Young Hoop Dancer to Show Big Talent on ‘Little Big Shots’!

Young Hoop Dancer to Show Big Talent on ‘Little Big Shots’!

So happy to see this young man getting a national stage to show off his talents! You might already know of RJ Lopez if you ever watch the Heard Museum's World Championship Hoop Dancing competitions. This past year he took third place in the youth category.

Way to go RJ!

Now he has the chance to show the world his skilled dancing on NBC's Little Big Shots, a talent show hosted by Steve Harvey.  His performance on last night's show was fantastic!  Congrats to RJ, great job! Look for him around 10 minutes into the episode:

From an article in the Arizona Republic, it says that Lopez performs as a hoop dancer with the Yellowbird Indian Dancers, and the group also includes his mom, Christy, his three siblings and members of his mom’s family.

“Everyone dances, except for RJ’s dad,” Christy explains.

Lopez’s talent was apparent at an early age, his dad reports.

“We made him little hoops when he was about 11 months old,” Rito says. “He started performing with the family when he was about 3. You know how you can tell when the crowd gets it, when the dancer has that showmanship? He had that.”

Rito Lopez Jr. at the 2013 Heard Museum World Championship Hoop Dance Contest

You have all of Indian Country rooting for you RJ!

Little Big Shots airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC. Check your local listings to see when Little Big Shots airs on your local NBC channel.

About Toyacoyah Brown

Toyacoyah Brown is an enrolled member of the Comanche Nation, currently living in Chicago. She received her B.A. in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma and an M.A. in Media Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. When she's not scouring the Internet for fun things to share with PowWows.com readers you can find her digging for vinyl in her local record store or curling up with a good book.


One Comment “Young Hoop Dancer to Show Big Talent on ‘Little Big Shots’!”

  • Avatar for Deline Anderson

    Deline Anderson

    says:

    What a wonderful thing to watch they should always carry on their tradition. I love watching all the dancers. Thank you for sharing.

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