Spinning "in character"

I love Rodrigo y Gabriella, I recently showed a friend the ways of dancing to flamenco. I find it a VERY good music for fire dancing.

As for character, I dunno, with my rope dart I guess it probably borders on being more jester-like. My palm torch/breathing is probably abstract, and so perhaps more mime-ish. Staff is very tribal for me so far.

That's quite possibly one of the best ideas...EVER

I got to be in charge of the music for our last meet. The Playa Del Fuego peeps were there, and one of them said we were the first meet he'd been to without electronica playing.

We basically kicked it to rodrigo y gabriella and gogol bordello.

MRC - that's probably because a big chunk of the fire spinning scene south of NYC (DE, VA, NC) is drowning in house music

Generally speaking, and I invite debate with what I'm about to say here, but I feel that there are 3 general levels of progression as far as "dancing when you spin" goes. First, you have your beginner-intermediate spinners who either A) have dance training, learn a few moves, and then work on incorporating their dance styles into how they spin or B) THINK they can dance, and flail about while thinking they belong to group A. Then, they learn more moves, and start forgetting about dance, while having to deal with mutual-exclusivity when it comes to posture, arm movement, and their natural limits of multitasking. Finally they hit a wall, and they have to bring dance back into it, but this time it carries the mark of their efforts, exhibiting lot of changes as a result of the types of moves they are capable of performing.

I also want to clarify and say that these ideas are centered around the assumption that all spinners want to improve both technically and aesthetically. I know there are quite a few professional performers who are are perfectly happy to learn a dozen simple moves and then switch over to dance and acro. I just personally find that limiting and disappointing, but then I think spinning is first and foremost an art form, and its ability to generate income is only a bonus side effect.

Durbs (btw, I've been a big fan for a long time) - I think one of the reasons popping works so well with poi is that a lot of moves follow many of the same arm movements as tutting (for example, horizontal split time wall plane elipses that come together and plane bend into a wheelplane buzzsaw are a straight up, undiluted tut figure). Also, popping is itself a geometric dance style, characterized by a drive for cleanliness, crisp combo skills, and convincing visual illusions...sound familiar?

I'd enjoy some funky house or electro, but often it's oldschool house, trance or DnB. Which is often lacking in verve.

I also do recommend belly dancing. I had to quit lessons due to money problems at present. I also have personal issues I need to address before I can focus so much effort on dancing, but I ADORE belly dancing. I recommend it very highly for spinners because even if you use NONE of it to perform, it improves your movement at large. While a lot of breaking involves a lot of speed are very fluid movement, belly dancing requires very slow, very controlled movement which teaches you to pay attention to every part of your body, while in any move. This is beneficial to spinners in MANY obvious ways.

I also tend to agree about the either "dancing experienced" or "not so dancing experienced." Although I'd add a lot of spinners I know had no preconceived notion they could dance, but now know they need to know more to be better performers.

I've just started spinning in character for a performance/audition piece. I play a very bored and very lazy janitor, to the sound of Zorba the Greek (Gypsy Kings). My movements are a lot slower and relaxed, and any large movements seem to resemble stretches. This character doesn't dance around much...

MRC - I'm working on a Belly Dancing / Fire Poi fusion routine as we speak - the movements tie in really nicely together, and hopefully the end result should be quite a seamless fusion of the two. At the end of the day, it boils down to practice, practice, practice and (fingers crossed), the end result should be a natural movement incorporating both??? To me, each style is an extension of the other. I learnt my poi in a circular courtyard, so when I stated Belly Dancing I was stunned at the similar movements...(I also find that Yoga helps for both too - especially having the strength to hold positions etc)

Thats the theory anyway - the reality could be something different entirely! Performance is mid April, so there's a bit of time to work on the fine tuning yet...

I have some performances smattering my entire april.

I'm sort of hammering out the details on what I want in a character. I've done a lot of personal revision on it. I like the idea of being a sort of...lascivious gentleman. As a friend of mine would comedically intone "classy, yet sassy."
Right now I'm working on acquiring lots of formal wear, I intend to start spinning in suits and such(three piece preferably but two piece will due for now). I'm trying to use my work in belly dancing as a guide for how to kick little flourishes of playful sexiness into things.

Playing on rigidity and fluidity.

Though I'd still like to assemble at least one decent jester/clowning outfit...

I'm trying to work on finding music that's very accommodating.
Koop for example. Or some old fashioned Quincy. Or other modern stuff.

I want to try and avoid being too tribal, or even fashionably edgy. I want people to be brought in, made comfortable, then freaked out or amazed.

That sounds wicked. The extremist in me really likes your concept, the contrast would be really great. Lull them into a false sense of security, then whamo. yup.

So, another don't is become a cliche huh.

So far, in just two nights performing in my dark wool suit...consensus is that I stick out a lot. This seemed more emphatic than I was expecting. But yeah, I mean if everyone looks like some shirtless neotribal guy that wandered out of a rave...then that look doesn't have a whole lot of significance.

So I'd sort of advise that people not try to be nonconformists or anything truly conformy either. Being formal works for me because I walk around in suits...just because I like them. It's a strong part of who I am, so it's not even much of a character. People need to just find the part of themselves they want to put forward and figure out how to polish it up so that it speaks to the audience.


My thoughts anyway.

