Portland Fire Poi Troupe (Come Audition!)

Ok Portland Fire Dancers, have you dreamed of being in a real professional fire troupe and be able to perform, make some extra money, and share your art with the world?

Well, here is your chance! A new project is in the works, of starting a local choreographed poi (fire) troupe! A pair of professional fire dancers who used to perform together has decided to collaborate and form a professional performance troupe!

Since the fire jam was shut down a while back, it's been harder to find good poi spinners in the area to join our troupe, and we know there's a whole new generation of poi artists who have no place to practice, and no one to practice with! So here's the deets to audition for us:

*Please read it all carefully, so you have a good idea of what this troupe is about before emailing us for an audition! We are NOT a "hobby group" and all members will be making a serious time commitment. We are going to be performing professionally, and running this troupe like a business... just like any other dance company! If you're passionate about your craft, want to become the best spinner and fire performer you can be, and have always dreamed of working for a dance company, making it big, and working with a group of dedicated individuals who have the shared common goal of going big or going home, this may be fore you!

Being in our troupe would be like a second job, and we need people who know how to be professional, and have a strong work ethic and are driven and ambitious and want success as much as we do! (so if you're just looking for a little hobby club to poi around with, this is NOT that! We're on a whole different level =) We will be getting talent agents, doing promotional videos, advertising and marketing ourselves, possibly entering competitions, all in an attempt to get noticed and make something of ourselves and make a career out of what we love to do!

We need people who can take direction well, do not give up easily, and know how to push themselves and follow through on commitments (we also realize this will be a relatively small number of those few special individuals who have what it takes and really want this! Those are who we are looking for!)

**If this is something you'd be interested in, and have the time to dedicate to this project, please contact us via email at: g1v34cr4p@gmail.com ...as soon as possible, as auditions can be scheduled thru June only, but the sooner the better, cuz we'll likely have a couple of call backs & a group fire audition toward the end of June for all, so we need our list of worthy candidates by then!

Please save all the info herein so you have a good idea of what we're looking for, how to prepare, what some of our basic rules are, the time commitment involved, and our overall goals. Yes it will include a serious time commitment, weekly practices & troupe meetings, performances around the area, and some good ole fashioned hard work!... but fun too! In our beginning stages, there will be much to do and all troupe members will be taking on some additional non-dance responsibilities like making fliers, making costumes, taking out ads, sending letters, etc.

We want goal-oriented people with talent and a good positive work ethic. We run practices much like a typical "dance class-style format," so those who've had dance lessons before will know what to expect with doing something over & over till its right... & not giving up on yourself! That's the kind of work ethic we need!

It'll be lots of fun, but we need people who know how to put the effort in too, so lazy people need not apply! Flakey people who can never seem to be on time or have a problem keeping long term commitments and doing the "not-so-fun" stuff right along with the fun stuff, need not apply. Fun doesn't book gigs! Fun doesn't get a talent management company, and sponsors to back you to make a name for yourself! Fun doesn't take a talented dancer & turn them into the best dancer they can be! (well ok it helps, Lol) =) But if that sounds like fun to you (and is your dream and goal to make something of yourself in the fire arts), and you enjoy the creative process like we do, then you just may be who we're looking for! =) And yes we DO have tons of fun in the process.

We need about 4-5 more good poi spinners who (hopefully) have some dance & performing experience (even if it was ballet lessons as a kid). You do NOT have to be the absolute best poi spinner in the world to make this troupe! Skills can be learned, but a bad attitude cannot be unlearned! Lol But we do need all members to have their basic skills solid & be willing to take on some additional 1-on-1 lessons with our coaches if need be to get up to speed with the rest... since we know skills will vary.

We realize the list of moves will vary greatly between spinners, so we won't post a big long list here. We do NOT need egos or people who want to run the show... we already have those, & they run a tight ship! (but did I mention a fun one too?!)

Our troupe will focus on actual choreographed routines, so the ability to spin keeping a beat to the music in the typical 8-count dance style way is necessary... although we will work with new members on this. It takes a lot of practice to be able to spin in sync with the other spinners. Since our focus is on becoming one of the 1st choreographed poi troupes with memorized tight routines, we understand that the skill level with some spinners may be more basic in that style, than they could normally do in their own style & that's ok. Our goal is for for a unique in-sync style & making exciting theatrical performances that can rival a Vegas show! We want a troupe that can grow together.

Practices in the beginning maybe up to 2-3 per week depending, with some individuals getting additional 1-on-1 lessons working with one of our captains, as of course skill level may vary. As long as a member is committed to training, its a great opportunity for some free training to become a better spinner, which is an added benefit of working with a group.

