. The act showcases my hoop routines, a number of routines with hoops and clubs, and then we also work with another girl that also performs with a hoop. Three hula numbers in one show, a great achievement for the hoop world.

5. What aspect of the hoop community do you value the most and what do you hope to contribute to the future of hooping? I love the hugs in the convention, the non-competitiveness of the beginner, the love for the common art, the open mouth of someone who sees a new trick, the colors of the hoop ... and much more.
How can I help someone if the same people to which I teach, contribute to my life? I would like to share my unique style as well as the business aspects of being a professional hooper. The business can be often difficult and distract from why I started hooping in the first place.