Upcoming Fire Poi, Staff and Hula Hoop Workshops

Photo courtesy of Edward Arriola

Members of Elemental Artistry have been teaching professionally for several years. Workshops and lessons are available by design for poi, staff, belly-dancing, fire-eating, fire-breathing, and more. Additionally, Elemental Artistry often arranges workshops taught by professionals with other skill sets. Contact us, now, to arrange a workshops or lesson with us, check with out on-going lessons and workshops, below.

Upcoming Workshops:

Poi and Staff Class

 Photo courtesy of Dan Stein from Dan Stein Photography

In this 90 minute weekly month long class students will have the opportunity to learn/practice poi and/or staff. Course taught by Michelle Baas of Elemental Artistry. Course is $50 pre-paid or $15 drop-in or paid the day of.

Sundays 9-10:30am Beginning November 7th, ending December 5, skipping Thanksgiving week. Classes are held at the Dance Loft at 620 E 19th Street., Suite 150

Hoop Dance

Learn to hoop with expert instruction from Stephanie C of Orbital Evolution: Tucson's Modern Hoop Troupe. This class will teach basic and intermediate level hula hoop tricks and combinations. Classes are offered in a 4 week session on Sunday mornings from 9-10:00 or Thursday evenings from 5:30-6:30. The 4 week series is $45 if pre-paid at least 7 days before the class begins, $15 drop-in or $55 for the session if paid the first day of class. Pre-pay now for the Adult January series!

Adults: January 9-30, Sundays 9-10 am and Thursday February 10-March 3, 5:30-6:30pm
Kids: Sunday February 12-March 5 9-10am

Classes are held at the Dance Loft at 620 E 19th Street., Suite 150

Poi Spinning

 

The ancient art of poi spinning is a beautiful art and dance form with or without fire. Learn basic tricks and techniques with World Champion dancer Michelle Baas of Elemental Artistry. This class will teach you to spin poi and dance with your prop to take your performance to the next level. The class is open to beginning and intermediate level students. Classes are offered in a 4 week session on Sunday mornings from 9-10:00 or Thursday evenings from 5:30-6:30. The 4 week series is $45 if pre-paid at least 7 days before the class begins, $15 drop-in or $55 for the session if paid the first day of class. Pre-pay now for the Adult January series!


Adults: January 13-February 3 Thursdays at 5:30-6:30pm and Sundays March 6-27 9-10am
Kids: March 10-31 Thursdays 5:50-6:30pm

Classes are held at the Dance Loft at 620 E 19th Street., Suite 150

Staff/Baton Twirling

Staff and/or baton twirling is a unique and fun art form. Combining traditional movements of the Polynesian cultures with modern techniques of contact staff and competitive baton twirling this class will be like none other. Taught by Michelle Baas of Elemental Artistry who holds two gold medals in baton twirling. Michelle's teaching style is fun and lively with a focus on success and self expression for each student. Classes are offered in a 4 week session on Sunday mornings from 9-10:00 or Thursday evenings from 5:30-6:30. The 4 week series is $45 if pre-paid at least 7 days before the class begins, $15 drop-in or $55 for the session if paid the first day of class.

Adults: February 6-27 Sundays 9-10am and Thursdays March 10-315:30-6:30pm
Kids (baton): April 3-may 1 (skipping Easter) Sundays 9-10am

Classes are held at the Dance Loft at 620 E 19th Street., Suite 150

Intermediate Staff Workshop

Intermediate Staff We will expand on our knowledge of basic twirls, turns, and transitions. We will explore more variations of contact juggling and build off of the tricks that we learned in the beginning series. We will become more familiar with tosses and introduce a few new styles of catching the staff.

As always I will begin with a warm up exercise and review all the material at the end of class. We will work on sequencing the tricks together to help you groove on your own as well. Registration information available at eafire.ning.com. If you need a staff please visit www.firemecca.com

Instructor: Michelle Baas

Duration: 4 week class, Sunday mornings 2/13-3/6/10 10:30am- 11:30am

Location: Fire Mecca 2417 E Calle Joya de Ventura

Cost: The full 4-week class is $45 dollars if paid before February 1, after February 1 or at the door the cost will be $50, or 15 dollars per class drop-in. Credit Card, PayPal, and cash are accepted as pre-payment, or cash at first class. Pay now to guarantee a seat!

