Multi person/Multi prop routines

I and a few others have recently formed a fire troupe, we are currently doing a few random off the cuff improv type shows but realise that everything can look alot better when in time and routined.

Having read Megs topic about routine making, and every other topic on these forums, the concept of making a routine makes sense. However going from making a routine for one person using one prop seems to be made much harder when bringing in more people, and more props.

More than anything I am looking for ideas and concepts for multi person multi prop performances that don't end up looking like a mass of people all doing there own thing....

The only idea I have is standing in a line with everyone doing fig 8's and weaves at the same tempo and allowing each person to step forward individually to do a solo at the front... dropping back into the line and starting weaves/fig 8's and allowing someone else to step forward to show off there favourite moves.

In short... If anyone has any more specific ideas for routining as a group as opposed to an individual that would be great! Where to start? Footwork/spinning patterns? etc etc

With more people you can have a number of people doing different things. The goal here is not to overwhelm the audience, but two or three people doing something similar is workable.

Keep rotating people, especially with different props. For a single song you probably want to keep the tempo of each piece similar, so mixing fast poi and slow contact staff may not work as well. If you are going for a longer thing, then changing this may work well.

If you search Youtube for fire troupes, you will probably find a number of things.

Caveat emptor: I have never tried though, this is just what I have seen, and think would work.

I think the taking turns approach can seem awkward if it's not done with considerable finesse. Speaking just from my aesthetic sense and time watching YouTube more than any particular expertise, I think everyone on stage should be interacting to some degree. The people on stand-by needn't be inactive and stationary, but they can be taken out of focus by making their stage placement more peripheral, their close interaction with the focal performers more sporadic, their movements more predictable and simple, etc.

For changing who's in the spotlight, I'd avoid making it feel like the next person in line is stepping up, but more as if their moving to the center were dramatically appropriate, if that makes sense.

Just some thoughts. Who knows if they're good, though.

Much better expressed than what I was saying. This is what I meant though.

Very well said.
Another option that can look great, particularly for a not techie crowd is to play with simple tricks making patterns or shapes with the people. You can use all kinds of arrangements to create an interesting picture, height distance and symmetry.

It is a bit silly but I really like ones that look like big birthday cake with layers, kind of like some of the arrangements you see in big Broadway dance numbers or synchronized swimming.

It takes a lot of choreography but one thing I've noticed goes off well with crowds is fighting. Of course you like your partner and don't actually want to hurt them, that's why a lot of practice is key,but the illusion of conflict plays to the hearts of a lot of spectators. This works best when you have something very controlled, I've seen it done with Fire Sword v Contact Staff very well and am currently working on a routine with my fire sword buddy with my in development fire gauntlets. The whole idea of a fight is different from carefully planned patterns and techniques, but doesn't necessarily have to exclude them. At any rate its a great skill to have in your troupe's arsenal.

This is actually very amazing looking and can incorporate a variety of tools, even better it's massively fun to do work on group choreography with others and create mass patterns to flow together.

It'd be extra cool to have someone film it from a high vantage point!

*loves doing group choreo*

I'm hoping to try and put something like this together with my girlfriend. She does poi and I do staff though which I realize could be a little difficult to try and work together. However, I think with enough practice, patience and maybe a little outside help from someone who knows a bit more about choreography could probably do it.

You can switch so each of you is holding a staff in one hand and poi in the other and do partner poi moves and throw back whenever.

Here is a fun Poi-Poi-Staff Buugeng trade-off routine I just found recently. Nick Woolsey, G, Banyan.