Double Hoop Fountains

Here are some double hoop fountain animations for your viewing edification. The animation doesn’t show some aspects of the pattern but is a simplification to show roughly what shapes are being made. Understanding the shapes makes it easier to perform the patterns. The animation doesn’t show that the hoops go both in front and behind the body and that the arms cross and uncross (an essential element of a fountain as opposed to simply a flower pattern). Thanks to Pierre Baudin for introducing me to Desmos and to Ben Drexler for his paper “A Mathematical Approach to Classifying Poi Patterns”.

I’m using a fork grip to do all the patterns in the videos. The small hoops make it easier to see the pattern, but make it harder to maintain the planes. That’s the excuse I’m using anyway. If you start the video when the animation is right at the bottom of the pattern then it more or less syncs up.

4bt Fountain

I think this is the prettiest and most enjoyable of all the hoop fountains. It has less circles than the 6bt fountain (the more standard fountain at the moment) which makes it easier to perform cleanly and at full extension. I’ve arranged the pattern so that the hoops are horizontal at the bottom of the pattern. This feels like the most natural way to do it. (If you’re interested I’ve rotated the shape around pi/6 radians.)

Timing: SplitSame

4bt Antispin Fountain

This pattern is quite hard to get clean but I think it’s worth the effort. Again the pattern is arranged so that your hoops are horizontal at the bottom. (If you’re interested I’ve rotated the shape around pi/10 radians.)

Timing: SplitSame

4bt Butterfly Fountain

This seems to be the most obvious way of arranging the shapes. Having both hoops down at the bottom is a comfortable way to start.

Timing: TogOpp

4bt Split-Time Butterfly Fountain

Again you could arrange these shapes different (you could do the whole thing the other way up). But the bit at the top feels most comfortable this way around to me.

Timing: SplitOpp

6bt Fountain

The standard hoop fountain. But I don’t think it’s as pretty as the 4bt fountain.

Timing: SplitSame

If you have any suggestions, questions or corrections please do comment below.

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About Steve Bags

Bags has been teaching and performing circus skills since before the beginning of time. He has a love of circus that borders on obsessional. His claim to fame is that he once juggled on an episode of Dr Who. He can also balance a flaming bike on his chin while hula-hooping which is an exceedingly useful skill. He's generally to be found spinning, juggling or balancing stuff on his face at mostly inappropriate times and places.