Page:
Alioshamember
57 posts
Location: Berlin, somewhere


Posted:
I serached a bit in the forum, and I could not find anything about this.

I began spinning (first poi, the staff and doubles) almost 4 years ago. I never danced before, I was the "I don't dance, I don't like dancing, I cannot dance" kind of guy. I used to juggle, but by then I was already bored by balls and clubs (I still do some contact, though); no dancing there, either.
The first months of learning were just about new tricks, learning as a juggler. After a while I realized I liked the most people that did not do A LOT of things, but that were smooth, that had style.
And began to work on that: no new moves for maybe 6 or 8 months. Just becoming smooth (I now know I was working on planes and routines; I did not, then)

And then it hit me: I was dancing.
I really was, and I loved it, and I was not bad at it.
I got asked were I learnt, and so on.
And wanted to get better.

I have been working mostly on THAT, in the last years. And now I am looking for more: I'd like to study a bit of dancing: to know where to put my legs, to find a different way of being smooth.
Now: I did some capoeira, and now I am practicing contact improvisation. I love them, but I am not sure they are what I need.
The question is: is there anyone else that began taking dance lessons to improve the spinning-firedancing? What worked better?
I know there are quite many spinners that got dance lessons in previous incarnations: any ideas? hints? What should a spinner look for?

(If I manage to learn the split, like I am AGAIN trying to, I WILL try ballet lessons, for a while; or at least modern dance)

---
"Angels fly because they don't take themselves too seriously"
G.C. Chesterson


Suibomaddict
577 posts
Location: Oregon, USA


Posted:
Interesting..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krumping

Suddenly, the ChemBros video Galvanize makes sense to me...

You crazy kids.

Definition of poi- A Hawaiian food made from the tuber of the taro that is cooked, pounded to a paste, and fermented.

Ahnold discussing poi - "It is naht a toober!"


DutSILVER Member
lurker
380 posts
Location: Nashville, TN, USA


Posted:
hmm. i wonder if clowining is a derivative of clownstep d'n'b? "clownstepping" might also very well be what i called "jungle jumpup" earlier, but only cuz i'm an ignorant american. biggrin we'll let the judges decide:



[oi. that link didn't work at all. i'll try back later. lol]

(^^this isn't me. i do dance like this tho half the time, especially when i have poi and forget to try gliding.)



i definitely didn't mean any kind of copeira or martial arts jumping or jump flipping. tho i'd love to be able to pull some of that stuff off. wink



"clownstep vs ryu. round two. fight!"



-- dut
EDITED_BY: Dut (1135973988)

mcpPLATINUM Member
Flying Water Muppet
5,276 posts
Location: Edin-borrow., United Kingdom


Posted:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogue_%28dance%29

OMG! I'm gonna do this instead! biggrin

"the now legendary" - Kaskade
"the still legendary" - Kaskade

I spunked in my friend's aquarium and the fish ate it. I love all fish. Especially the pink ones. They are my bitches. - Anon.


fluffy napalm fairyCarpal \'Tunnel
3,638 posts
Location: Brum / Dorset / Fairy Land


Posted:
Soooo last year Meg rolleyes

wink

Geologists do it in the dirt................ spank


arashiPooh-Bah
2,364 posts
Location: austin,tx


Posted:
yeah like her laundry.

-Such a price the gods exact for song: to become what we sing
-Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.
-When the center of the storm does not move, you are in its path.


mcpPLATINUM Member
Flying Water Muppet
5,276 posts
Location: Edin-borrow., United Kingdom


Posted:
and your ego. biggrin

"the now legendary" - Kaskade
"the still legendary" - Kaskade

I spunked in my friend's aquarium and the fish ate it. I love all fish. Especially the pink ones. They are my bitches. - Anon.


Alioshamember
57 posts
Location: Berlin, somewhere


Posted:
About spanking and hugging:
Written by: TinklePants


Is there a difference, Kael? ubbangel




Dunno, last time I mixed the two things, I go spanked and not hugged.

---
"Angels fly because they don't take themselves too seriously"
G.C. Chesterson


LouchGOLD Member
Member
10 posts
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada


Posted:
On the dance lessons for Poi issue I find Jazz dance is actually very helpful. I've been dancing for maybe 5 years and spinning for 2 so I started out being influenced by Jazz but i've found the technique very helpful. When I apply (mind you I don't always) the technique I've learned for turning or pirouettes it makes any poi turns much smoother.

Conversly though some of my dance technique has improved through Poi work. The only major problem I find with most dance forms is they don't spend much time focusing on the upper body, or at least the arms. Belly Dance would be the exception but I have a hard enough time dragging my self concious male self to my entirely female Jazz class.

One final place I've learned some movements from though hasn't been mentioned in this thread. I have some friends in a precision drum group and I've learned a surpising amount of movements from them. Even if drum sticks have little in common with poi.

BansheeCatBRONZE Member
veteran
1,247 posts
Location: lost, Canada


Posted:
One thing I have really been noticing, is different emphasis some poi dancers give to the use of rhythm. Some people try to manage using the poi with the beat, and barely move their feet, whereas others move their feet with the dominant beat, and almost play melody , or subtler beats with their poi. Hard to describe!

