Dance lessons for spinners

I've always had problems reconciling the beat of a song with spinning poi, especially with a fast beat and I always thought this came from not having any background in dance. Not true,,, I'm beginning to think,,, it's my lack of rhythm. Also, I can't help feeling that the very nature of poi isn't geared to responding to a beat, but anyone experienced with bolas would beg to differ it think.

Thanks to a previous post by andrealee, I've been concentrating more on cueing my transitions and variations of moves off the melody, rather than the beat, and I'm alot happier with the results.

I'm finding my best spins, the ones I enjoy the most, and after all most of my spinning is all about me, are done to slower music, or at least music where I can freely ignore the beat. I'm spinning guitar solos I'm Joe Satriani with poi

Lately, I've also developed a taste for Celtic music, not the sleepy kind, but what's been described as "Celtic with a drumkit" e.g., Altan, that seems to be working well too.

Check out Kila and Afro Celt...

also Celtica

Kila, Afro Celt, Celtica,,,,thanks. I'll fire up the P2P and see what I can get. I've never heard of any of those three, and unfortunately, our local import music store closed down six months ago, so I can't buy any of this stuff I'm happy I got their one and only Shooglenifty cd though
Surprisingly , I've found the Corrs have some great instrumental stuff buried in amongst the pop.

Who was it that wanted some trancey electronica? Check out the label Interchill. They have some fabulous world /psy/ trance/ambient mixes. Good friends of mine, so I might be biased, ;-) but lots there I like to spin to!

Also, Ganga Giri, another friends band for completely different vibe, to get up and jump around.Drums, Digeri, electronica...

I still love to dance to Loreena Mikennits ( Sp?!) Beltaine Song. Poi, belly dance, it lends itself tomany kinds of movement both slow and fast, excellent rhythm, and has a nice build in intensity.

Oh yeah, this is just the topic I was lookin for!!! This is exactly what I've been trying to do. I think that I am only a little performer by now , i' m not a great spinner or a professional mover, but this is because I was trying to do exactly what you've been discussing till now for a year (that' s the time I' ve been juggling with poi)... The matter is that I can' t put together the plans theory and the dance. When I dance I [censored] the plans theory, and I think this is not very good because of the effects on watchers, I think it' s a kind of chaos, but when I dance I cannot THINK about my movements, I only let myself into the music and my legs and arms move themselves without the help of reason. This is why I' m in a little bit of chrisis (sorry for my English) and because of my mania to HAVE A STYLE and not to MAKE MOVEMENTS (I think like Aliosha that it' s more important the style than the movements) I' m in trouble and I' m struggling to find a way to do that. Plans and dance: is it possible? I saw Yuta's video and I think so, but THINKING about the plans while dancing, isn' t it a way to limit yourself's movements?

... I dunno!!! I know Acciaio and I understand what he says about his style, it' s true, it' s a bit rigid, but it' s wonderful how he can manage with all that movement-and-tricks stuff... I' m really living a chrisis in my way of poi-spinning >_<

guys as a dancer i think that i have identifed a few problems in what you are trying to do. Ever thought of putting the poi down and just enjoying the music first? i mean there is no feeling like spinning poi to some good toonage but if you want to do it well then you have to be able to shake that ass first. I recomend that those of you wanting to learn how to dance well is just to watch other people, music videos etc and pick up the moves and style you like. Use this to learn from, copy if you want to. The most important thing about learning to dance well is that it is compleatly up to you what you do, there are little or no rules or set moves in freestyle dancing. Let go and just love it. My advise to get confidence up in learning is to keep your elbows and your head up high. listen to some funky house http://s25.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2UPSOKIUS6JMM2D9HX5RY1CMFY (right clicky and saveage) this is some coolio toons i find for dancing to. or if you like some hardstyle toonage, give this a go. http://www.sendspace.com/file/3qpyb1 (same) I even do private dance lessons, ask nate

i got two and half words: capoeira rocks yeh!

i wish i could take a class called "Foot sweeps and you... a guide to a better tomorrow"

I' ve found www.templeofpoi.com ... they give DANCE LESSONS for poi spinners... but I think it' s in Chicago... groan... =_=
(their videos are GREAT!!!)

