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


Posted:
Has anyone encountered this? I am starting to. It is really funny yet weird at the same time. For instance, the 4th thing I performed at recently, I was there last year. I get my own stage and this guy I went to high school with watched every show, actually, many people did, no big deal.

So this year we get there to set up and there he is with his chair in tow ready to watch, and help, which was really cool, but the fact that he was there was strange.

A couple weekends ago I had these guys who were there everytime I lit up, yelling "I Love You", "Marry Me"...things of that nature. It made me laugh but after awhile became very annoying.
One was cool as a stage prop though, and the stage bouncer that night asked me out...with Whipping Boy standing there (but Whipping Boy was afraid the bouncer was ganna kick his butt so he wouldn't let me tell him we're together! LOL)

Do you have any "Groupie" stories?
How do you deal with them?

[ 09 July 2002, 16:09: Message edited by: Pele ]

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


SmokyDavySILVER Member
Do my poi look too small in this?
394 posts
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada


Posted:
Basically, since I lit up at Om 3 weeks ago I've had more girls pie eyed over me then I've ever had in my life.

One of my old friends has a huge magic fetish, and since I started teaching her poi she's been calling me 'master kenobi'. People come up to me in the streets constantly telling me they saw me at Om or at some other outdoor party and how great I looked and how they'd never seen anything like it before in their life!!

I've met a lot of people who've never seen anyone fire-dance in their life... So I'm not sure whether to take the compliment as a sign of their lack of experience or as a sign of my skill. Or perhaps its both.

Does it make me some sort of poi-snob when I insist that there's loads of people in London many times better than me?

Is it normal anywhere else for people to applaud and whistle every time you finish a burn?

MikeGinnyGOLD Member
HOP Mad Doctor
13,925 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA


Posted:
I normally bow when I finish a burn, and people normally applaud and whistle. I consider that just politeness.

I guess if I was part of an act, I wouldn't bow and I wouldn't expect applause until the act was over, but just flying solo...sure...applause. Basic courtesy.

-Mike

Certified Mad Doctor and HoP High Priest of Nutella



A buckuht n a hooze! -Valura


maladminmember
46 posts
Location: Toronto


Posted:
Oh the price of fame
Lets face it the the whole idea of taking a fairly mundane toy and setting fire to it is to make it look spectacular, people are going to want to watch and show there appreciation, and since most people are loath to give money this is shown using applause. The natural progression here is that since you as the 'performer' are considered something worth watching and maybe emulating, many people will want to get involved in the performance either by learning poi themselves or in other ways such as by adding vocal support or helping prepare performances. It would be interesting to see the reaction if before a burn you make it obvious that you are going to charge for the performance, I'll bet the audience will become a lot less obvious.
So far as people clapping you because your good that all depends on there expectations, I think it's fairly easy to determine whos good and who's beginning simply from the fluiduty of movement without any knowledge of the tricks themselves. However even a butterfly move looks very impressive if you've never seen it before but audiences exposed to just this are going to quickly move on unless the performer has a range of tricks up his/her sleeve. At a recent party which has been held twice in the same spot there have been people twirling, at the first party it seemed the majority of people stopped dancing and started watching, by the second this was already 'old hat' to most and the audience was much smaller.
Pele I know this dosnt realy anwer your original question but it's something I've been thinking about recently, and FieryFlow I think your just going to have to face it - your pretty damn good


interesting article on clapping

We are made to persist. That's how we find out who we are. - Tobias Wolff


dromepixieveteran
1,463 posts
Location: Florida


Posted:
I always get asked an insane stream of questions whenever I go out twirling even if it isnt with fire ...
How long have you been doing if for? Where do you get those? How much do they cost? Did you do some sort of course? Why do you do it? Can you teach me? I mean the list goes on and on...

People see me doing poi and act as if I'm gifted... At which point I feel like putting my poi away for giving a bad example... after all I am an amateur and have seen people doing so many tricks I cant dream of doing, YET! I still think its weird seeing someone do a three beat weave (easily) behind their back!!!

