Forums > Videos > Nick's Video Thread: Lots of New Videos

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MeenikSAPPHIRE Member
enthusiast
272 posts
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada


Posted:
And even more latest videos:



1) Advanced Beat Theory and Reel Turns: Explores different ways you can count the rhythm and beat of the poi, and how to apply that to specific moves and to dance in general. A great tutorial if you're the self-teaching type.



2) How to Make Meteors: A quick tutorial on making poi-style meteors with foam balls and colecord.



3) Getting Started with Double-Staffs: Explores some ways to get your double-staffing off to a good start. Definitely just the tip of a big iceberg but sometimes that's all you need.



Love and light from Bali,



Nick

»



------------------



Latest Videos:



1. Eat Drew's Book!

2. Backwards 5-Beat Weave and BTB 5-Beat Weave

3. Interview Questions from Poland Part 1



Enjoy!



------------------



And just when you thought things couldn't get any better, I bring you (yes!) more videos!:



1) The Atomic Weave: Enter the World of 3D spinning. Andy first showed this to me at the Poi Studio years ago, and yes, people have taken this idea all kinds of places since, but this is a good way to start.



2) The Mighty Banyan: Banyan is one of my favorite fire spinners ever, and I mention him in "The Beautiful Thing about Ashes." This is some great double staff spinning from Thailand and India.



We're really rolling now that we have a computer again. Stay tuned for at least one new video every week, yay!



n



-----------------------





...and less then a week later, I bring you Nick and Yuta: Poi Story! This is the Director's Cut of our COL entry, 6.5 minutes long, meaning it has the full "story line" and most of our choreography, yay!



------------------

Ok, now it's Feb 11th, 2008 as I post this. Latest video is More Fun with Flowtoys, using some great footage from a very fun night of shooting in Bali. A good example of some plane bending and 3d poi spinning. Enjoy!



--------------------

Ah, I´m afraid I´ve been too busy for posting. We´ve put up a whole bunch of new tutorial videos: Including Spiral Wraps, Planes and Orbing, a cute compilation of the workshops in Prague, Crossers, Isolations, a most Excellent Flow Toys video, and another flowers video, yay. You can find them all on playpoi.com/videos. Ooooh... it wasn´t easy to do all this though. Sometimes I wish I wasn´t quite such a silly person...





--------------

Breaking News: We've begun to put up a whole series of adventure-tutorials, filmed as Jocelyn and I travel around the world. Already 4 videos up. This is why I never have time for the discussion forums



Behind the Back Weave



Under the Legs



Super-Duper-Uber-Loops



5-Beat Weaves



------------------



Yes, it's true: Nick Strips for Money



-------------

Latest before that:





Show Your Poi! I get regular emails through my site from people who want to know more about what kind of poi to use. Usually people who aren't lucky enough to have other people to play with... and since we had such a nice crew in Thailand, I figured it would be sweet if we all whipped it out for a little show and tell.





The Beautiful thing about Ashes. I'm getting a bit experimental with this one, and a bit personal as well



NICK VS YUTA! A tale of honor, envy, friendship, and jugglers turned poi spinners. With martial arts and bad dubbing to boot!



For Previous videos, see visit the videos page on playpoi.com



-----------------



Note: this will henceforwards and forevermore be my poi video thread on HOP, unless I decide otherwise.



I am proud to say that I have been a busy (too busy) Canadian Beaver and I'm sitting on an awful lot of video footage, which I'm finally beginning to release now that we are launching the new playpoi.com. Videoes will be mostly in quicktime format (Quicktime 7.0) and on youtube and google video as well.



So, to start it off, I bring you When Circles Dream



This is the most ambitious video I have yet made. It features original music by my friend Tarun Nayar, and a lot of video, photos, and performance from a shwack of artists.



...and as some self promotion, you can get a high-res version of this on my DVD, The Scales of Poi, available right here at homeofpoi!!



Um... so there you go. I'll be posting more videos every week or two, so stay tuned.



Poifully,



nick

EDITED_BY: Meenik (1208501580)

"They're interdimensional fractal intelligences. That's why they wear funny shoes."