In a group setting, we firmly believe that egos get checked at the door! There is no "i" in Team & this will be a team effort.

Fire competency is needed by all members! So you'll already need to be able to work with fire and have some solid fire safety training! We will probably be doing both fire and glow poi effects depending on the gig and what those who hire us want! But we will focus mostly on fire performances and are working with the local fire dept regarding the permits and working closely with them.

Auditions will involve possibly a couple call-backs & be conducted just like any other dance team audition. Each auditioning person will need to contact us for the paperwork of what they'll need to know (just in general), and need to come with their own gear. Since we aren't rich, each member, upon being accepted must have their own gear, and our team has a list of what gear members will need for practice equipment, fire equipment, safety equipment, and dress.

*People who can sew and have experience with costume making or other marketable skills that could be an asset to the troupe will get some MAJOR brownie points, cuz we also need to make costumes! So if you can sew & have a sewing machine, let us know!

All member will be required to go through our fire safety training, which all members are required to show competency in. We also need 2-3 people who can do safety for us at practices and performances. We may offer those positions to auditioners who may not quite be ready but have potential, and those who do safety for 1 season may be added to the team the following season (and also get free lessons), and probably also serve as understudies in case of injury or illness if another regular member is unable to perform.

Send us an email inquiry if interested, asap (cuz we're already behind & need to find people asap), & tell us what experience you have with poi, performing with fire, age, and a little bit about yourself. & we'll send you our packet of info which includes our Audition Process, List of Required Gear (for those who make the troupe), Team Member Rules, & all that good stuff, as well as answer any questions you may have. =)

We are big on unity and tolerance when it comes to diversity. We expect all members to attend all practices, business meetings, performances, etc. & NO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL GUYS!!! and that they can abide by them. New members will attend a team meeting to cover all things in their contracts. Please Note: *If you are already performing for pay on your own or with another troupe, then we'll need to know that when you email us to inquire about an audition!

Pay: Members will be paid an equal share of what is made from performances, but it will take months to be performance ready (which is not paid), and there will likely be a lot more time and effort put in than members are compensated for in the beginning months, but we hope in the near future we'll be making bank! But we are NOT promising pay as of now, since there is much to be done, which is why those who audition should be passionate about sincerely loving poi and fire performing! We will be doing fundraisers to get the funds for costumes, etc. and have some plans that should help get things rolling, but please keep that in mind. Obviously its gonna take a few months of training before we start doing performances, which will be based on when the captains and troupe owners feel the troupe is ready to perform and after a lot of hard work by everyone! (kinda like working in the theatre, Lol). And in the beginning there will be a lot of practices, mandatory meetings, costume making, etc., that will be unpaid mandatory things all members must pull their weight with. So we want people who are passionate about poi and fire dancing cuz the money in the beginning will not likely seem worth the effort put in if you don't love what you're doing. But also the long term benefits of building an actual career doing something we love is a goal, and over time this troupe will be making regular money... but if you're wanting to be in it just for the money and not the fun, the sense of accomplishment, the free training, and getting turned into the best spinner and dancer you can be, then this may not be for you! If you are unfamiliar with what its like working in a professional dance company, then this may be something you want to research a bit, cuz this is how we are running things! So the free training is part of the benefit members will get... not to mention belonging to a family that becomes very close!

Chances are there will be much more time & effort put in by all members (especially the captains) than you are compensated for, but with any luck, within a few months there will be weekly paid gigs at weddings, events, clubs...wherev we can find! And this is also where a talent agent can help too... book more gigs & make more money! *This and all other important things will be discussed at the 1st team meeting with those who've made the troupe after the audition process is finished.

And since this is a professional troupe, we will be seeking professional talent management, which may also have their own rules the troupe members must adhere to... but as of now, we are self-managing, so we make our own costumes, choreograph our own routines (primarily the captain's jobs), do our own safety, place our own ads, get our own fire permits, etc. Duties for all this stuff will be the responsibility of the team as a whole.

Practices with fire will require a fire permit in the City of Portland or Gresham, which we are working with the local fire dept. to obtain on an ongoing basis, and will likely require us to pass some safety inspections and take at least 1 community fire safety class held by the local fire dept. But for those who want more fire practice, this will be an excellent opportunity to do just that, since the permit will be just for our closed team practices, which will likely be at a park and/or local rec center in Gresham.

Members must be able to get their own transportation to and from all practices & meetings & other mandatory stuff, which will likely be on weekends and evenings since many have jobs. We do our best to ensure our practice times/days can accommodate everyone's schedules.

