Description

Learning poi is like learning a language. Not only will this class teach you some common “phrases” (moves) to start with, it will also teach you the “phonetics” (fundamental exercises) that will make it easy to master moves and integrating them into flow and dance. We'll explore how to attain clean controlled spinning, how to keep your rhythm, and how to turn with your poi freely, without getting disoriented.

Some things we'll explore in this class:

• Be a conscious observer, but let your body figure it out!
• Making gravity your partner:
  • Circles on the floor
  • Pendulums
  • Vertical spin: Up-swing & Down-swing
• Imaginary walls & spinning on clean planes:
  • Circles on the wall
  • Plane Facings: walking around the wall
  • The Corridor
• Turning with poi:
  • Train wheels roll the same way down the tracks
  • Turning forwards to reverse and vice versa
  • Catch a wave - turning wall to wall with up or down swings
  • The 4 cardinal directions
• Footwork:
  • Front-side and back-side pivots
  • Continuous alternating pivots
  • Spotting to ward off dizziness
• Figure 8’s & Cross-points
  • Cross-points are your targets
  • Cross-overs and Chases

Description

What is even more fun than spinning poi? Spinning poi with a partner! In this workshop, we will learn how to share space and interlocking poi patterns with a partner. Come ready to collaborate with other participants. Bring your friends!

Some things we'll explore in this class:

• Choosing roles:
  • Communication is key!
  • Who will keep time?
  • Who is the initiator?
• Partner Timing & Direction Modes:
  • Focus points
  • Tunneling
  • Personal and partner timing modes
  • Stalling in each other's space
• Interlocking poi:
  • Sharing a 3-beat weave
  • 4-beat cross-stance weave
• Stances and Footwork are the foundation:
  • Single column stances
  • Offset stances
  • Brigzags
  • Turning past each other
  • Partner reels
  • Folding stances

Description

In part 2 we continue to learn more "phrases" and "phonetics", and we delve deeper into how "poi grammar" works. We explore effective body movement, precision and symmetry, wile reaching for the extents of our spinning bubble.

Some things we'll explore in this class:

• 4 basic modes of timing & direction:
  • Together & split
  • Same & opposite directions
• Focus Points:
  • The central focus point is the center of your spinning universe
  • 4 focus points around the clock
• Plane Control:
  • Saloon doors
  • Range of motion - push the poi towards your focus points
• Economy of motion:
  • "Jiggies" - use your body to drive the poi
  • Move your cross-points around the clock
  • Vitruvian Man Jiggie
• Reels and carries:
  • Shoulder & hip reels
  • Whirling with reels
• Moments of transition - which snapshots look the same?
• A glimpse of flowers

Description

This class will cover a variety of applied techiques while emphasizing how to add graceful movement and flow to technical spinning.

Stall Chasers, Snakes, Body Tracing, and the other techniques we'll cover lend themselves to merging geometric spinning with body contouring and expressive movement.

Some things we'll explore in this class:

• Stall Chasers
  • Stalls that flirt with gravity: Stall Drags & Follow Stalls
  • Breaking down the classic hand to hand Stall Chaser
  • Greg Maldonado inspired hand to poi Stall Chaser
  • Kate McCoy inspired opposite direction Stall Chaser
  • Turning 'Chasers
  • 'Chaser Combos
• Body Tracing
  • Archer Traces
  • Crosser Extension
  • 4x4 Trace
  • Classic fountain Trace
  • Elliptical fountain
• Snakes with poi
  • Snaking over or under, front or back
  • Tracing Snakes in, out, up, or down
  • Simultaneous split-same Snakes
  • Split-opposite Snakes
  • G's together-same Tracing Snakes
  • Split-same Snake hybrid