Guess I am thinking about musicality as an aspect of poi/fire dance, Drew pointed it out in his Uberpoi workshop and it has been in my mind since.

It made me think that perhaps learning music could also be a good complement to poi skills, not necessarily to actually play music, but to understand and use it well. I think it would still apply when spining poi without music, just that understanding of rhythm, break, melody etc etc...

"God *was* my co-pilot, but then we crashed, and I had to eat him..."


romaGOLD Member
Member
1 post
Location: Enterprise, Oregon, USA


Posted:
How could you not dance when twirling? That was the first thought I had when poing what should I listen too couldn't wait for my poi to arrive. When I first saw Poiers it was exciting the beats that they had picked out to twirl to. BEP's was the first group that I learned to poi to and noticed that I even enjoyed the Clash. The beat gets me dancing which in turn helps me poi better, do moves that come naturally.
It was wierd/interesting to read that not everyone dances when poing. weavesmiley

GlåssDIAMOND Member
The Ministry of Manipulation
2,523 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom


Posted:
agrees with Louch and andrealee smile

arashiPooh-Bah
2,364 posts
Location: austin,tx


Posted:
all that music training is integral to belly dance training. most belly dancers are drummers as well, since they are the same thing with different instruments. many belly teachers teach various beat signatures of drumming and zill work, for instance. *shameless self promotion* i've been drumming for rong rong time, i teach rythms in my poi classes biggrin wink

-Such a price the gods exact for song: to become what we sing
-Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.
-When the center of the storm does not move, you are in its path.


StoneGOLD Member
Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:

Aliosha, what beats and breaks are you listining to?

I started with glow sticks, so I would have something to do with my hands while dancing, then I got into fire staff, poi and somehow forgot how to dance. From there, the most important dance lesson has been to learn more about the music, counting the beats etc.

I’d suggest learning Latin dancing, as most contemporary music, from psy trance through to hip hop, has a strong Latin/West African rhythm running through it.

Even if you don't like Latin then this is a great article on Learning about Rhythm.

There are also a number of great dance tips in this [Old link] including the now famous "Deep Soul Sheep Samba" a great base to work from.

Have fun, and in the words of Bill Austin “ When you take dancing lessons, you learn steps and you learn steps and you learn steps. It can go on for a long time. And then one day, you just learn to dance, and it is so different.”


cheers smile

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh


mcpPLATINUM Member
Flying Water Muppet
5,276 posts
Location: Edin-borrow., United Kingdom


Posted:
Also: Watch footloose! biggrin

"the now legendary" - Kaskade
"the still legendary" - Kaskade

I spunked in my friend's aquarium and the fish ate it. I love all fish. Especially the pink ones. They are my bitches. - Anon.


BansheeCatBRONZE Member
veteran
1,247 posts
Location: lost, Canada


Posted:
no, watch Dirty Dancing!
biggrin

"God *was* my co-pilot, but then we crashed, and I had to eat him..."


arashiPooh-Bah
2,364 posts
Location: austin,tx


Posted:
whatever, you posers.
Breakin 2: electric boogaloo.
cause it's all about the streets, man, dig?

-Such a price the gods exact for song: to become what we sing
-Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.
-When the center of the storm does not move, you are in its path.


_Clare_BRONZE Member
Still wiggling
5,967 posts
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)


Posted:
Yeah, right, homie.


rolleyes

Getting to the other side smile


[Nx?]BRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,749 posts
Location: Europe,Scotland,Both


Posted:
dont you guys realise its all about the tech???

:P

This is a post by tom, all spelling is deleberate
-><- Kallisti


StoneGOLD Member
Stream Entrant
2,829 posts
Location: Melbourne, Australia


Posted:
Just a thought on the capoira. What about just using the foot work without the handstands and stuff?

I’ve only seen people playing around at festivals and things, but they seem to sweep circles with their feet, shifting weight between feet as the move. Just doing that type of footwork would look good and give a dancer plenty of scope for freestyling around the circle or even a stage.


I found this Dance workshop when I was looking up drumming lessons.

“At the Argenta (B.C.) Fall Faire on the fall equinox weekend, drummers and dancers enjoyed a workshop designed to match basic dance moves with particular rhythmic effects. A circle of 15 dancers warmed up to a beat provided by the five drummers, a basic Olatunji dance warmup:

Then breathing to a count of two, in and out, slowing to a four count, for relaxation and internal timing.

The first dance sequence used the same rhythmic form as the warmup above, but alternating with all bass notes for a while, while dancers moved close to the ground, and all high rim notes, while dancers flung their arms into the air and whirled stretching high.

Next the dancers explored side-to-side and forward-and-back movements, to a rhythm with a swing feel:”

If we as members of the human race practice meditation, we can transcend our fear, despair, and forgetfulness. Meditation is not an escape. It is the courage to look at reality with mindfulness and concentration. Thich Nhat Hanh


jinx-raverbirdSILVER Member
member
59 posts
Location: Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
id like to learn. think it would help alot

that will b alrite!