RonopotamusGOLD Member
addict
412 posts
Location: Ireland, but floating around at the moment...


Posted:
Nice one Nick smile

Wish I could still be out in Thailand with you and Yuta.

Perfect time to get to work on Nick vs Yuta 2!

hug

Don't bolt your door with a boiled carrot...


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


Posted:
ubblol great! a classic in the tradition of bad dubbing! I liked the oldschool Batman style fighting effects biggrin

praying I'll have time to head to Thailand for a week when I finish teaching...

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


MeenikSAPPHIRE Member
enthusiast
272 posts
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada


Posted:
Latest video: The Beautiful thing about Ashes.

Oooh ooh ooh. I'm going out on a bit of a limb with this one. Do you guys trust me? Do you love me?

I occasionally make references to my "artistic temperament." This is a reference to the depressions I've gone through. I've wanted to make a significant post about this, as I know there are some beautiful people out there who can relate, but I've been waiting to be in a happy place, and I am for now so it's just a matter of taking the time.

To make a long story short: I slipped into the Bad Blues starting the end of December. Lots of typical triggers factored into the equation (extended sleep deprivation, some specific events that brought up pain from the past, etc. etc.) By the time our little group was down on Koh Phagnan Island, my brain chemistry seemed out of control. I felt like an absolute loser for being on a tropical beach with the most amazing people in the world and yet depressed as one of those squished snakes on the highway. I couldn't help but compare myself to them. They all seemed so... happy, and they had... normal(er) brain chemistry, and this thing called... self-esteem. At least, they seemed to have those things.

Fortunately, I'm wise enough to know that being surrounded by beautiful people who love me is a GOOD thing, and I started repeating that to myself, along with a list of other positive things. Before long I realized I had all the time in the world to dedicate myself to personal development. I put aside all my videos, website development projects, etc., and applied myself full-time to getting my head screwed on straight(er). It was a bit of an epic few months, and to sum them up: I think I've finally figured out the foundation of my spiritual practice smile (No, it's not poi.)

But more on that another time. A few weeks back, after everything started falling into place, I was going through some videos from Koh Phangan. I came across a video of myself playing fire at Guys Bar, and it was much better than I thought at the time. This helped me see just how warped my perceptions were at the time, and it got me thinking about how some of the most lovable people I know go through periods of the same kind of warped self-view. I know people who are like... wood stoves. Just being near them feels good. And yet these very people go through nasty periods where they think they're no good.

It also got me thinking about how one of the things that helped me pull out of my funk was a talk I had with one of the aforementioned amazing people, who told me that he too had gone through some periods of depression. This surprised me, because I assumed he was one of those happy people who'd always had lots of love and encouragement from family and friends, so it was somehow comforting to know he had been through some of the same feelings, and yet was now so shining and confident.

...and so, that's why I made this video. I'm hoping it can offer the same kind of encouragement. Maybe that's not even the right word. Maybe it's just friendship. It's me saying to you, "one day you'll look back and realize that you actually didn't suck at all." (There's probably a better way to word that.)

Only time will tell whether these things I tapped into run as deep as I hope they do. This is the too-long-a-story-to-tell-just-now bit. To sum it up: I finally realized that I can straighten my mind out just the way I can straighten my planes out, and that to straighten either out I need to practice. I'll write more about this at a later time, after I've run some more lab tests, so to speak. I'm not sure any of it will ever apply to anyone else but me... but you're at least as awesome so I'm sure you'll figure your way as well.

Oh, and the title is a reference to the Phoenix bird, who arises out of his own ashes.

Mwah,

-Nick ubblove ubblove ubblove

"They're interdimensional fractal intelligences. That's why they wear funny shoes."


IcarusGOLD Member
member
165 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
Nick, I have been hanging round HoP for yeeears now, and we have never met. But that was a really touching post, which will, and does, mean so much to everyone here.
Firstly because you are one of the poi gods biggrin and it is nice to know that everyone feels shite sometimes.. but secondly, because everyone has masses of respect for you being you.
And if you look at the number of posts in the social discussion board on depression (and I certainly have my share in there) then you'll know that we all have a big dollop of 'artistic temperament' at times.
For someone who is so visiable in the community to express it is such a beautiful way is pretty special.
Big hugs to you - lots of these
hug hug hug
and a few of these for your new found appreciation of the self biggrin biggrin ubbrollsmile
and one of these for thinking you could ever make a bad video ubbloco

ubblove
xox

... simplify ...


