Poi Fire Dancing Spinning Performance & Twirling (Hoop Staff Fans Also)

What: Temple of Poi 2010 Fire Dancing Expo
Where: Union Square (Geary and Post)
When: April 24, 2009 at 7:50-10:10 pm
Cost: Free!!

Bring a chair and a blanket and join us April 24, 2009 at 7:50 pm for our fifth annual free fire dancing show in San Francisco’s legendary Union Square (Geary and Post) for the fourth annual Temple of Poi Fire Dancing Expo.

This year’s show is a veritable who’s who of internationally renowned fire dancing performers hailing from 3 continents including:

• MCP (Edinburgh, Scotland) - dragon staff solo
• Redox (Temple of Poi) - poi solo
• Aileen Lawlor (Oakland, CA) - wand and contact staff
• Memory Elena & Corey White (Bay Area) - fans
• Alien Jon (Currently residing somewhere on planet Earth) - poi solo
• Dyami & Wryly (Santa Cruz, Ca) - single poi duet
• Bradley Allbee (West Los Angeles, CA) - poi solo
• Sarah Starlight (Temple of Poi) - hoop solo
• Ian Boyd, Anthony ‘Broadway’ Rutland, Ayala Kalisher, Russ Megowan, Dyami Kaplan
  & Sara Huntley are Kinetica! (Santa Cruz, CA) - fans, staff, double staff
• Corey Just (Oakland, CA) - fan solo
• Erin Shredder of Shredder Hoops (San Francisco, CA) - hoop solo
• Celsius Maximus (Monterey, CA) - fans, swords
• Vin DeLuca & Solenne Alexa (San Francisco, CA) - staff poi duet
• Vatra (San Francisco) - poi solo
• Russ Megowan & Jake Yoshioka are Hybridz R Us (Santa Cruz, CA) - poi duet
• Zan & Aurora Moore of Instruments of the Now (Portland, OR) - poi duet
• GlitterGirl & Kahunahula (San Francisco, CA) - poi hoop duet
• Colleen Sullivan, Krista Borst, Emily Port, Don Keenan & Michael Henninger of Firish (Bay Area, CA) - hoop, fan, staff, poi
• Erik Aylen, Shaina Dyani Johnson, Bridget Harrison, Alysia Hook & Oliver Pavick are Copper Lantern Fire Theater (Oakland, CA) - wand, fan, poi, hoop and staff
• Matt McCorkle & Brian Thompson are Circus Conspiracy (Oakland, CA) - clubs
• Miss Rosie (San Francisco, CA) - hoop solo
• Rob Horner of PYRODYNAMICS Fire Dance Productions (Cairns, Australia) - 7 staves solo
• Adam Herscheid of Flames Of the Phoenix (Cairns, Australia) - double staff solo
• Adam Herscheid & Rob Horner are Flames of the Phoenix & Pyrodynamics (Cairns, Australia) - double staff duet
• Luis Chavez, Gatamala, Juicy Jess and Luna Del Fuego of Fire Euphoria (Santa Cruz, CA)
• The Amazing Baz & Drex are Ouroboros (Boston & Washington DC) - poi duet
• Mike Icon & Jenni van Tassel of Cirque d’Optique (Philadelphia, PA) - poi hoop fan duet
• Ansel Cummings & Kyle Ford of Pyrotechniq (Iowa City, IA) - umbrella, torches, poi
• Yuta (Tokyo, Japan) - poi solo
• Chryseph of Obsidian Moon (Seattle, WA) - rope dart, staff solo
• Madelaine “Wolf” Bukiet & Lauren “Madamn Burnz” Picheney of Las Piratas Del Fuego (Brooklyn, New York) - contact
• D. “Mac” Kaul, Dave “O.D.”  Kaul, Dave King (founder of Controlled Burn), Carlyn “Wrangler” Perona, Angel “Fire Angel” Schultz, Barbara “Dr. Soos” Slaughter, Brenda Ashworth, Evonne “Shelly” George, Katrina “Glitter Bee” Whitten, Kelin Whitten, Kurt “Titwi” George,  Mark “Lucky” Ashworth, Roger “Rogeman” Stimson, Sage “Safire” Ashworth, Shane “Saul Goode” Peterson, Tom “Moon Penguin” Fougner & Bill “Dammit Bill” Schultz from Controlled Burn (Reno, NV) - poi, fan, staff
• Banyan (Chicago, IL) - s staves
• Jaden Rose of Solar Flare (San Francisco, CA) - double hoop

The 2010 Expo also marks the 5th Anniversary of Temple of Poi Fire Dancing Expo and this show is once again on the City of San Francisco and Union Square’s Jewels in the Square Program. Jewels in the Square is an ongoing series of culturally significant presentations made in San Francisco’s Union Square in an effort to make diverse entertainment available to the public for free.

