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Consuming Firemember
4 posts
Location: Texas


Posted:
I am doing a report in college about dangerous performers; performers who entertain people by doing dangerous stunts such as fire. In an audience analyses, the people waht to know, "what goes through their heads?" Me, I go through all the safty rules and make sure I can perform without injury, and taking no chances, pray. But how about ya'll, what goes through your head when performiing with fire or any other dangerous stunt? Thanx

CantusSILVER Member
Tantamount to fatuity
15,966 posts
Location: Down the road, United Kingdom


Posted:
I don't think, as such, about anything whilst I'm spinning. Mostly I'm 3 or 4 moves ahead wondering if i'm going to stick to set patterns or improvise some spins. I don't worry about hitting myself or getting burnt. As worry is just one step shy of nervousness and panic.Which leads to carelessness. ------------------C@ntusIn the past, the fools would pay, to see the freaks of the day. The contradictions of the norm. The bizarre, the wonderful and deformed.No need for the tents and the cages now. The wool is over our eyes. In front the TV circus - a freakshow in disguise.

Meh


Whiffle Squeekaddict
416 posts
Location: Hartford, CT USA


Posted:
mmm, i dont do fire, but can i still comment on what goes through my head? oh well, im gonna anyways...basically nothing, i just let my hands go through the motions theyve done a thousand times, and only tend to concentrate if im attempting something new, which is rare in front of an audience. I could, and know i can, twirl completely blindfolded and half asleep. Your hands know what to do, its not so much of a conscious thing as it is soemthign reflexive. As cantus said, you concentrate, you get nervous, you get nervous, you get jittery, you get jittery while fire is whooshing by your head, you get burnt. (or in my case you get jittery while weighted glowsticks are whooshing by your head, you get black eyes.)

Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!


JeStErSILVER Member
enthusiast
214 posts
Location: Melbourne Australia


Posted:
Umm have to disagree, whether or not u are conciously focusing on what ur doing, u will on some level b concentrating, after all swinging fire is not, contolled by the brain stem. 4 example"I could, and know I can, twirl completely blindfolded and halfasleep"Of course u can, I can to but, do it again, now goddammit, visuallization seeing where your hands are going to go when doing a certain move through the back of your eyelids is a form of thinking, images inprinted on ur memory are being brought to the surface is a form of thinking.I personally try to concentrate and focus on what i'm doing, whether i'm performing or just practising, when i get lazy or don't decide until the last millisecond what move to go into I invariably stuff it up.

Trying to play the Akashic records,
but my turntables not compatible.


Teinemember
74 posts
Location: Asheville, NC


Posted:
if i'm practicing getting something down or trying something new, i'm mainly paying attention to the toy and the gyroscope in my head. if i'm doing stuff i'm familiar with, i end up with music and mental visualization...you could call it energy patterns if you wish. (kinda looks similar to Geiss for winamp.) as to awake or asleep, i think i could do both, but sleepwalking runs in the family. i've been known to climb trees and practice gymnastics whilst snoring. grin------------------"life begins between the night and the light."

life begins between the night and the light.


xLessThanJakexmember
155 posts
Location: Reading, UK


Posted:
When i'm spinnimg at first I am very aware of what moves I'm performing and slightly nervous, when I get into it I just do each move one after the other and they all roll into each other.I forget anyone watching and concentrate souly on what I'm doing. It's like straight but relaxed.I think of nothing but the flame, at the end of it all, I become aware again of everything else, the greatest feeling. smileF_S------------------Where there is sorrow I seek the Flame - Rumi

Where there is sorrow I seek the Flame - Rumi


Gruffmember
106 posts
Location: Gloucester


Posted:
It totally depends on what danger toys i am using.If Im doing fire, I try my hardsest to put it out of my mind that fire is dangerous, hot and can do nasty things to you, and concentrate on what the pattern of moves and the trails made look like. i.e. trying to keep the circles as flat and as circular as possible as ultimately this is what impresses the audience the most (the things you can do with the fire, not just the fact you wield a lit wick around).If I am juggling/swinging my knives around then my priority is safety of myself, and/or the person I am juggling over the top of. Those blighters can and will hut and hurt badly. The Audience is impressed by the mere fact you are juggling knives so I have time to worry about myself.Straight jacket is a totally different matter! It is a fine balance of looking after myself and entertaining the audience. Having to disloate your shoulder is no joke and should be done safely and properly to avoid too much damage to joints and muscles, so I need to concentrate on getting that right, but at the same time the audience needs to be kept entertained, so a few well timed jokes usually save the day so when they are laughing I can concentrate on getting my shoulder out of joint (Ive made a few people quite ill when they have been a bit too close and they heard the squelch).Once that deed is done the rest of the routine is purely entertainment and working the audience.I know this is very much from a performers perspective, but I hope it helps. I love doing danger stuff cos that is what the crowds like. That is why I try to focus on their enjoyment, as well as my own and their safety. Danger is danger but it should not encrouch on yours or their enjoyment of it.