MokaGOLD Member
is a medium/large scary man
420 posts
Location: Victoria, Australia, Earth, Milky Way...


Posted:
As a martial artist myself I can say... do Capoeira... It's the best style for developing dance moves and IMHO it's tribal-like movements can be slowed/modified for staff and poi alike...

Contact juggling was invented by dung beetles.


Mr_widdeat my face before i eat yours
253 posts
Location: Torquay, UK


Posted:
I spin and dance, I been dancing for years, Actually head dancer at a club to tell you the truth. I use a combination of lots of different types of dancing. I find that when doing poi some of the best moves thrown in are just basic foot movements such as some moonwalking, or just basic sliding of the feet. Spining in a pirouette while bending the body round, ohhhh its so hard to explain on here, i will try get a video uploaded of me doing some dancing at some stage. But i have to say that since i been spinning i have gottne more of a flow to my moves, Sometimes when i dance i like to act as if i got some poi. this gives good hand movements which are very effective and being used to the movements it lets me concentrate more on dancing with my legs. Ohhh ask nate (M-O-M) hes seen me dance.

jinx-raverbirdSILVER Member
member
59 posts
Location: Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
ye im a dancer, but i cant dance and do poi together. end up going all over the place. i need to get more bendy me thinks lol

that will b alrite!


LazyAngelGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,895 posts
Location: Cambridge UK


Posted:
I try to start a lot of movement from the feet up. You can wiggle a surprising amount by just raising and lowering your heels.

I also like to work out new movements by dancing without poi. As I know what I'm feeling for now, it's a lot easier to come up with new stuff that actually works.

'to do' list:
yoga
capoeira
tai chi
biggrin

Because ActiveAngel sounds like a feminine deodorant

Like sex, I'm much more interesting in real life than online.

'Be the change you want to see in the world around you' - Ghandi


Alioshamember
57 posts
Location: Berlin, somewhere


Posted:
(I was not dead, just resting)
I am not that sure capoeira helps. Not for the footwork, at least.
I did some years of it, I still would not have any idea of
a) how to combine the jinga with poi
b) why doing it.
I mean, the footwork is a pseudo-dance mostly useful to be always on the move, being able to feint, dodge and attack; for spinning?
Dunno.

As far as martial arts go, I think that kung fu (or tai ji) has a more elegant footwork that can be integrated in spinning; but I could be totally mistaken, my experience comes from 2 lessons of both.

(goes back putting together a dead iBook)

---
"Angels fly because they don't take themselves too seriously"
G.C. Chesterson


jinx-raverbirdSILVER Member
member
59 posts
Location: Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
lol

i always start to get out of beat

that will b alrite!


Alioshamember
57 posts
Location: Berlin, somewhere


Posted:
For me, it depends on the beat.
It seems that the poi has an "intrinsic beat", and if I can follow that, good; if not, it's going to be very exhausting to follow the external beat.
(It took me ages to learn, but now I love to go slow, so anything at more than 120bpm is FAAAR to fast; unless I can follow every, say, second or third beat, if there is some big bass somewhere: like, bom-bom-BOOOOOM, and I'll just follow the BOOOM)

(Clear?)

---
"Angels fly because they don't take themselves too seriously"
G.C. Chesterson


Suibomaddict
577 posts
Location: Oregon, USA


Posted:
I love spinning to different tempos.. specially songs that change in tempo throughout. My current spin playlist contains:
NiN
Chemical Brothers
Fiona Apple
Ani DiFranco
Tool
System of a Down

Fun stuffs.. I need to record some drum sessions and throw those onto the list.. also need to find me a good set of trancy electronica..

Definition of poi- A Hawaiian food made from the tuber of the taro that is cooked, pounded to a paste, and fermented.

Ahnold discussing poi - "It is naht a toober!"


AcciaioSILVER Member
Tangled into my spins
187 posts
Location: Italy


Posted:
I practice a kind of kung fu (Quan Ki Do) and I thnik that it give me a special feel with my poi...
Expecially when I'm spinning with heavy fire poi I think that I'm doing something like a martial art progression (kata or quien).
For me is a cool stuff but this is my opinion....someone noctice that this kind of spinning is a bit rigid on the other side someone notice that this is precise spinning. You can have your opinion on it...

Acciaio devil

StoutBRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
1,872 posts
Location: Canada


Posted:
I've always had problems reconciling the beat of a song with spinning poi, especially with a fast beat and I always thought this came from not having any background in dance. Not true,,, I'm beginning to think,,, it's my lack of rhythm. Also, I can't help feeling that the very nature of poi isn't geared to responding to a beat, but anyone experienced with bolas would beg to differ it think.

Thanks to a previous post by andrealee, I've been concentrating more on cueing my transitions and variations of moves off the melody, rather than the beat, and I'm alot happier with the results.

I'm finding my best spins, the ones I enjoy the most, and after all most of my spinning is all about me, are done to slower music, or at least music where I can freely ignore the beat. I'm spinning guitar solos cool I'm Joe Satriani with poi biggrin

Lately, I've also developed a taste for Celtic music, not the sleepy kind, but what's been described as "Celtic with a drumkit" e.g., Altan, that seems to be working well too.

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