The creation of this event – selected in 2010 for the 4th consecutive year as one of Bay Area Dance week’s Cornerstone events – is a tremendous leap in the efforts to legitimize fire dancing as an art form by taking it out of parking lots and putting it on landmark stages like Union Square. The Expo celebrates safe, legally permitted, public fire dancing performance in honor of National Dance Week, an annual 10-day week of free public dance events in the Bay Area designed to showcase the dynamic diversity and critically acclaimed quality of Bay Area dance.

Temple of Poi supports this vision by creating an unprecedented opportunity to celebrate fire dancing at no cost to the artists or audience. This event is a not for profit event created with the intention of:

• offering more performance opportunities for fire dancers
• giving novice artists who might otherwise not have an opportunity to perform in a public setting an opportunity where they can invite friends and family to see them express their art
• increased exposure to the flow fire art forms by creating a legally permitted public event at a San Francisco landmark location
• raise the awareness of fire dancing as a prestigious dance form by holding this event on the opening night of National Dance Week

This $5000 event is being financed by Isa “GlitterGirl” Isaacs, Temple of Poi, Union Square Park and San Francisco, generous donations from Susan Drews Watkins and you! 

Due to the economic challenges of the current economy, we are requesting fiscal support in funding this event. If you’re moved by our cause to legitimize flow and fire arts, use the Chip-In link on this page to help defray the costs of the event which include fire permits (almost $800 for the fire permit) travel stipends for out of state artists ($1000), programs, marketing and more.

For all you performers looking to improve your skill as a performer — not your technique with the tool itself — here’s a great little perspective on why learning more skills may not be the place you need to focus.

When we perform, we’re in what we like to describe as an “energy bubble” here at Temple of Poi. If you expand the bubble by reaching out the audience, then you’re creating an energetic exchange in which you have a “dialogue” between you.

If, however, you stay on stage cloistered in your own bubble, then you become sort of this objectified thing that audience members are disconnected from.

Neither is right or wrong and they both work.

However, if you want to take the audience on a journey, it can often be easier to do that when you actually create the “dialogue” described above because when you shoot energy at the audience, they have an opportunity to do something with it: absorb it, deflect it, and/or reflect it.

If you think about the tentacle of energy you shot to them like a (friendly and desirable) virus, when they absorb it, that automatically changes your crowds energy and the people around them are likely to be infected with it to some degree also. If they reflect it, then not only are they impacted and infecting others around them, they are transmuting the virus of yummy performance energy back to you such that you’re performance is also changed. Even if they deflect it, they may be deflecting it to someone else who possibly absorbs it.

The more one shoots those tentacles to the audience, the more possibility of this transmutation is possible.

Ergo, if one is shy on stage and inward - which is often coupled with technical spinning - the audience is often left in awe but with little actual opportunity to do anything other than marvel.

We contend that a tech spinner who can also actively direct the tentacles of energy to the audience — weather they dance or not — will have a much more impactful experience on the crowd who will then infect them with more power which will have the performer have more powerful tentacles of energy passed to the audience, which causes more impact on the audience and so on in an upward spiral of positive energy that creates more and more powerful  performances overall.

So if you have the skills but don’t feel like you are getting the sort of response from the crowd you’d like, it might be fun to try to “reach out, reach out and touch someone…” with your energy and see how that changes things for you and them.

Please apply only if this vision calls to you.

Temple of Poi is hosting the 5th annual Temple of Poi Fire Dancing Expo in San Francisco, California, USA’s Union Square on the main stage. This event is free to the public and is open to audiences of all ages. Events over the past years have had an estimated 1000+ people in attendance. This year’s show is April 24 at 7:50 pm. Call time for dancers is 6:30 pm.

The purpose of this show is multifold:

• to expand awareness of the art form
• so that fire dancing artists can be taken seriously in the world through performance on credible stages in gorgeous venues rather than be looked at as fringe or parking lot art
• to share our art with the community and world
• to celebrate National Dance Week (April 23 - May 2)
• to offer artists from around the world an opportunity to perform for a very grateful and more attuned than average audience
• to allow artists the opportunity to be on a top notch stage which is huge (70ft wide by 30 feet deep), elevated and inspiring
• community service
• as a spiritual practice of giving from a place of non attachment to results

While we had intended, in part, for this to be a marketing event when the first show was produced — as a renegade in 2004 — the reality is, it hasn’t work out that way. Despite any rumors to the contrary, Temple of Poi has never made a single penny off this show and has never gotten a single client because of the show alone. Not once. We know this because we ask client’s how they find us and never has this show been credited as the reason.