I tend to say:
'thank you, I'm really just learning'
I also answer as many questions as possible but it can get quite frustrating if you've just gone out to practice...

So to be honest I dont really know how to deal with these people other than talking to them...
I also dont perform as such because I am simply JUST LEARNING so I havent encountered a 'fan' club as of yet.

I get this 'groupie' thing when I am practicing and find it quite annoying cause I just want to practice, which isnt really possible if people are watching or constantly harrasing you with questions, looks, yells, etc...

How do you tell them to leave you alone without seeming rude??

Much love to all... Drome

JUGGLEwithyourmind!


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


Posted:
Drome, just close your eyes and pretend like you are really into what you are doing. When you are done, act surprised, like you never knew they were there. Be sweet and apologetic and answer their questions. They get the show, you get the practice and no one has to know anything else!

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


BurningByronmember
340 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
hmmmm not wanting to boast but in the last 4 months I've been fire dancing professionally at parties and every performance I do I have at least two or more people (girls AND festively inclined guys) throw themselves at me. Fire dancing is an extremely effective way of picking up girls, people just find it so damn sexually appealing! My mates have figured this out and are all begging me to teach them to twirl. I've only taught one of them because he holds my view that fire dancing should be practiced for the love of the art and not because your horny and want to get laid. I enjoy fire dancing because I find it a very relaxing and satisfying form of expression. I have a girl friend who I love and dont find random sex with random people fulfilling. If you are fire dancing to try and get laid then you are probably willing to take risks to try and impress and thus shouldn't be involved in the art.

HOW TO FLY 101:
step 1. Throw your self at the ground.
step 2. Miss.


SmokyDavySILVER Member
Do my poi look too small in this?
394 posts
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada


Posted:
Well, its still really weird, and I'm definitely not used to it.

Guess I shouldn't look a gift girl in the... well.. hmm.. I probably shouldn't finish that sentence.

catboymember
167 posts
Location: leicester, england


Posted:
grrr... I hate you all!!!
no-one ever comes and watches me, and i've never pulled any women through doing poi (or even got a glimmer!)...
grrr.. grrr... the cat is not a happy bunny
anyway, if some of you guys want to let me in on what moves it is you do, which create the kind of 'honey magnet' effect, Im all ears...

pleeeeeeeeeezzzeee...

[ 10 July 2002, 20:42: Message edited by: catboy ]

you can take the cat out of the jungle, but you cant take the jungle out of the cat


Fwirl :pmember
76 posts
Location: Wellington, NZ


Posted:
a bf would be nice, and going out with another fire dancer would be nice, but I wouldn't really like to use the art to like make thme horny a, thats sad. But guys with there tops off doing fire dancing....*sigh*....oops, shouldn't say that nup, my 2 centies...
luv 2 ya all
Lyd's:p

Neo:Wow, that sounds like a really good deal, but I have a better one. How about I give you the finger and you give me my phone call?


dromepixieveteran
1,463 posts
Location: Florida


Posted:
Pele,

When I say I go out to practice I dont usually do a routine... I try to learn tricks that I dont know yet but want to know so that I can do other tricks and expand the 'routine' I've got... So its not very nice when they see me hitting myself as opposed to providing them with entertainment for the evening...
Thata my real problem... I mean I ty to do the behind the back weave and usually hit myself in the face cause they dont flow that way for me, YET!

Until then I will keep practicing in hidden areas in hope that one day I will come out and show the world what I'm made of

Much love to all, drome

JUGGLEwithyourmind!


Morganemember
102 posts
Location: Austria


Posted:
groupies hmmmm well u could call me one sort of....i just looove to watch people spin though my outlook lately has changed i usually watch the hands and body movements and stash them away for later use (usually with ouch)

i like to watch people do stuff that they do well (always been more of an audience and appreciate the skill kinda person).

as to yummy twirlers it's not the twirlin that makes guys yummy. if i don't think a person yummy without fire i won't find them appealing just because the play with fire......

