About Fire Dancing
An urban fire dance
A fireknife dancer with a fire knife
A fire dancer spinning poi consisting of lit wire wool inchicken wire cages, dipped first in paraffin. Long-exposure photography captures the trails created by sparks. While spectacular, this act is particularly dangerous to both the artist and the audience.
Spinning fire dancers of Udaipur perform traditional dance.
Fire dancer with a torch
Fire dancing (also known as fire twirling, fire spinning, fire performance, or fire manipulation) is a group of performance arts or disciplines that involve manipulation of objects on fire. Typically these objects have one or more bundles of wicking, which are soaked in fuel and ignited.
Some of these disciplines are related to juggling or baton twirling (both forms of object manipulation), and there is also an affinity between fire dancing and rhythmic gymnastics. Firedancing is often performed to music. Fire dancing has been a traditional part of cultures from around the world, and modern fire performance often includes visual and stylistic elements from many traditions.
Fire dancing is a very dangerous performance art, and fire safety precautions should always be taken.
Contents
1 Fire apparatuses
1.1 Materials and construction
1.2 Important factors in equipment construction
1.3 Fuels
1.4 Safety
2 History
3 Modern developments in fire performance
4 Fire arts education
5 See also
6 External links
7 References
[edit]Fire apparatusesThe various tools used by the fire performance community borrow from a variety of sources. Many have martial sources like swords, staves, and whips, where some seem specifically designed for the fire community. The use of these tools is limited only by the imagination of their users. Some tools lend themselves to rhythmic swinging and twirling, others to martial kata, and others to more subtle use. Some common tools are:
Poi - A pair of roughly arm-length chains with handles attached to one end, and bundle of wicking material on the other.
Staff - A metal or wooden tube ranging from 1-2 meters long with wicking material applied to one or both ends. Staffs are typically used individually or in pairs. juggling three or more is also possible.
Fire hoop - hoop with spokes and wicking material attached.
Fans - A large metal fan with one or more wicks attached to the edges.
Fire umbrella - an umbrella-like performance prop that can be constructed in a variety of ways.
Fire meteor - A long length of chain or rope with wicks, or small bowls of liquid fuel, attached to both ends.
Nunchaku - Nunchaku with wicking material, usually at either end.
Batons
Fire stick - Like a traditional devil stick, with wicks on both ends of the central stick.
Torch - A short club or torch, with a wick on one end, and swung like Indian clubs or tossed end-over-end like juggling clubs.
Fire-knives - Short staves with blades attached to the ends and wicking material applied to the blade. Fireknives are the traditional Polynesian fire implement and have been in use since the 1940s.
Fire rope dart - A wick, sometimes wrapped around a steel spike, at the end of a rope or chain ranging from 6--15 feet long, with a ring or other handle on the opposite end.
Fire sword - either a real sword modified for fire, or one specifically built for the purpose of fire shows.
Chi ball/Fire orb - 2 rings or handles with a wick attached between them by a thin wire.
Finger wands - Short torches attached to individual fingers.
Palm torches - Small torches with a flat base meant to be held upright in the palm of the hand.
Fire hip belt - A motorcycle chain belt with five spokes extending at equal intervals with wicking on the ends.
Fire whips - Lengths of braided aramid fiber tapered to make a bullwhip, usually with a metal handle about 12 inches long.
Fire ropes/snakes - Similar to poi, but has a short 3-5 inch chain attaching the handles to a 12 inch or longer kevlar rope.
Fire jump rope - A jump rope made of kevlar.
An urban fire dance
A fireknife dancer with a fire knife
A fire dancer spinning poi consisting of lit wire wool inchicken wire cages, dipped first in paraffin. Long-exposure photography captures the trails created by sparks. While spectacular, this act is particularly dangerous to both the artist and the audience.
Spinning fire dancers of Udaipur perform traditional dance.
Fire dancer with a torch
Fire dancing (also known as fire twirling, fire spinning, fire performance, or fire manipulation) is a group of performance arts or disciplines that involve manipulation of objects on fire. Typically these objects have one or more bundles of wicking, which are soaked in fuel and ignited.
Some of these disciplines are related to juggling or baton twirling (both forms of object manipulation), and there is also an affinity between fire dancing and rhythmic gymnastics. Firedancing is often performed to music. Fire dancing has been a traditional part of cultures from around the world, and modern fire performance often includes visual and stylistic elements from many traditions.
Fire dancing is a very dangerous performance art, and fire safety precautions should always be taken.
Contents
1 Fire apparatuses
1.1 Materials and construction
1.2 Important factors in equipment construction
1.3 Fuels
1.4 Safety
2 History
3 Modern developments in fire performance
4 Fire arts education
5 See also
6 External links
7 References
[edit]Fire apparatusesThe various tools used by the fire performance community borrow from a variety of sources. Many have martial sources like swords, staves, and whips, where some seem specifically designed for the fire community. The use of these tools is limited only by the imagination of their users. Some tools lend themselves to rhythmic swinging and twirling, others to martial kata, and others to more subtle use. Some common tools are:
Poi - A pair of roughly arm-length chains with handles attached to one end, and bundle of wicking material on the other.
Staff - A metal or wooden tube ranging from 1-2 meters long with wicking material applied to one or both ends. Staffs are typically used individually or in pairs. juggling three or more is also possible.
Fire hoop - hoop with spokes and wicking material attached.
Fans - A large metal fan with one or more wicks attached to the edges.
Fire umbrella - an umbrella-like performance prop that can be constructed in a variety of ways.
Fire meteor - A long length of chain or rope with wicks, or small bowls of liquid fuel, attached to both ends.
Nunchaku - Nunchaku with wicking material, usually at either end.
Batons
Fire stick - Like a traditional devil stick, with wicks on both ends of the central stick.
Torch - A short club or torch, with a wick on one end, and swung like Indian clubs or tossed end-over-end like juggling clubs.
Fire-knives - Short staves with blades attached to the ends and wicking material applied to the blade. Fireknives are the traditional Polynesian fire implement and have been in use since the 1940s.
Fire rope dart - A wick, sometimes wrapped around a steel spike, at the end of a rope or chain ranging from 6--15 feet long, with a ring or other handle on the opposite end.
Fire sword - either a real sword modified for fire, or one specifically built for the purpose of fire shows.
Chi ball/Fire orb - 2 rings or handles with a wick attached between them by a thin wire.
Finger wands - Short torches attached to individual fingers.
Palm torches - Small torches with a flat base meant to be held upright in the palm of the hand.
Fire hip belt - A motorcycle chain belt with five spokes extending at equal intervals with wicking on the ends.
Fire whips - Lengths of braided aramid fiber tapered to make a bullwhip, usually with a metal handle about 12 inches long.
Fire ropes/snakes - Similar to poi, but has a short 3-5 inch chain attaching the handles to a 12 inch or longer kevlar rope.
Fire jump rope - A jump rope made of kevlar.
