The evolution of spinning - a personal journey :)

Ok so after kickin’ around and lurking for a good number of years. What I have found interesting in the time that I have been spinning (getting on to 8 years), is when we started it was very difficult to get anyone to show you anything but very early classical moves eg. 3BW, BF, HT, LT etc. Worse still we were in an isolated place (Adelaide in south Australia) where there wasn’t anyone to show you any move. Everything came from the net, or some random person you might have seen at a rave/party. We would chase any little rumour we heard about a fire night or spinning, drove to many places based on the rumours – to the beach, to the city, on this day, no wait maybe it was this day… – looking for these groups of fire twirlers. Alas! We couldn’t find anything, so we started our own with a huge mass of 4 people we decided to meet on Friday nights in town either under the bridge or in the parklands. We brought our fire sticks we had made and some drums to play. Invited any person that looked interested to come along and join. It’s pretty much been happening ever since in one form or another.

Which leads me to my next interesting observation through some beautiful people beginning their own fire groups and of course thanks to HOP there was a place where we could share and build this fire community we had. We could extend our limited knowledge and bounce ideas off each other to push boundaries into “new moves” and ideas. I have personally found travelling helps LOTS, seeing people from all over the world spin – hehe – chasing people down you have heard about as being incredible spinners not to mention beautiful people too – all of the stories we chased were real . These days newbie’s have the luxury option of having people who have travelled and together with other spinners nutted out problems and can teach them such things isolations and tricki tricks within 6 weeks to 6 months of first discovering this new toy.

It’s kinda like the evolution of the use of computers. Many of the baby boomers generation have had to learn computers for their job and often struggle whereas their children like me who have grown up with a computer in their house since they were young –ok the first was a commodore 64 – and then these days I see 4 and 5 year olds working out advanced commands on PCs and game machines and surfing the internet, chatting rooms and BLOGS. I mean WOW evolution is all around us!!

In my personal spinning journey I have found I have learnt the most when I have been on holiday or working part time or in a job that lets me “clock” off at 5pm without having to think about work until I need to get up the next day. I never found the joys of poi while I was at uni or at high school and I really really wish I had because the amount of time you have to spend kickin’ around when you are studying is incredible. I know you don’t think it at the time, but believe me you will look back on that time and think – OMG I could be fluent in 3 languages as well as have 2 degrees by now! I honestly believe my spinning skills would be much better now if I had had that opportunity although then again maybe it would have just been a fad and something I got into and passed, like for some poi is like that. However I have now grown up (slightly ) and I now have the type of professional job that doesn’t allow me to practice as much as I want. I probably only practice about once a week now, and even then at our fire nights which are still going I have a tendency to socialise rather than push the limits of my spinning understandings. However I do get great enjoyment out of watching other spinners just learning or have travelled teaching the newbie’s to spin with cool technical tricks and amazing grace – a wonderful opportunity that is available now thanks to all those who teach this beautiful art. Keep it up.

nice

yays.

last night it was really warm and one of the newer twirls brought a friend along with a drum and guitar and we had like a bazillion spectators. very cool night.

its come along way from when the police superintendant came down to see what we were doing.

My mother said it would just be a 'fad'.

Three years ago I met my first HoPper. I was 15. Three years later shes is one of my best friends

With her I started a weekly meet. Three years later its still going.

And three years later I now get paid to spin fire by people who want me at their events.

hey katinca-ga-borg-anana (I hope I spelled that right)

You've seen parts of my different journeys with learning poi and staff. Its been fun.

I actually think I have reached the limits of what I want to learn. Noting that there is a big difference between that and what I should learn. If I wanted to be an accomplished and up to date spinner, there are so many more things I should learn. I am sure I am one of the least impressive spinners in terms of technical spinning around, I am definitely old skool.

But I really don't want to learn any more. I like spinning when there is no set of moves to be learnt, when I can just play and dance. Even in an ideas exchange, it usually ends up with people walking up and interrupting to show you the funky new thing they have just made up and that you just have to learn.

Instead I just want to find quiet places, or places with drums and music, where as little talking occurs as possible. And dance.

I have so many other things in my life that I am obliged to learn. So I don't want to learn anymore, I want to do.

It makes me wonder if the general standard of twirling has just gotten better in Adelaide, or on a global scale too.

i don't spin much anymore cuz i got bored with butterflies and weaves... but everyone wants to teach me inverted anti-spin hyper-loop-olations and i'm like "eh?"

but that's mildly off topic. i just wanted to post cuz it's kate and i miss the bridge...