I mostly belly dance with poi. So that means a lot of hip movement, undulations, and a overall sexiness. However I frequently change style depending on context to more sassy and bouncy. there's a definite deference between a style that keeps you grounded and low to a style that is more arial and above you and it depends what you're going for.
If I'm in the mood to be sexy I dance slower with my feet more attached to the ground, if I'm bubbly I dance on my toes and jump around, in either case I move around the poi, it's just an extension of our emotion. The poi cease to be something apart from your body, they are your body. But its definite practice, every year is more graceful and fluid and every year the same move you've done hundreds of times changes because you are your poi. It gets to the point where dancing isn't conscious thought at all but you know what to do to show emotion.
For example you can show a more aggressive form by say stomping a foot or yanking the poi instead of being fluid.
However I must say that the most complements I receive, especially from other artists, is when I belly dance/poi, and honestly I don't think i could separate the two if I tried from any style that I do.
And last but not least: music matters, however there shouldn't be music that you can't dance to if you wanted too, some just isn't as fun as others. the best music has tempo changes and many layers so that you can choose which layer you want to follow. that way your audience is drawn into the dance as well. I love to follow the harmony's in music, instead of the same beat that plays for 5 minutes straight. Usually you are drawn to a certain sound, either the harmony or the base line or maybe some staccato rhythm in the music, and then you are the visual match to that sound.
Also being technically correct with poi (staying in your planes) is still the most important thing when you dance because it gives each movement contrast. Sloppy poi just can't draw in an audience like a cleaner version can, you need that contrast.
I know I'm blabbing but this is where my passion is, I love new moves and stuff but dancing is where the soul is.
I highly recommend an mp3 player to practice, I got one a year ago and it revolutionized practicing, although I most say I've gotten some odd looks from people in my apartment complex when I do but that's why it's so nice, you enter another world.

Thats exactly how i think about it too :O, i just couldnt put it to word as beautiful as you (A). I like to use music with one or several points of climax to it, you can really bring that to expression by also going into climax with your poi moves and dance stances.

I have a very traditional style with my poi. lots of circles and flowing transitions, a little bit of dance involved, but i never even had to focus on what character i want to show when i spin

my best advice is to let your own style come to you and build on it over time.

I like to do drunken master when fire spitting , it goes together fairly well, especially since I end up spin dizy half the time just for laughs, contact spits are great for making you dizzy since your blinded by the light while spinning in circles, it makes for an easy way to stay in a fake druken stuper

Everyone has their own background that they apply to their styles. Of course someone who spent their entire life studying martial arts is going to show it in their style, the same with ballet and tribal dances and so on. I think the beauty is when everyone meets up and a hardcore martial artists starts doing ballet moves, the mixing makes it magic.

As for characters, it does have a time and a place. Some shows need a persona that may not be your own. In real life I can't pull of hardcore to save my life, but in a performance you are free to pretend.

With me it is not so much as in character spinning as is it getting in tune with your props.

The moment I touch either of my toys a new way of spinning opens up. It gives a natural feel.

With the clubs I'm more a Jester then anything else, they give the best control and therefore allow me to bend, flip and drop. Seriously, you should try a "false fall" when swinging clubs. The audience will breath heavily and thinks things go wrong, but then you just lay on your back and keep swinging, the clubs like propellors that seem to lift you up. Also With clubs I dar to put in some cartwheels and stuff.

When I pick up the staff I become more of a martial artist, the staff flows, extends, twirls and retracts. I can even use it at to launch me in the air to do a kick. I must admit I took some moves from games like aforementioned soul calibur. It dazzles the audience. My friends even tell me, that when they ever get in a fight with me they'll be sure to not let me pick up a pole or a stick ;-)

With the poi I become a whirling dervish, spinning like there's no tomorrow. Fastpaces and a continous flowing motion. one trick into another.

Come to think of it, I think you could say, my styles have different elements, with the clubs I flow like water, with the staff I am in touch with the earth and are in perfect balance, the poi give me the wind aspect ans they spin faster and faster like small balls of fire waiting to be directed.

So it's not really in character, mostly when performing I drown out the crowd, just hearing the music and the fire. There is nothing more then music and fire.

Well sometimes I do a little interaction with the crowd. When someone makes a snarky comment, I just flow a little more in his/her direction, or blow a little ball of fire in their general direction (Yes I keep perfect track of distance, heigth and wind when doing something like that, don't worry)

i personally have several charictors that i use when spinning but for me it is more a nesseasary because of where i have to practice is very open and public plus my performances and in person i am very shy so my charictors give me the courage to break through the stage fright.

That's really cool, do you find it helps? I'm kind of the same way as far as being shy but that's something I'd want to break through that barrier when I start performing publicly someday...

it definately helps, because i immerse myself "in charictor" i am capable of acting in way that i personally would never be able to do. like team mascotts, out of costume i seriously doubt they go around acting like a total fool.

Very cool to hear. In real life I have tendencies to be pretty shy at times, especially in larger groups. I hate speaking in front of groups, have never played in a performing band or anything like that. I'm not a shut in, and don't run away from people, but have always wanted to overcome that hurdle of performance anxiety (no, not that kind! :P). So I thought poi would be a good step in that direction, after seeing some badass spinners at a party. And if you're going to do something like that, might as well go all out and make yourself as much of a character as possible! And it helps not being completely unattractive and having some nice tattoos and piercings to show off!