MeenikSAPPHIRE Member
enthusiast
272 posts
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada


Posted:
Nice. This means you got where I was coming from.

The big thing I learned over the past six years is that self-esteem really doesn't come from the outside. Other people thinking I'm good at poi didn't help at all. There are lots of great things about the love I get from the community... but knowing that people think I'm good at poi, or even thinking I'm a good artist, really only goes so far.

What I learned, though, is that you can just self-generate self-esteem. The approach that's working for me is that every time I have a thought that resonates with me, and which I know is true or I can choose for it to be true, it goes on a list of positive thoughts. I've been going through the list every day, and taking the time to make sure I really *feel* each one, so it becomes an emotion and not just some words. This has really helped. I really have a sense that I'm somehow shaping my thinking and the nature of my mind. Not sure it will work for others but for me it seems to be working smile

How far it will go I don't know. We'll see what happens next time a girl breaks my heart wink ubbangel ubbangel ubblol ubbloco ubblove rolleyes

"They're interdimensional fractal intelligences. That's why they wear funny shoes."


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


Posted:
Thanks for that video! I was feeling pretty apathetic and tired when I watched that, but it inspired me to go out and have a really great spin; so thankx and respect and ubblove for putting it out there.

hug

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


RicheeBRONZE Member
HOP librarian
1,841 posts
Location: Prague, Czech. Republic


Posted:
You raise so fast to know about trust.



love,



:R

POI THEO(R)IST


BrokenLeavesSILVER Member
member
48 posts
Location: United Kingdom


Posted:
Thank you for such an inspirational vid...:-)...



From someone who can relate your vid gave me some kind of hope. I have regualr bouts of depression have done since I was 14, some far worse then others...and I know my self esteem is terrible...I don't like myself very much for reasons I am not even sure of and i find it so hard because of that to accept that other people like me, or that I am good at anything.....obviously their are times when i think this alot worse then othertimes...but it is still there.....



I am glad you posted this...I am going to make today a good day *nods*



Plus your spinning is amazing....one day I hope I'll be able to spin like you can...
EDITED_BY: KaiyaLeaves (1176373256)

MeenikSAPPHIRE Member
enthusiast
272 posts
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada


Posted:
Yeah, the low-self esteem thing is tough to figure out, because it can be underneath the thoughts somehow. I'm really aware of my self-esteem issues when I'm talking to girls sometimes. I'm not actively thinking negative thoughts, but if I watch my behavior and feelings, there is sort of an assumption of I-suck-so-you-don't-have-to-talk-to-me-if-you-don't-want-to-ness.

I've come a long way since I was a teenager, mind you, and also in the past few years. It was actually one of the other things that helped me pull out this winter: three years ago when I was on the same beach I was really having a hard time approaching people and women in particular, but this time I noticed that I was being quite fearless... which was nice to see, and forced me to admit that I was evolving.

Soooo... that's all part of what got me working with the morning affirmations, which I recommend at least trying. The trick is to find things you actually believe.... or are capable of believing.

...and as I keep saying, it will be a while before I can give a report on just how much this approach works for me. I'm glad people are finding some refuge in it though. That's exactly what I received so it's nice if I can pass it on ubbrollsmile

Oooh, and I am still going to get myself into cognitive behavioral therapy or something when I get the chance. I think the other trick is to keep working towards mental health even when you're feeling healthy, because it's hard to reach out once you're down.

I'm going to write a full-on story about this winter, because it was rather epic. It will include Hafiz poetry wink

"They're interdimensional fractal intelligences. That's why they wear funny shoes."


