Jon Reed notes: In June of 2007, I wrote a piece for the Local Buzz on Megan E. Labonte, a.k.a. Hoop Master Sass, an artist I admire greatly for her creativity and work ethic. She is also one of the best hula hoopers you will ever see. But the real story, to me, is the personal philosophy that informs her work. What follows is the original piece, expanded a bit from the published version, with selected links and photos.

Megan LaBonte is a star, and she’s coming soon to a sidewalk near you. Respectfully known as Hoop Master Sass, a.k.a. the “Sass Master,” Megan is part of a grassroots hoopin’ movement that has turned the streets of Northampton into an unpredictable street festival. Megan often joins forces with fellow musicians and performers, so if the weather is good and the timing is right, you’ll see her hooping in front of First Church or in Pulaski Park this summer. If you’re really lucky, you might even catch her with The Primate Fiasco, a next-generation Dixieland group that is the perfect soundtrack for the celebration of hoop culture. To Megan, hoopin’ is more than performance. It’s about bringing people out of their shells and cultivating the subversive power of sass.

In this Local Buzz exclusive, your reporting duo sat down with the Sass Master to get the inside skinny on how hoopin’ started and what the “Western Mass Circus of Sass” is all about. We also got the scoop on Megan’s upcoming downtown art exhibit, “Head Cases.” Northampton Hoopin’ is a spontaneous phenomenon, but there are some regular times to catch Megan and friends (read on). Do your best to catch her this summer - Megan may be off to circus school in the fall. She’ll be back, but with hoopin’, you gotta get it while the sun is hot.

Buzz: Anyone who has seen you perform finds it hard to believe you have only been hooping for a year. How did you start?

Sass: It was kind of spontaneous. I was at a party at my friend Ilysse’s house - she’s a fire dancer. She had a hoop there, and so I picked it up and started hooping. Four hours later, I was still hooping. Everyone went home, and I was still hooping. So I asked Ilysse to make me one. A week later, I wanted another. Then I learned how to make them, and it just snowballed.

Buzz: And how did hoopin’ became an outdoor Northampton phenomenon?

Sass: I started practicing in Pulaski Park. At first, I kept to myself. I would stay off to the side and practice my moves. Eventually, more people started joining me, and I taught them tricks. I got better and better, and that’s when people started watching. I found myself performing in front of audiences and really enjoying it. So I sought out performers and bands and joined forces with them.

Buzz: And that led you to The Primate Fiasco, which resulted in some incredible “all ages” performances in front of First Church last summer, and more recently, a standing-room-only Happy Pill Circus night at the Iron Horse.

Sass: They’re amazing. They’re one of the youngest Dixieland bands in the country. Their music really is like a Happy Pill - they can play a retirement home or pack a house party. I met them last summer - we were playing Wiffle Ball in Pulaski Park on a perfectly beautiful day. Out of nowhere, I heard “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” on the trumpet. Then these four guys came walking up. They had never played on the streets of Northampton before; it was like something from a movie. The park just filled up with people of all ages.

Buzz: And you made an immediate impression on them also.

Sass: I heard one of them say, “Watch out for that one, she’s a firecracker.” Two days later, I was hooping with them on the street. Since then, I’ve hooped with those guys many times. I think I might be the only Dixie Hooper in the world.

Buzz: So how can people find you hoopin’ this summer?

Sass: On any given day when the weather is warm, they can probably walk down Main Street and find me. Starting in June, we do “Wiffle Ball Wednesdays” in Pulaski Park. There’s usually hula hooping from 4 to 6pm, and then you can play Wiffle Ball from 6 to 9.

Buzz: Tell us about your ultimate vision.

Sass: I’m creating the Western Mass Circus of Sass. I would like to build a performance troupe of about 15-20 members of the Valley’s most talented musicians and performers. I want artists of all kinds: belly dancers, drummers, hoopers, jugglers. The Western Mass Circus of Sass will be a venue for people who love to perform.

Buzz: So do you have to be a hooper to be “sassy”?

Sass: It’s not just hooping; it’s so many things. Being “sassy” has a lot to do with doing what you really love to do and enjoying life for what it is. It’s about not being afraid of people judging you, dancing when you want to dance, not worrying about who’s watching and just expressing yourself in whatever form you can. To me, that is “sass.”

Buzz: Are you the only “Sass Master” or can others aspire to that title?

Sass: Anyone can be a Sass Master. A Sass Master is someone who can draw out the “sass” in others, and bring a “sassy” attitude to whatever it is they do.

Buzz: So anyone can add a bit of “sass” to their attitude, but a real “Sass Master” puts their art and their passion in the center of their lives.

Sass: Exactly.

Buzz: Part of your “Circus of Sass” Mission Statement is to help people “become the circus stars we are all meant to be.” What do you mean by that?

Sass: We all have this inner performer we can cultivate - it’s not beyond our reach. You don’t have to be trained by Barnum and Bailey to be part of the Circus of Sass. Our circus is open to people who love to perform, and it’s not something you have to go to school for. You just have to embrace your inner circus and hoop yourself out of your shell.

Buzz: So how do you bust out and “get sassy?”

Sass: That’s a good question. It took me a long time to get to where I am and fully come out of myself. The key to becoming a sassy performer is to let go of the fear. So many people get caught up in the fear of what other people think of them and don’t let themselves go. I used to think of audiences as wanting to see me to mess up, but that’s not true. Most people are rooting for you to succeed.

Buzz: If people are lucky, they might see you hooping with fire. But you’ve made all kinds of exotic hoops.

Sass: That’s true. I’ve made hula hoops filled with espresso beans - you can get a great rhythm with those for drum circles. And at the Happy Pill Circus, I used an LED hoop that lit up with eight different colors.

Buzz: You also make your own outfits, which brings us to the subject of your work as a visual artist. On June 15 in front of First Church in Northampton, you have an opening for your Head Cases exhibit, which features your pieces with intriguing titles such as “Frida Kali,” “Dragon Lady,” and our personal favorite, “Pat Benatar Born of Egypt.” Tell us about this project.

Sass: I used to work at the café in Thorne’s Market. I would wash dishes and stare at the Styrofoam heads in the store across from me, thinking how badly they needed to be adorned, and what a shame it was that the store didn’t do anything with them. All of a sudden I had this idea that I should work with heads. I had worked with dolls before that, and I like to work with smaller pieces. So I got a grant from the Northampton Arts Council to make these three-dimensional, small-scale sculptures. For the exhibit from June 15 to June 30, those heads will be on display in a variety of stores in Northampton. Everyone is invited to the opening on June 15 at 5pm.

Buzz: In your MySpace profile, amongst other things, you describe yourself as a “catwalker.” Do you really walk cats?

Sass: No, I was referring to catwalking down a runway.

Buzz: Darn, we were hoping to catch the Sass Master walking her cats down the streets of Northampton.

Sass: Well, you won’t see me walking cats, but I do a dance called “The Runway.” And when you think about it, Northampton is a runway.

Buzz: You have plans for Northampton, don’t you?

Sass: Yes. I want to make Northampton the Hoop Capital of the United States. Right now, San Francisco is probably the most hoop-populated area. But I think we can beat that.

For more on Megan, including more visual art and hoopin’ photos, check out meganelabonte.com. Megan can be found on MySpace.com as “Hoop Master Sass”, and she’s also got a YouTube clips page.