One thing we should note: Members will all be under a contract which will have certain rules and guidelines all members must adhere to, and this will be the same type of professional performer contract that most in the business have, and may require following healthy lifestyles and recommended personalized training regimens... just like a Hollywood celeb would have! So like we said, this is a serious business venture and a 2nd job! Most professionals in the performing arts are under a contract, and undergo media training, just like our troupe will also have. We realize this can seem a lot to digest, and can seem intimidating. But for those who have been professional actors or models, it will seem normal and something they'd expect. This is also why we strongly urge people who audition to really think about if this is a career path they want to choose, as once you are in our troupe, we expect you to share our common goal and want this as a career for yourself... which always comes with certain sacrifices like being under a contract. Its not as scary as it seems for most people who are able to follow basic rules and are driven for success! Your pay, responsibilities, and rules will be outlined in this contract and everyone will have to sign the same exact contract, even senior members. But this also means being in our troupe comes with certain privileges that most would look forward to. So don't let that part scare you off! =)

Also the team fire permit will be for only certain days & times, and only for our designated practice location (which we hope will be a park near the fire dept which will make them very happy), and we will have to abide by the terms of our team practice permit, cuz they will likely do a lot of impromptu inspections until trust and responsibility has been established... considering the fact that the last ongoing fire jam was unfortunately shut down for lack of ensuring fire safety regulations were respected. So we'll have to earn their trust back. But as of now, the local fire dept is working closely with us to make this possible, and are willing to make this possible.

For the most part, children will have to be left at home for safety reasons. But if this is something that may cause an issue, then please let us know so we can work with you, as we don't want having children to keep a talented spinner from being able to join our troupe!

Auditions: will be done individually at private times determined between you and the captain conducting your audition. You will need to bring all of your gear (practice and fire equipment, safety equipment, and come dressed for practice.... so please no high heels! Wear workout close like you would in any dance class! Approved practice garb will be discussed before the 1st practice for anyone needing to get the right clothes). The 1st audition will be non-fire and you'll need to come prepared with a choreographed routine of yoru own making (so please don't forget to bring your own music too!). But we wanna see all of your equipment so we know who may need different fire equipment as the team must all have roughly the same type of gear. For the most part, homemade gear will not be suitable beyond your audition. But HoP offers a lot of well made, safe fire gear & will likely be our main supplier. For performances the team will obviously need to have the same stuff or it won't look uniform. But for your audition, use the practice poi you are most comfortable with (but bring the rest, cuz per our permit, all fire equipment is subject to weekly safety inspections too). We'll wanna see your routine showcase all of your best skills & full range of them too... so plan to include all your moves as best as you can. We want them choreographed so we can see your skills at remembering and performing the same moves with the same accuracy over again... rather than just "flow-style" where you make them up as you go.... remember we are a choreographed team so the ability to also learn choreography is a must.

Next we'll teach you a short routine step-by-step to see how well you can pick up the moves and then remember them to show us. During this part, we'll be judging you on accuracy! So we wanna see clean routines with as few mistakes as possible & no deviation from what we taught you! Like we said, this will all be done on practice poi (no fire, cuz we're not stupid or mean! Lol). We will then put you through your paces testing spinners on a bunch of variations and moves to see exactly where each person is at skill-wise and what they may need to learn to be up to speed with the rest of the team by the 1st practice. Some may need to come to a few 1-on-1 sessions if there are a few of our team's basic moves or combinations that need to be learned before 1st practice. But don't worry, we expect a lot of variation on skills, and like we said, we aren't expecting you to be as good as Nick or Yuta to make this team.

Likely we will test your ability to learn and see how quickly you pick up new moves and simple combinations, and then each will have a private interview going over yoru previous experience, your own practice regimen, lifestyle, schedule, etc. So we can get to know you better and know how you learn. We'll discuss if you have an previous dance experience, how long you've been spinning poi, what other fire skills you may have that could be useful to the team (like if you know staff, or fans, or can make costumes, etc).

We will be filming all auditions for private review later when we make cuts. But all videos will be kept private just for the captains to review when making cuts. None will ever be used or posted anywhere! So no worries, we believe in respecting your privacy! If you've done any professional fire dancing in the past and have videos of past performances, please bring them, or send them to us when you email us about audition.

The list of cuts will be emailed to all within a couple weeks after finishing the 1st round of auditions, then we'll call back those who made it through the 1st round of cuts back for a group fire audition, which will be like the 1st, so you'll need to come with another routine. Routines do not have to be long. 1 song length is fine. But at least 1/2 of a song at minimum. You do not have to be a wonderful choreographer to show us all of your best skills.