SunnySammySILVER Member
Watching the Sky
453 posts
Location: Cambridge(ish)/Bath Spa Uni, United Kingdom


Posted:
Nick, that video really cheered me up biggrin all i want to do is give you a great big hug! hug

Well, all your videos make me smile, but the message put accross was what i needed, everyone has their down days.

grouphug

sunny
I jumped into the river, what did i see?
Black-eyed angels swam with me. wink


MeenikSAPPHIRE Member
enthusiast
272 posts
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada


Posted:
bouncekiss

"They're interdimensional fractal intelligences. That's why they wear funny shoes."


RicheeBRONZE Member
HOP librarian
1,841 posts
Location: Prague, Czech. Republic


Posted:
You have a lower number, where have you been

all the time.



Where are your threads in Poi moves. Don't you

"I just learn a new trick" sometime.



lightning,



:R

POI THEO(R)IST


16.15.8GOLD Member
I can´t think therefore I´m not
291 posts
Location: In my backpack, United Kingdom


Posted:
Nick! Ivè tried to make a comment on youtube but it doesn`t come up umm

What I wanted to say was that I really liked your vid, it`s beautiful thinking and a beautiful story combined with divine spinning wink

Hope to se you soon, happy as always and I mean real happiness where the happy juices flow inside biggrin

Take care and think big, postive thoughts about yourself, look on yourself from the outside and you will see for yourself how nice you realy are.

Sounds like im a peace and a gay one wink

Love! hug

//Thomas

"I don´t like shoes, definitely not spinning with shoes, they make my feet feel flat, my feet are not flat...."


_khan_SILVER Member
old hand
768 posts
Location: San Francisco, California, USA


Posted:
Hey ya Nick! Thanks for another beautiful vid. More importantly, thanks for sharing what your inner experience has been like. I've also dealt with some self-esteem issues over the years, and I actually thought those demons had been slain but had an experience recently where I realized that they weren't. angry But I did beat them back some.

It's funny that your issues come up sometimes when you're talking to girls, because mine come up when I'm (not)(or barely) talking to boys! Beautiful and fabulous gay boys specifically, straight ones I can handle. ubblol

But you know, you were feeling down and inferior and got up and did a beautiful spin. And that's more than I managed -- I too was supposed to spin during this recent bout of lowness I had, and I couldn't get myself onstage. I went and hid in the trees. Literally. My friends went and carried on with the show while I moped in the shadows telling myself how much I suck. But you didn't let that inner-critic voice stop you!

So you sharing this vid and where you were at when it was filmed is really heartening. Thank you for that. Much love to you. hug kiss

taken out of context i must seem so strange
~ ani di franco


Gayle......!SILVER Member
Pooh-Bah
2,444 posts
Location: Bristol !!!!!!, United Kingdom


Posted:
Nick. Just watched The Beautiful thing about Ashes and i think you're really brave for putting it out there. After hanging out with you a bit at Bristol last year, i could see you were going through a bit of a rough patch. I'm glad you're starting to come out the other side. Kepp going, it sounds like what you're doing is working.

Keep that beautiful smile of yours beaming, you have no idea how much joy that brings. oh, and keep rocking!

hug

Gayle.....!


MeenikSAPPHIRE Member
enthusiast
272 posts
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada


Posted:
Khan: You're beautiful. I love you, and so would any sexy gay boy in his right mind. hug

Richee: I would spend more time on HOP if I had more time, but as it is I spend too much time on the computer, and usually doing the stuff I really need to do. Already it's too much time typing typing typing. Someday I hope to be able to interact with video, and then we can all play poi together instead of writing about it.

n ubbloco biggrin

"They're interdimensional fractal intelligences. That's why they wear funny shoes."


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


Posted:
Love you Nick...

Miss ya

Keep 'er lit indeed smile

hug

xx

Getting to the other side smile


ma'tinaBRONZE Member
multiplex
611 posts
Location: somewhere..., Germany


Posted:
"you are so much more beautiful than you think!"

thx nick, back to you,......will remember bristol and our tent whoring.......love ya .....expect ya .....found a pair of socks from ya.....miss ya...thinking of you....having fun......wish you even more .....
kiss kisses.------jasmin-------.
hug
shall we meet in greece or asia????

