As I have
mentioned before, I’m one of the vice presidents of Fire Arts, Lewis &
Clark’s fire spinning club. We meet
twice a week for 1-2 hours practicing with all manner of props. As every new member joins they start out by
learning fire knife or poi. A fire knife
is basically a dull blade the length of a machete with a handle about as long
as your arm and fire on both ends. While
poi are two balls of fire attached to a small length of string.
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| Fire fans |
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| Staff |
From there
members diversify into many different props.
I use the staff (fire on both ends of a stick) and rope dart (fire on
the end of a long rope). Other members
also use fans, a hula hoop, batons, machetes, a dragon staff (a shorter staff
with lengths of wire holding mini balls of fire out perpendicular to the
staff), and juggling rods.
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| Fire knife |
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| Staff |
Each
semester we will have at least one show. In addition to that show, during the spring
semester we also perform at the Luau the Hawaii club puts together every
year. It’s not confirmed yet, but this
year we are considering a Disney theme for the show we run. It has been fun watching everyone come up
with their favorite Disney songs. In
some cases we have insisted that they go home and watch movies that they have
missed. It’s a lot of fun, we all get
along well and when we’re not lighting things on fire we’ll hang around joking.
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| Fire knife |
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| Rope dart |
Any
questions? Feel free to send me an email
at ameliaberle@lclark.edu