So if you are willing to accept those terms (pretty standard for any professional dance company), and want to eventually be able to make a living with your passion, then send us an email to set up an audition. We need your creativity and talent to make this team great! And since we have done this before on a smaller scale, we have a pretty good idea of what all is involved in running a professional dance troupe... which is a lot of hard work for the captains!

So we need positive attitudes, health-conscious people, who are driven and goal oriented!

Now we realize that all of this may sound a bit intimidating, but we assure you its a lot easier than it sounds! We're only providing all the lil details here just to give you a good idea of what we do, and what we're looking for, and what to expect if you get a spot on our troupe! We know rules tend to turn some people off, but remember that everyone (not just you) has to follow them in order for this business venture to be successful. Also for any performance group looking to make money and a name for themselves, it takes time and dedication, and so this is partially to ward off any flakes too. =) Lol

If you are sincerely wanting to become a professional fire performer and this is your dream, then we will turn you into the best fire performer you can be!!!

We are good at what we do. We work hard, but we also have a lot of fun. We'll be raising our own money through fundraisers and likely becoming very close with each other. Chances are. you will find that the other members are your best friends... they will stand by you, help you, support you, push you to better yourself, work out with you, help you keep a positive attitude when things seem hard, and be the best experience of your life if you are dedicated to making a commitment. We are a family & family means no one gets left behind! If you want a chance to be a part of our lil fire family, email us with the info above and a lil about yourself and why you want to join a troupe, and we'll send you the info and set up an audition for you.

Auditions can be scheduled 1-on-1 with you and one of our captains at pretty much anytime over the next month (with a few days advance notice of course), at which time we'll probably have all the people we need.

You Must be 21! Must be willing to make this a goal and commit yourself to really going for it! =)

*If there is anything in this info that you fear may be difficult for you, like obtaining the needed gear if you make it on the team (which you don't have to go out and purchase till AFTER the auditions btw), or childcare, or not having performed in a long time, or whatev, let us know, so we can try to work around it. Likely though, we will not work around drug/alcohol issues though, as we expect ALL members to be absolutely sober for all practices, meetings, performances, promotional events, interviews, etc. (*the troupe contract may also have additional stipulations on abstaining from a hard partying life, where drunken bar brawls will not reflect well on the troupe as a whole!)

We have a lot of fun, and grow in our craft together, and help each other, so we hope to encourage all local fire performers to audition for our troupe.

*We are mainly a poi only troupe, so all members will need to be confident in their poi skills as this is a must and the basis for our performances (synchronized fire poi), but if you also do other things like staff, juggling, etc, please let us know as this can only be an asset, as you never know what we might add during our creative process! (But if you expect to be able to "all staff, all the time" this is not what we're about... just so you know, you cannot audition with a staff or any other routine! If you don't know poi, then this is not the troupe for you... which I think I've made pretty clear now)

*Also if you are inquiring about an audition, please also copy/paste this ad into a blank doc to save as it has a lot of the info you'll need for your audition & we hate to have to do more work to resend it to someone later when they could've just save this. Lol =)

*There is no official one date/time for the auditions, other than we are reserving all of June for those who wish to audition, and the sooner the better in terms of your chances of still having spots open!

Auditions will be conducted 1-on-1 privately between just you and 1 of the captains for the 1st round, then toward the end of the month we will announce a group call back audition for testing fire competency, at our own discretion as needed. But for the 1st audition, you will need to contact us to schedule a time/date (& so we can get to know a lil about you too)... keeping in mind how long you personally think you will need to make up your own audition routine to show us! =) Also brush up on all of your poi skills as we will test each to see what they know & what they need to learn.

*This audition is open to intermediate-to-advanced poi spinners 21 & older. If you are still a beginner, provided you are competent in fire skills and have the gear needed to audition (a good set of practice poi, & a good set of fire poi & the safety equipment that is outlined in HoP's Fire Safety for Backyard Twirlers free dvd... cuz thats what we go buy in terms of what you'll need to own & be able to do) you can still contact us even if you are new to poi. But give us a very detailed idea of what you do know thus far, and how long you've been spinning for, etc. =) We may still grant an audition to a beginner depending, cuz when it comes to the arts, you never know where you'll find raw talent! =)

Yes its a big undertaking with a lot to commit to, and we realize that won't be for everybody. Buts its those special few who know what to expect and what it will take that we want! And yes it seems like a lot to process, but if this is truly your dream, then you won't find it without making that commitment to just go for it! So if you want that dream, then here is your chance![size:14pt][/size]

Email inquiries for auditions as soon as possible to: g1v34cr4p@gmail.com (*please no solicitation or spam, as we report it all)

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