In order to maintain the integrity of the vision of the show, we do not pay any performers. Period. No exceptions. MCP, Icon, Yuta, Banyan, Dai, Manda Lights, Thomas, Alien Jon, Vatra and all the rest of the artists who have graced our stage have not gotten paid. They have gifted themselves and their art to the show and community.

To be clear, the 2008 show (the biggest one so far) cost about $6000 to put on. These days getting up on the stage costs nearly $2000 alone. In 2008, we gave about $1200 in travel stipends on top of that. That doesn’t include any marketing, sound systems, hiring for assistance in organizing the show, etc. required to create a show of this magnitude. In 2009, we gave $1000 in travel stipends, all of which was raised through the generous donations of friends and members of the Temple of Poi Community. We will again be offering travel stipends in 2010.

We do this as a gift to the community. And every artist who gets up on the stage does it as a gift to the community as well.

All of that said,  we do have a limited number of travel stipends for artists. All travel stipends go to artists outside of California and states bordering California. This year, we hope to have 10 $100 travel stipends and will be awarded at our discretion.

Guidelines for Applicants

• Interested applicants must submit their application via email to GlitterGirl at: 2010expo (at) templeofpoi daht com by noon pacific time, February 5, 2010 in order to be considered.
• All applicants must submit four things:
  • A completed information sheet - only one per group
  • A signed agreement sheet for each person in the group to be included in the fire permit application - please print, sign, scan and email it back
  • a URL with a link to a video submission of the proposed piece or similar piece (or something representative of your work), ideally using fire
  • a signed  video release form for each person performing as part of your group - please print, sign, scan and email it back
• Restrictions/Agreements:
  • Call time: For tool and costume inspection will be 6:30 PM. You must be there with your tools in working order by that time.
  • No tosses! Tosses were not allowed in 2009 and will not be allowed in 2010 — there was a $300 fine per toss implemented last year, so write your act without tosses. This is a restriction imposed by the fire department, not by Temple of Poi.
  • Stage Time: Solo acts are limited to 4 minutes; Group acts are limited to 6 minutes
  • Spin off: Artists agree to spin off their tools before taking the stage.
  • This is a white gas only show! Because the stage is very slick already, we do not allow the use of lamp oil since it does not evaporate and creates a safety danger for performance acts following your group. Artists must have prior experience spinning with white gas only.
  • Prohibited tools/acts: Fire spitting, fire works, propane tanks (or any fuel under pressure), steel wool or anything else that will leave residue on the stage are all prohibited for fire permit reasons.
  • Costumed requirements: For permit and safety reasons, all artists must wear natural fiber.
  • Soloists: Solo acts must have a separate application, even if you are part of a group.
  • Groups: Each group must apply with one application and a designated contact person. All members of the group must be listed on that application. All members of the group must complete sign a video release form.
• In an effort to support a diverse show, priority will be given to artists more than 150 miles from San Francisco. After all, they are coming quite a long way to donate their time, energy and brilliance to a Bay Area fire show!
• We are pleased to announce that there will be a limited number of stipends made available to out-of-town performers. They will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Please note on your application if you would like to be considered for a stipend. All travel stipends go to artists outside of California and states bordering California. In 2010, we hope to have 10 $100 travel stipends which will be awarded 1 per act.
• This is a non-profit event; therefore, performers will not be compensated monetarily in 2010.
• Artists must have prior experience extinguishing burning tools.
• Artists must agree to abide by the Flowology Mindset® as related to the event:
  http://templeofpoi.com/flowology/mindset.php

As we near the end of the footage from the 2007 Expo (most of the rest was either off stage or the sound didn’t), here’s a fun little student piece featuring the oldest and youngest performers of the evening. This 5 person piece features Gen as the oldest performer (58 at the time) and Danica as the youngest performer (13 at the time) of the evening with three other hot ladies in the middle. This is a student performance which was the premier fire performance for most of the students. Enjoy this set as Delicious takes the stage.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (27.2MB)

Here’s a set from the Bahamas when we were doing an impromptu performance after our real performance got canceled because of weather. I had hurt my knee — you can even see the bandage under my pants on my left leg — so it, sadly, impacted the quality of the set. I like the set, but more because it was fun to be there with my Pyrotechniq friends than because the set was super amazing although I think this was the first set in which I performed front/back CAPS (where one hand stayed in front doing the cap while the other stayed in back, using side planes). It was also fairly early on in my use of the front plane CAP combinations and the behind the head double stall barrel roll combination. And I also think the premier of the 2 petal split direction flower turn around I do in there toward the end. It felt solid on a lot of levels, but I was hurting and limping while performing which really wasn’t the most fun.