Morgy

Out to Wrong Rights and Depress the Opressed.


KyrianDreamer
4,308 posts
Location: York, England


Posted:
lol, yeh morgy. but if already hot guys are spinnin it's quite cool to watch. otherwise, the spinnin's cool to watch. and the hot guys watchin the spinnin... er...

what always bothers me is all the little kids. i love them and i wnat to let them twirl. but i don't want a lawsuit, and i can see one happening even w/o fire. so if i can't find their parents, they can't spin.... *sighs*

Keep your dream alive
Dreamin is still how the strong survive

Shalom VeAhavah

New Hampshire has a point....


SmokyDavySILVER Member
Do my poi look too small in this?
394 posts
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada


Posted:
Apparently its because I move very smoothly and fluently..

Probably the fact that I shoot most of them down works in my favour too.

Maybe its because I lose myself in the movements, and people can see the passion I have for spinning things around to music.

Raymund Phule (Fireproof)Enter a "Title" here:
2,905 posts
Location: San Diego California


Posted:
Well in my own eyes when I look at those who I have had the privlege to spin with before I suck!! Pozee and his troup are just amazing, but this 4th I spun for the guys in my shop at Fiesta Island here in SD and we had people from 3 camp sights down come down the beach to watch me spin. Now personally I get mentally into the spin and dont see really anything going on so when I got done and spun out my poi I looked around and I had a large number of people bout 20 - 30 just standing there looking at me, I just looked up and was like "Whoa sh**"

I doubt I'll have groupies though

Some Jarhead last night: "this dumb a$$ thinks hes fireproof"


BurningByronmember
340 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
In reply to Catboy...

>""""grrr... I hate you all!!!
>no-one ever comes and watches me, and i've never
>pulled any women through doing poi (or even got a
>glimmer!)...
>grrr.. grrr... the cat is not a happy bunny
>anyway, if some of you guys want to let me in on
>what moves it is you do, which create the kind >of 'honey magnet' effect,
>Im all ears...
>pleeeeeeeeeezzzeee...""""

Well Catboy, BurningByron's (Alias Fabio's) advice is get a six pack. In Australia a fair few guys my age have a chisled stomache (at least with the guys I hang out with) so its nothing special but... and I quote my current girlfriend... "I cant decide what to watch!! The cirles of fire wrapping around your body, or the shadows created by your abs that dance on your stomache!" Fire makes a toned body look twice as sexy as it actually is.

Also try yodalling (is that how 2 spell it?) while fire dancing. I swear to god the women try to rip off your clothes mid performance as soon as you let blast an impressive yodal or two!

Oh yeah, try watching Austin Powers and take notes! He seems to score alot.

HOW TO FLY 101:
step 1. Throw your self at the ground.
step 2. Miss.


SmallBoy - xCarpal \'Tunnel
2,737 posts
Location: London


Posted:
Apart from all the hoards of sexy women throwing themselves at my feet and trying to rip my trousers off,(I can hear the screams of laughter from anyone who's met me). I can't say that many people are transfixed by my fire abilities though...

Small Lardy Person In Disguise


SmokyDavySILVER Member
Do my poi look too small in this?
394 posts
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada


Posted:
I think another reason its easier over here in North America is because fire dancers are an EXTREME rarity here.

There are only 20 people that can do anything in Toronto, and of those, I'm probably the most experienced, or close to it.

There are many people who have never seen a fire dance AT ALL here.

Where-as, in England in general, anyone who'se been to Glastonbury has seen an AMPLE amount of fire-dancers of many different levels.. Many of whom are much better than me IMO...

If you want to get noticed in London (dunno about england) you've gotta be reeeeeeally good, or have loads of connections.

In Toronto, you barely have to have a complete dance routine, or be completely confident or smooth with your motions...


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