To register click here:

Or go to the Elemental Artistry forum to find out more about other classes, workshops and performances.

Elemental Artistry Forum

Beginning Poi Level 2 Workshop with Matthew Johnson

This is a fun and challenging class which expands on basic poi technique. You will learn new tricks and have additional assistance in managing your planes, basic technique and transitions. If you've spun poi in the past and haven't picked them up for a while, or have been learning the basics at home this class is perfect for you. You don't need to have taken a formal class with us in the past.

During this poi workshop students will build on these basic concepts plus learn additional techniques in:

Basic poi theory

1. understanding the planes around your body, orienting your body and your poi around/ within those planes.

2. the rhythm of the poi and counting the beats of the circles

Basic poi tricks such as:

1. the butterfly

2. weave

3. windmill

4. corkscrew

5. low wave

6. more basic butterfly variations

7. turning

8. stalling

9. basic transitions

10. putting it altogether for a nice flow.

Instructor: Matthew Johnson

Duration: 4 week class, Wednesday Nights 2/17-3/9 6:15-7:15pm

Location: Fire Mecca 2417 E Calle Joya de Ventura

Cost: The full 4-week class is 45 dollars if paid before February 10, after February 10 or at the door the cost will be $50, or 15 dollars per class drop-in. Credit Card, PayPal, and cash are accepted as pre-payment, or cash at first class. Pay now to guarantee a seat!

Beginning Poi Workshop with Matthew Johnson

This is a fun and challenging class which teaches basic Poi technique. This is a great place to start if you've always wanted to dance with fire poi, glow sticks or flags.

During this beginning poi workshop students will learn:

Basic poi theory

1. understanding the planes around your body, orienting your body and your poi around/ within those planes.

2. the rhythm of the poi and counting the beats of the circles

Basic poi tricks such as:

1. the butterfly

2. weave

3. windmill

4. corkscrew

5. low wave

6. more basic butterfly variations

7. turning

8. stalling

9. basic transitions

10. putting it altogether for a nice flow.

During class each student will need a set of poi for class and practice. We recommend www.FireMecca.com. For your first set of poi Practice Poi are a good choice, or glow poi. If you need help picking out your poi, please do not hesitate to ask.

Scheduled Instructor: Matthew Johnson

Duration: 4 week class- Wednesday Evenings 2/17-3/9, 7:30pm- 8:30pm.

Location: Fire Mecca 2417 E calle Joya de Ventura, Tucson 85706

Cost: The full 4-week class is $45 dollars if paid before February 10, after February 10 or at the door the cost will be $50, or $15 dollars per class drop-in. Credit Card, PayPal, and cash are accepted as pre-payment, or cash at first class. Pay now to guarantee a seat!

To register please click here:

Elemental Artistry Beginning Poi class

Beginning Fire Poi Workshop September 13- October 4

Click HERE to register
This is a fun and challenging class which teaches basic Poi technique. This is a great place to start if you've always wanted to dance with fire poi, glow sticks or flags.

During this workshop students will learn:

Basic poi theory
1. understanding the planes around your body, orienting your body and your poi around/ within those planes.
2. the rhythm of the poi and counting the beats of the circles

Basic poi tricks such as:
1. the butterfly
2. weave
3. windmill
4. corkscrew
5. low wave
6. more basic butterfly variations
7. turning
8. stalling
9. basic transitions
10. putting it altogether for a nice flow.