Please note, sometimes you have to wait for the video to load to see the video even though you can hear the soundtrack. Also note you can get this on the Temple of Poi PodCast for GlitterGirl’s Practice and Performance videos.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (20.3MB)

This is a fabulous groovy iMix that included a few more tracks initially including 3 Banco de Gaia tracks off their “10 Years” double disc — Disc 1: Kincajou and off Disc 2: Shanti (Black Mountain Mix) and Desert Wind (Featuring Ofra Haza); From Sasha’s “Involver” Album there is also On My Own and Burma; The Future Sounds of London come in with Cascade off the “Northern Exposures (Disc 1)” album; K&D bring Original Bedroom Rockers off the “Hackers” soundtrack; The Crystal Method bring “Bound Too Long (Hyper Mix)” off CSII Exclusives - EP; and finally, enjoy Outputmessage bringing you their track, Sommeil.

I’m always looking for interesting mixes to do flow practice to and this play list created by Genius is awesome. Sadly, the iMix won’t include all 25 tracks — which makes no sense since the Genius feature only works with tracks it has knowledge of, so it should allows you to purchase all the tracks.

All the same, I’ll put all the track details here I can for the missing 11 tracks as well.

If I were to categorize the genre of music on this track, it most definitely is Psy influenced — with some heavy leanings toward works including Simon Posford (7) — and a sizeable break beat influence with 5 Bassnectar tracks. That alone accounts for 12 of the 25 tracks. The rest is an interesting mix of lounge style music, up beat and progressive tracks with an underlying theme, overall, of Psy-Trance or Psy-Bient.

The set, first, is based off a really fun live Infected Mushroom track Shakawkaw off the
Streched album. Also off that album is The Beauty & the Beat and also by Infected Mushroom is Elation Station off Converting Vegetarians (CD2).

Bassnectar shows up a few times with Intro and Laughter Crescendo off Diverse Systems of Throb then with 2 tracks off Mesmerizing the Ultra, Bursting and Blow and with Yo off of the same titled album.

Vibrasphere shows up with Erosion and Ensueno both off Exploring the Tributaries and there are two Younger Brother tracks off The Last Days of Gravity called All I Want and Happy Pills. These are all tracks I like but had never really flowed to, so it was great to have Genius pull these out for me.

Single Tracks by artists include:

• Sasha has one track, Boileroom
• Roll Your Own from the Paris - GU30 (Remixes)
• some old school Prodigy from the Hackers One Love
• Beyond the Senses by Astrix from Artcore
• From Aftershock by Aphrodite there is Ganja Man
• Kashmir Day Trip by Enthegenic off Golden Cap
• Off Global Underground 006: Sydney (Disc 2) is some Paul Van Dyk with Words (PvD’s “Four Love” Mix)
• Madras by what is labeled as artist Global Experience off the compilation In Search of Sunrise 6: Ibiza

Hallucinogen has 2 tracks off Hallucinogen The Lone Deranger called Demention and Gamma Goblins Part 2 and finally, Shpongle shows up with 3 tracks. Two are from Nothing Last… But Nothing is Lost: When Shall I be Free? and Outer Shpongolia and then Around the World in a Tea Daze also shows up off Tales of the Inexpressible.

All in all, this is a fun iMix, even if iTunes isn’t showing all 25 tracks. Hope you enjoy!

If you missed the finale to the 2007 Expo, you missed one of the hottest performances on the Union Square stage that year. Here’s a video of A Different Spin using fire poi, staff and juggling tools to create a really awesome 10+ minute show that wowed the audience. As with the other footage, the original footage got corrupt so this was all we could salvage, though it is now available on the Expo 2007 Podcast on iTunes.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (67.5MB)

Like some of the other footage, this Tango duet already appeared on YouTube some months ago and is now being added to the Podcast. Enjoy as Anne and Jim take the stage for this 2 person tango performance in Tango Sexy.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (25.3MB)

L’umanita is a collaboration by two Temple of Poi Alumni, Jamie “Sparkaluscious” Luv and Vikki “FireSpice” Friedman. They are two sexy hoop sisters who are inspired to gracefully engage challenge with their mind body and soul, and show it in their love of play in this wonderful performance from the April 2007 Fire Dancing expo. As with the other footage, the original footage was corrupt so this was the highest quality we could get of this video.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (33.1MB)