Call for Fire Dancing Artists

We want to showcase new, innovative and fun fire dancing performances.

Do you want to show off your your amazing fire performance to the public? We invite you to come and strut your stuff for our live crowd and video cameras!

Each year, National Dance Week encourages the growth and development of Dance in America by raising the public consciousness to the values, importance and contributions of Dance to our daily lives and culture. Temple of Poi and PoiGeek are committed to supporting this valuable mission by creating an affordable opportunity for performers and audiences alike to appreciate the beauty, grace and brilliance of fire dancing by sponsoring a free-to-the-public, affordable-for-artists fire dancing show on San Francisco's landmark Union Square stage.

Temple of Poi and PoiGeek are proud to sponsor the 3rd annual Temple of PoiGeek Fire Dancing Expo as an opportunity for the global fire dancing community to perform for an enthusiastic, appreciative, receptive audience in San Francisco.  Last year's event was selected by Bay Area National Dance Week as a Cornerstone Event, one of 4 San Francisco based events selected from almost 300 events held during National Dance week. We were again bestowed this great honor for this year's show, which means more publicity, press and attendance at the event.

Because Temple of Poi and PoiGeek understand how challenging it can be to find safe and affordable venues in which to showcase fire dancing performance, we are creating this opportunity for artists to have a gorgeous 30 ’x70’ concrete, outdoor stage! We invite you to bring your best fire dancing performance art and strut your stuff for our live crowd and video cameras.

We’ll pay the cost and handle the logistics for fire and sound permits, space rental, press, marketing, fuel, spin out areas to give you an amazing opportunity to perform in front of a large crowd in a city that loves fire dancing. All this in exchange for your time on the stage!  And if you’d like a record of your performance, we will be offering footage at the rate of $50 per 5 minutes of footage of your performance to use as you please. We will not be using the footage to make a DVD that we will sell, though we may put some clips on YouTube to inspire the world over with your fabulous performances!

What this means to you as an artist is potential printed and televised coverage from a variety of local media outlets. Last year, this included television coverage on KRON in addition to other press opportunities.

This non-profit event was created with the intention of giving performers of all skill levels the chance to perform while raising awareness of fire dancing as a prestigious dance form. The Expo offers novice groups (who might otherwise not have the opportunity to perform) an opportunity to get their feet wet with public fire dancing performance in front of a large crowd. Additionally, professionals and semi-professionals can come to share their art and show off their choreography in a public setting sure to delight and inspire us all.

This event benefits the global fire arts community by creating more opportunities for us to perform the art form safely and creating awareness of the beauty of the event. It benefits you specifically because we will also be creating marketing packs for the public and your marketing material can be included in that kit, giving you lots of potential clients whose hands will receive your flyers, promos, coupons, zines and other marketing material after having just witnessed your amazing skills.

Temple of Poi and PoiGeek invite fire artists of all skill levels to apply for performance spots in the 2008 Expo in the following categories:

• Solo semi-professional performers: Up to 4 minutes per artist per performance tool/6 minutes total; we have 3 performance slots available
• Solo professional performers: Up to 4 minutes per artist per performance tool/8 minutes total; we have 8 time slots available
• Group performances Amateurs/Students: Up to 5 minutes total time; we have at least three 4 minute time slots available
• Group performance semi-pro and professionals: Up to 8 minutes total time; we have 5 slots available

We are also now accepting volunteers to assist with:

• fire safety
• equipment set up/tear down
• flyer distribution/marketing
• stage management
• management of spinout area
• hosting out of town fire artists
• ushers

Guidelines for Applicants

• Interested applicants must submit an application to us by noon, April 5, 2008 in order to be considered. Applications must include this information sheet as well as either an in- person audition or video submission of the proposed piece or similar piece. You must also fill out a video release form as part of your application. (Note: This form has changed since last year)
• 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.
• We will assist in finding housing with local artists who have volunteered their homes. Please note on your application if you are interested in hosting/being hosted.
• This is a non-profit event; therefore, performers will not be compensated monetarily in 2008.
• Each group must apply with one application and a designated contact person. All members of the group must be listed on that application.
• Solo acts must have a separate application, even if you are part of a group.
• All applications must include a video of the piece or comparable work or the artists must audition the piece live for GlitterGirl. (Special exceptions can be made for established out-of-town artists on an individual basis. Please contact GlitterGirl directly to make arrangements.)
• 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. Artists must therefore be comfortable spinning with white gas only (if you need an exception, please contact us in advance).
• For permit and safety reasons, all artists must wear natural fiber. Synthetic fibers may be used with prior written approval from GlitterGirl if they are on top of natural fibers.
• Fire spitting is not allowed.
• Fire works are not allowed.
• Propane tanks are not allowed.
• 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

Please note, this event is a mere 5 days prior to Fire Drums VI, the west coast annual fire and drum gathering.

This legally permitted public event will take place at a historic San Francisco landmark location on the second night of National Dance Week, April 26, 2008. Call time for artists is 7:10pm with tools ready for tool inspection. Artists whose tools do not get inspected can not perform. Show starts at 7:50 PM.

Visit this web page for a complete listing of the 2008 Temple of Poi classes and events for National Dance Week.