- Ho Sa -
kisses & peace & love to beautiful madges
*rever le temps le prendre*


simtaBRONZE Member
compfuzzled
1,182 posts
Location: hastings, England (UK)


Posted:
evne when you're feeling so down you can still spin incredibly, it doesnt matter whether you're having a bad day or a good one because when you can channel that energy into something like that its all good ubbrollsmile

pity didnt catch you when you stayed at seyes house in manchester seeing as im there pretty regularly

grouphug

"the geeks have got you" - Gayle


ShanerGOLD Member
newbie
22 posts
Location: europe, Belgium


Posted:
Amazing vid wink
The variation in speed was nice and
I really liked the elaborate use of stalls.

the video's message... it sounds like you've gone through quite a slump in attempting to achieve you're dreams. kelly's law: "murphy was an optimist."
fair play to you, keep that chin up wink

hrm, moving to europe you say,...
Fancy giving belgium a try? ubbrollsmile

if carrots made u drunk, rabbits would be pretty f***ed up


faith enfireBRONZE Member
wandering thru the woods of WI
3,556 posts
Location: Wisconsin, USA


Posted:
lovely vid and great courage to post it
hug
thank you for giving us courage too, if the great nick can feel iffy about his spinning, well then, there's hope for the rest of us smile
just remember keep pushing through bounce

Faith
Nay, whatever comes one hour was sunlit and the most high gods may not make boast of any better thing than to have watched that hour as it passed


RonopotamusGOLD Member
addict
412 posts
Location: Ireland, but floating around at the moment...


Posted:
Lovely video... not quite as good as it was live however biggrin and a great message.
Such a pleasure and inspiration to spin with you in Thailand...

Much sumopoilove

hug

Ronan

Don't bolt your door with a boiled carrot...


Kyle McLeanBRONZE Member
Living it up
363 posts
Location: Brisbane/Berlin, Australia


Posted:
Nick, you made my day with that.
I really admire your willingness to share your vulnerability.

Keep on keeping on!

PS
Did you know I was depressed when you were staying with us?
hug

Contact without dance is like sex without wiggling.
A) it does feel as good
B) it does not look as good on film


bluecatgeek, level 1
5,300 posts
Location: everywhere


Posted:
smile

thanks. makes the rest of my day seem very bland.

Holistic Spinner (I hope)


DeepSoulSheepGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,617 posts
Location: Berlin, Ireland


Posted:
Hey Nick thanks for the encouragement. It's good to remember things like this when you're flying high.

Thanks for all of your videos, for the generocity and the effort they've taken. I don't know if I ever thanked you for that.... smile

I live in a world of infinite possibilities.


jo_rhymesSILVER Member
Momma Bear
4,525 posts
Location: Telford, Shrops, United Kingdom


Posted:
Nick, I left you a comment on Youtube. Your video really touched me, made me cry in fact! It was truly beautiful hug
Thank you x

Hoppers are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.


MeenikSAPPHIRE Member
enthusiast
272 posts
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada


Posted:
Kyle: Really? You seemed so beautiful and shining smile

All of you rock my world. I wasn't sure how that video would go over. I have a bunch of ideas for bringing more meaning and depth to the videos I make... so it's great to see people are interested in story lines and gritty expression smile

Oooh, I can't wait to have a budget some day. I've got some pretty epic little scripts, but I don't want to try to produce them until I have some funds to work with. It would be so great to bring 12 people together for a couple months, and make something significant together ubbrollsmile

Love you all,

n

"They're interdimensional fractal intelligences. That's why they wear funny shoes."


.Morph.SILVER Member
addict
669 posts
Location: Lancashire, UK


Posted:
Thanks & respect. smile

PM on it's way....

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


Posted:
bounce bounce

Bring me!!! I'll come!!

I can hold your props while you swan about being a celebrity...

Hold on... that didn't sound right smile

xx

Getting to the other side smile


maiukiBRONZE Member
member
51 posts
Location: Travelling, Spain


Posted:
Did I tell you you are beautiful??¿!!!!

Lovely!! Absolutely fantastic!! that brings lots of memories,..
Lots of love and a huge teddy bear hug!! hug

Peace and Love

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