Forums > Social Chat > Spun in front of my first crowd today
Login/Join to ParticipateQuantum Theorist
564 posts
Location: Vansterdam
564 posts
Location: Vansterdam
Posted:
Well me and Kazeko went to the Canada Day Celebrations in our city today. And we of course were packing our staffs. Towards 8 that night one of the poi'ers broke out some glow sticks and started teaching some of the little kids running around to spin. Some of those little kids where doing butterfly weaves and a few other poi moves better than I can on a good day with in a few minutes. This naturely drew in every spinner withing seeing or hearing range. as well as a few more people who wanted to learn as well. So we where spinning and showing people moves until it got dark. Then the real fun began. We moved out into the open (away from the blaring music so we could hear our drumers). And marked off a circle. What I quickly relized is that even at 9:30 at night there were still thousands of people in the park (waiting for the fireworks, which were the best I've seen in a long time). So around the edges of our circle we gathered a crowd of a couple hundered at least. I suprised myself by not really being that nervous to go out and spin. Odd considering that I have touble speaking infront of groups. But I walked out wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and sandles with a flaming stick in my hand. What did happen is I got distracted a few times by the crowd and there blinking flash photgraphy. I now have two nice burns (one on my leg and one on my side) and Kazeko has one on her belly. Not only that another spinner got distracted as well, losing grip on her staff and sending it flying a few feet into my leg.
All in all it went very well considering. And there wear no major injurys and nobody had to stop drop and roll.
Does anybody have any sugestions or tips to follow the next time we have a crowd? For example ways not to get distracted, Ways to keep the crowd in control a bit more, and how many spinners we should have per area (sq feet/meters)?
Well me and Kazeko went to the Canada Day Celebrations in our city today. And we of course were packing our staffs. Towards 8 that night one of the poi'ers broke out some glow sticks and started teaching some of the little kids running around to spin. Some of those little kids where doing butterfly weaves and a few other poi moves better than I can on a good day with in a few minutes. This naturely drew in every spinner withing seeing or hearing range. as well as a few more people who wanted to learn as well. So we where spinning and showing people moves until it got dark. Then the real fun began. We moved out into the open (away from the blaring music so we could hear our drumers). And marked off a circle. What I quickly relized is that even at 9:30 at night there were still thousands of people in the park (waiting for the fireworks, which were the best I've seen in a long time). So around the edges of our circle we gathered a crowd of a couple hundered at least. I suprised myself by not really being that nervous to go out and spin. Odd considering that I have touble speaking infront of groups. But I walked out wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and sandles with a flaming stick in my hand. What did happen is I got distracted a few times by the crowd and there blinking flash photgraphy. I now have two nice burns (one on my leg and one on my side) and Kazeko has one on her belly. Not only that another spinner got distracted as well, losing grip on her staff and sending it flying a few feet into my leg.
All in all it went very well considering. And there wear no major injurys and nobody had to stop drop and roll.
Does anybody have any sugestions or tips to follow the next time we have a crowd? For example ways not to get distracted, Ways to keep the crowd in control a bit more, and how many spinners we should have per area (sq feet/meters)?
In the 60's people took acid to make the world weird, now the world is weird and they take prozac to make it normal again.
Froggie ... Ribbit !!!
4,224 posts
Location: Back in Paris... for now !
4,224 posts
Location: Back in Paris... for now !
Posted:
Congratulations to both of you
shine on
cass
Congratulations to both of you
shine on
cass
"I want brown bread... no, that is diesel oil..."
"So I was raised in Europe, where History comes from ..."
"NON !!! La Plume de mon oncle n est pas Bingibangibungi !!!"
member
18 posts
Location: Calgary
18 posts
Location: Calgary
Posted:
i too just recently had my first spin in front of a crowd, and i was spinning with some expeirianced spinners in the middle of a big drum circle, what we did was put candles up around the edges of where we would be spinning, and then the drummers where 2 or 3 feet back from the edge of the candles, i really liked this because by the time we got spinning it was really dark, and the candles gave a good sense of where the circle was so you didn't get too close too anybody, especially if you do lots of spinning moves that leave you disoriantated(sp?)...don't have any advice for not getting distracted by the crowd and flashes going off, didn't have any of the latter, but did get distracted and clipped my shoulder three or four good times...hope that helps some.
i too just recently had my first spin in front of a crowd, and i was spinning with some expeirianced spinners in the middle of a big drum circle, what we did was put candles up around the edges of where we would be spinning, and then the drummers where 2 or 3 feet back from the edge of the candles, i really liked this because by the time we got spinning it was really dark, and the candles gave a good sense of where the circle was so you didn't get too close too anybody, especially if you do lots of spinning moves that leave you disoriantated(sp?)...don't have any advice for not getting distracted by the crowd and flashes going off, didn't have any of the latter, but did get distracted and clipped my shoulder three or four good times...hope that helps some.
GOLD Member
ZORT!
3,045 posts
Location: Brisbane, Australia
ZORT!
3,045 posts
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posted:
congratulations!!
its fantastic fun isnt it??!!
ive been performing in front of crowds for about 6 months now. normally its some random 21sts i perform, but ive performed at some huge uni parties infront of over 1000 ppl, and at a community run youth music festval. the best ever gig was for a local primary school who had a halloween theme fair/fete. i twirl poi and breath/eat fire, and the kids loved it.
in regards to getting distracted, practice not looking and not focusing on your twirling. when you pass clubs, you are actually focusing at a point 1.5 meters in front of you, and only catching with your peripheral (is that the word?) vision.
experiment twirling while looking at a distance point, or even better, with a blind fold. this will teach your mind that you KNOW the moves by feel, and you dont need to watch what you are doing.
then you can look at the audience - eye contact is great for a performance, but if there are flashes you wont be as affected.
for roping off the area, i tied some candle holders on the top of 50cm tent pegs. i mark out a hexagonal area with the pegs, tie rope along the top of the pegs (which are poking about 1ft out of the ground) and light the candles.
so far the only ppl to ignore this are random drunk ppl.
performing is great. the adrenaline surge is incredible addictive!
enjoy!
congratulations!!
its fantastic fun isnt it??!!
ive been performing in front of crowds for about 6 months now. normally its some random 21sts i perform, but ive performed at some huge uni parties infront of over 1000 ppl, and at a community run youth music festval. the best ever gig was for a local primary school who had a halloween theme fair/fete. i twirl poi and breath/eat fire, and the kids loved it.
in regards to getting distracted, practice not looking and not focusing on your twirling. when you pass clubs, you are actually focusing at a point 1.5 meters in front of you, and only catching with your peripheral (is that the word?) vision.
experiment twirling while looking at a distance point, or even better, with a blind fold. this will teach your mind that you KNOW the moves by feel, and you dont need to watch what you are doing.
then you can look at the audience - eye contact is great for a performance, but if there are flashes you wont be as affected.
for roping off the area, i tied some candle holders on the top of 50cm tent pegs. i mark out a hexagonal area with the pegs, tie rope along the top of the pegs (which are poking about 1ft out of the ground) and light the candles.
so far the only ppl to ignore this are random drunk ppl.
performing is great. the adrenaline surge is incredible addictive!
enjoy!
"Here kitty kitty...." - Schroedinger.
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