Mark PBRONZE Member
old hand
1,031 posts
Location: Bath, England


Posted:
howq long did you spend in those little padded cells before you managed to work out how to get out of your straight jacket gruff?? I still havent managed it yet but I get day release for spinning :PMark P

CantusSILVER Member
Tantamount to fatuity
15,966 posts
Location: Down the road, United Kingdom


Posted:
Just for the record, I didn't say don't concentrate. I said don't worry.Just wanted to make that clear!

Meh


AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
well, I'm no fire elder or anything, but I've found that in the last 6 months or so, I've just stopped worrying about the fire factor. I dont tangle much and very rarely do I tangle dangerously so I guess its become a non-issue. I make sure I shake the tool off fully before lighting up so excess fuel probs are a non-issue. During the set I just think about what I'm doing, and whats coming up next... smile I also try to think about body position and movement...Josh

Gruffmember
106 posts
Location: Gloucester


Posted:
They let me have it as a leaving present - nice of them wasn't it? Does it show that Ive had a mis-spent childhood/youth? OOOPS!!Seriuosly though it was a present form Ma and Pa for my 18th - WOOHOO!!!

Fire_Hazardmember
6 posts
Location: South Africa


Posted:
I've only been twirling for just over two months, with fire for a little more than a month now, but let me give you my two cents worth. I am still a little afraid of the flame, but i love the sound and the motions. I tend to concentrate a little too much on not getting burned and I feel it limits my movements. Sometimes if i don't think too much about the fire it's great. I try and listen to the music and allow the flame to follow it's own path. When I get more confident i'm sure this will work. Right now most of what i'm thinking is "PLease don't burn me" "Please don't burn me" hehehe. smileAnyone got any confidence tricks to lay my way??

Thistleold hand
950 posts
Location: Nottingham UK


Posted:
I'm with Josh about not worrying about the fire anymore. One of the things I think about when I'm twirling is what it looks like to the audience, as I am on the inside I am not aware of the patterns the circles make. Other than that i find it quite meditative.Fire_hazard, if you are thinking *please don't burn me* over and over, maybe you're not confident enough in your ability to be playing with fire yet.Onelove smile

Are we nearly there yet?


Auger282member
81 posts

Posted:
***
EDITED_BY: Auger282 (1429498481)

FlameOnmember
6 posts
Location: Croydon, Surrey, England


Posted:
Its hard to describe what goes through your head when performing with fire, the circumstances definately affect what you are thinking. I concentrate on the moves I am doing, the moves I am about to do, and my communication with the audience.If I'm by myself, I am much more nervous than if I am being backed up by my colleagues. By far the most important thing I think about is safety, not only for myself but also for my audience, I work hard to entertain my audience, the last thing I want to happen is that enjoyment being spoiled by a lack of attention to safety precautions and awareness of the circumstances surrounding the performance!One important thing to always bear in mind is that you are there to have fun, if it isnt fun, then you shouldnt be doing it!!Long Live the Flame!------------------Life is an adventure, live it as such!

Life is an adventure, live it as such!


N8member
336 posts
Location: NY, USA


Posted:
I believe that it was Yoda that said, "Ah, Sence great feaer in your heart I do, A Jedi knows not fear, for fear is the path to the dark side...."Fire Poi are kinda like that, you really can't worry about it when you spin or the fear gets to you and you mess up. Spinning flames is a more meditative practice than anything else for me, I often find comfort in the flame.N8.------------------Care of other people's approval and you become their prisoner.Live fully, Rave wholly.Fluid are the movements of my strings...

Care of other people's approval and you become their prisoner.Live fully, Rave wholly.Fluid are the movements of my strings...


SickpuPpyNinja Rockstar!
1,100 posts
Location: Denver, Co. U.S.A.


Posted:
I might be alone in this, but when I'm spinning I'm not really thinking at all. It's like meditation for me. It's all about the flow of the staff and the rhythm of the fire as it passes my ears. It isn't thinking at all really, just feeling. If you worry about getting burned, not only does it affect your performance negatively, but you're probobly much more likley to get burned.

Jesus helps me trick people.


orangemember
158 posts
Location: england


Posted:
i`m zoned into spatial awareness i see it as a challenge- where say in a club environment you get 'zoned out' people walking blindly thru` peoples patterns-i try to be aware of all goings on around me...with a big grin on my face smileif you are new -don`t practice near people and if in a club follow the golden rulesNEVER hit people - and practice AWAY from people...if people are there to dance respect their spaceoh yeah...what goes thru` my mind is the linking of tribal beats with the whooshing of fire near my ears - mostly in time to the music smile------------------swoopedinandswoopedoutagain...orange...xxx...

swoopedinandswoopedoutagain...orange...xxx...



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