PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
So I have been exploring the web, looking at sites and pictures of fire. I am curious as to if any of you feel there is such a thing as overkill? I saw one video where people in the back had fire, people in the front had fire, the stage had drums of fire and not only was it too much fire, where they boasted something that was visually stunning, it really wasn't. Supposedly they had great costumes and make up, but who the hell could tell? And they were supposed to be dancing but it appeared to be walking on egg shells since they seemed afraid they were going to catch their costumes ablaze.No one performer stood out, no one performer did anything worth mentioning. Not only was it that group but several sites I visited boasted the visual spectacle and all it looked like was too much "We gotta burn better and brighter than the next guy" which detracted from any artistic show they seemed to be presenting.I appreciate doubles and even group moves and routines as long as they are skillfully done, but a spectacle for the sake of a look-how-much-fire-we-can-make spectacle seems like pointless overkill.I have noticed that the shows, circus, theater, fire, etc, I like most have been simple in presentation and artful and dynamic, like cirque du soliel and black box theater.My question is simple, what do you think and where is your line for it being too much?------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
I think *fire* is too much.I'm over it. I wanna see a girl in a steel bikini swinging broken bottles or spiked steel balls or poisonous flowers on chains, cuz fire is a bit of a joke when it comes to dangerous things to swing... smileJosh

AdeSILVER Member
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia


Posted:
Shhhhh Josh, I'm working on that just now - dart head poi, I'll let you know how it goes.Pele, fire in performing is nice, but I reckon it needs to be done in a quality, not quantity, way. Even a spectacularly expensive fireworks display that goes on too long can end up being 'just another fireworks display', which is both disappointing for the audience, and the technician - no one benefits.

adamricepoo-bah
1,015 posts
Location: Austin TX USA


Posted:
It's impossible to make a blanket statement like "N fire performers at once is too many." It's how well put-together the show is.I've seen a performance with 4 twirlers all going at once. No one was the focus of attention, they did all have fancy costumes, and they made it look great--they had choreography and themes and it was all tied together. I saw another with 5, where one twirler was the "lead" and the other 4 were "backups." And that looked good. On the same night there was one guy, alone, doing double-staves, and his double-staves were too much. Each staff was big, with a lot of wicking, and it overmatched him.I think it is fair to say that the more elements you include, the harder it is to pull everything off well, but it isn't impossible.Complex shows do seem to take forever--if there are costume changes, etc, the intermissions can be longer than the performances. Again, I guess this is an issue that could be overcome.

Laugh while you can, monkey-boy


PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
Four or five on stage yes, like I said before with choreography but these were nothing but fire everywhere to the point where there wasn't a point and all hope for anything visually significant was lost. I have seen staves too big, and that is a technical issue...what I meant was when there is too much fire/costumes/people for the intention. I guess my point was that I feel if there is a story to be told there need not be tonnes of fire as much as character presense in costumes and such. If there are fire performers why then does there need to be ten steel drums spewing out 8 foot pillars of fire? If you are doing a fire sculpture then why have 15 people spinning different toys in costumes that don't match the theme of the sculpture nor is it in a choreographed way? For me that is too much. Sometimes a well rounded performance involves less, not more, imho is all.------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


s-p-l-a-tmember
383 posts
Location: Brisbane, Qld, Australia


Posted:
Not quite the same thing but - I have seen performers use fire sculptures apparently just for the sake of having a 'fire sculpture'. It was a totally unrelated waste of wick and fuel and did not have any particular theme or purpose at all. Well - the only purpose I could forsee was what 'not' to do smile

The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.- B.B.King


CAINED-AND-UNABLEmember
214 posts
Location: Manchester


Posted:
i know its not really the same as a performance but, when at a spin meet. i reaknon more the merrier grin the feeling of spinning with a dozen others is awesome. i bet its too much to look at though.as to performance. i'm normally more apprecietive of quality rather than quantity.id rather watch one good performer rather than a dozen ones that are medeocre. frownas for medeocre tricks like burnin stuff for the sake of burning it, i think its stupid. and a waste of time, wick and fuel. madanyway, just my oppinion. + most of the time, why watch when you can be spinning yourself grinC'n'U--------------------------------------"the first rule of spin club is..... do NOT talk about spin club "


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