Hi!
I was really interested in your take on the relationship between dance and spinning. At the moment I am training to be a contemporary dancer but i have also spun for about 3 years. And I know totally what you mean when you say once you start thinking about it, things become stuck. My Dad is also a capoeira teacher and i have done a bit of that. I don't think capoeira really helps my spinning, i'd definitely say contemporary dance really has improved the way in which i move when i spin.
Anyway it's nice to know people are thinking about dance!

Re: hints? What should a spinner look for?

Aliosha, I don’t do martial arts, can’t dance either, but I have lots of opinions

As far a body movement goes, I don’t think there is a lot of difference between dance and martial arts. There’s even a photo in my friends ninja book of a master ninja and a Latin dancer, dancing. The caption points out the similarity of both arts.

Capoira is a dance, and when you say “..not much hip movement, and the footwork (at least the angola palmares one, my style) does not integrate too well with the.... ” I’m thinking that may be your problem; not enough hip movement. Perhaps some middle eastern dance would help.

a friend has just done this vid for me for my birthday. its of me dancing at the club i am head dancer of. no poi though, but just to let you know what kind of dancing i do. hope you enjoy.
http://s55.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2U4TSZM8YRAIC0AVHKCN2XPAVU

holy bazookas. that party looks like great fun except for the part where the pretty laser beam comes through and fries everybody's retinas to a crisp. who trained that person to set up a laser like that? scary. if you have any relationship to management i'd suggest moving that thing somewhere else...

amigo del luz
ciao de alemania
mannheim is talking

we are planning to put some dancers and spinners together in a big pot and mix it for one day
it will be soon so if u are interested just send doro on goldorox a mail
come down u can sleep in our flat esta no problemo
for berlin i know a girl dancer studiying at the university she is one of the best there i´m sure she got some contacts for u
so if u are let us know
by the way capitain arashi let us some keys in our brain we just try to find the doors for them some fit in the lock but the doors are huge and heavy

peace light and bauchtanz ; )

hier wird dir geholfen
ap + doro

amigo del luz
ciao de alemania
mannheim is talking - 8 degrees

we are planning to put some dancers and spinners together in a big pot and mix it for one day
it will be soon so if u are interested just send doro on goldorox a mail
come down u can sleep in our flat esta no problemo
for berlin i know a girl dancer studiying at the university she is one of the best there i´m sure she got some contacts for u
so if u are let us know
by the way capitain arashi let us some keys in our brain we just try to find the doors for them some fit in the lock but the doors are huge and heavy

peace light and bauchtanz ; )

hier wird dir geholfen
ap + doro

Aliosha, well how about doing something then, like starting ta dance class.

bust a move

so far i found that as a beginner (really really beginner) movement is difficult cause i am still trying to get that feel and rhythm with poi
but i need to get comfortable and relax so i like to try and include a little latin and belly dancing...music with a heavy drum beat lend themselves well to this, right now i like the karminske experience
take comfort all you beatless people you are not alone

Aliosha, just start something.


Did you check the free lessons at bust a move?

Look, bustamovefanboy, since I am dancing 3 nights a week and training 3 nights a week, would you care to gimme your bustamove-8-days-per-week-gizmo so that I can start something else?



And, yes: I don't care for salsa, waltz is something you learn in one hour (I waltz on stilts, thankyouverymuch), swing, oh, COME ON, swing and spin?
And foxtrot.
Ok. Next time I have to dress up for a 1920 party, I know where to look to learn foxtrot.
Thanks. I am in debt.

So: do you get a share of the money they charge?

Aliosha, wot’s your problem?

U don’t like the free bustamove hip hop lessons. The fox trot and swing are too difficult. Salsa’s too hot for you. Hmmm, looks like will never learn to move your hips or grind or booty.

Last suggestion, try the gumboot shuffle. and learn about dance.

What's not shared is lost.

Stone, what is YOUR problem?

I don't have any problems here

mayhap someone got out of bed the wrong side today

Stone - cheers for the link to that bustamove site. Im in the process of trying to mix poi with dance at the mo.... No I haven't danced in years so here goes heaps of energetic practice for me

i like happy people
sono e felicita!
happy happy happy!