ZbuHoopism

Zbu - Accra Ghana

@focusxtreme
@reese.bland

Zbu is the Hula Hooping Show Girl of Accra Ghana! Hypnotizing audiences online and in real life with sensual movements that fuse the circus arts with dance from the nightclub to the stage.

Zbu began performing in 2016 with Washington DC’s hoop troupe Nubian Spin. Since then she has become a solo performer with a vision - In 2019 she heard the call, relocated to Ghana for The Year of Return with one mission in mind, to share and grow hoop dance in Africa’s entertainment industries.

Zbu is currently based in Accra Ghana making and selling hoops through her brand Hula Hoop Ghana, and producing theatrical dance productions under Zbu Entertainment.

For those who are interested in learning my style they may book a private lesson with me. I have rerecorded zoom lessons on my website as well. Follow me on IG to get updates for when my next live zoom lessons are.

q & a

What are your main props/specialties?

Hula Hoop

Is there a particular aspect about the hooping or flow community that you’re passionate about? How do you envision your influence?

Honestly every time I am able to genuinely share hoop dance with another person I feel I have made an impact. It’s happened where I have gifted someone a hoop or have taught someone hoops and they went on to become a flow artist or change their lives in some way. There was one girl in particular who came to me a year after starting her hoop journey in tears because hoop dance had changed her life, relieved her of life stress and showed her how strong she was - in that moment hugging her I felt like I had succeeded. It’s like watching a child grow.

In a nutshell, how would you describe your unique style of flow? Are there artists or dance styles that you take inspiration from?

I fuse dance with hooping. Which means I am counting 5-6-7-8 in my head a lot. I like to imagine I am playing a melody with my hoop. I also like to imagine the hoop is my lover. I think that’s why people say my style is sensual and groovy. I look up to Marawa the Amazing because of how she made her own path to a successful performance career. I also really love Sky Flow Artist, the way she interacts with her hoop as more than just an object and takes advantage of the space around her - it is how I envision myself to be as I continue to grow.

Where do you like to practice?

I love practicing at the beach while listening to the ocean waves and admiring the sunset. However I love hooping anywhere as long as it sunset outside.

When did you begin your journey into the flow arts, and how were you inspired to start?

I started hooping in 2015 after I saw someone flowing. I was amazed by dancing and tricks. I had never seen anything like it. I just had to learn how to do it myself.

How has being a part of the flow community touched your life? How can the flow community make an impact and how do you see yourself being a part of it?

The hoop community has shaped me into the hooper I am today. Especially in the beginning, watching others growth was inspiring. I studied my favorite hoopers. I was part of a troupe that led me into performing. I went to flow jams and hooper festivals. I became friends with other artists from all over the world. The flow community gave me the unexpected, a safe space for expression. These days I focus more on growing the hoop community in real life now that I am based in Accra.

What makes flow so powerful is the ability to see yourself however you wish to be, the ability to let go. If you can access that feeling that is all that matters. When you’re starting out, you may only feel flowy for 10 seconds, remember that feeling and the tricks/moves you did that gave you 10 seconds of flow, repeat that and build on it.