Click HERE to register

Instructor: Michelle Baas
Duration: 4 week class, Sundays September 13-October 4, 2009 10:30-11:30am.
Cost: The full 4-week class is 40 dollars if paid before September 6th, after September 6th or at the door the cost will be $45, or 15 dollars per class drop-in. Credit Card, PayPal, and cash are accepted as pre-payment, or cash at first class. Pay now to guarantee a seat!
Location: Classes held at the Parasol Project located in the Lost Barrio in central Tucson. 299 S Park Ave, Tucson 18519

Each student will need a set of poi for practice and to use during class. If you are interested in moving into fire performance attending the Cathedral Fire Poi making workshop is a good place to start. The workshop is the night of the first class, we will have extra available for students taking the workshop as they will not have their poi ready the morning of the first class. If you want to purchase fire, glow or practice poi, please visit www.FireMecca.com

Click HERE to register

Fire Eating and "Fleshing" Workshop Sundays August 16th and 23rd

This workshop will teach the basics of Fire Eating and "Fleshing" (aka transfers.)
The first class will include fire safety and fuel education then the basics of fire eating. The second class will give students an opportunity to perfect their fire eating skills and learn the basics of transfers.
The class is perfect for bellydancers, burlesque performers, fire spinners, or performance enthusiasts. No previous fire performance experience is necessary.

Your tuition includes a torch and fuel container for you to keep for practice and performance.

Registration must be completed by August 10th to ensure materials are ready for you during the workshop.

Instructor: Eddie Arriola
Duration: Sunday August 16 7-8:30pm, Sunday August 23 7-8pm
Cost: $60 per student, must be paid online via paypal by August 10th. This price includes your tuition for the class and your own torch and fuel container which you keep for performance and practice in the future.

Open Fire Dancing Auditions for Elemental Artistry

Come Join Our Fire Dancing Troupe!

Check out some videos of our troupe Elemental Artistry Videos

Elemental Artistry will be auditioning for fire performers for the Tucson Celtic Festival and performance opportunities during the 2009-2010 season.

Auditions will be held Sunday September 13th from 9am-10:15am at the Parasol Project.

Each person will have a 10 minute "interview." Please prepare 3-4 minutes of performance with fire, then you will sit down with the Elemental Artistry management team to discuss your goals and background as a performer. If you can perform with more than one prop, please include this in your audition. For example, 2 minutes of poi, then 2 minutes of staff.

We are looking for poi spinners, staff spinners, fire eater/breathers, stilters and/or jugglers. We have requests for a variety of different performance types and themes so we need a variety of different performers to work with.

You must provide your own fuel, equipment and music (if you want to use music.) Safety will be provided.

Performers will be chosen based on:
1. 18 years old or older
2. Skill/Variety as a performer, we look for performers who can safely and effectively perform with more than one tool, and can dance while performing.
3. We look for performers who have similar goals and a passion to perform and work as a member of the Elemental Artistry team. Performers must have a supportive team mentality and be motivated to work together.
4. Performers must have their own equipment for performance and practice, all equipment must be approved by the Elemental Artistry management team
5. Performers must be self motivated to learn new things and be ready to work with flexibility and an open-mind.
6. Performers who are or will be insured before their first performance.

Please take a look at our website and forum to find out about our group. On the website you will find information about Elemental Artistry and our Fire Safety Guidelines by which all out performers must adhere, also on the forum you will see a calendar of events and videos. Please feel free to join us for an event prior to the audition to ensure to learn more about your group.

Auditions will be by appointment only, to schedule please call Michelle Larson at 520.661.2787

Tucson Celtic Festival Performance

I am the leader of a group in Tucson called Elemental Artistry. We were given an amazing opportunity to perform for the Tucson Celtic Festival last evening, November 1, 2008. We received a standing ovation from the crowd and their enthusiasm helped to charge our performance beyond a capacity that any of the members could have imagined. I was so proud of all of the fire dancers! We have worked so hard on this performance and many people overcame some pretty incredible obstacles. Dancing with fire can be very frightening and when you add an audience and the pressure to do a great performance it can begin to feel fairly intense. But all of the 25 members, 8 fire dancers, 8 fire goddesses, and 3 musicians, as well as 5 fire safeties all stood up to the challenge.

The performance that we gave for the Tucson Celtic Festival was designed to be a fire ritual honoring the God Samhain, as well as the New Year celebration. We had a storyline from beginning to end. The start of the show was a woman giving the audience an idea of what the ritual was going to be about, through spoken word. And then the goddesses entered the stage followed by Samhain. There were people off to the side of the stage visiting our beautiful altar honoring our ancestors who have passed away where we left candles to guide them home, incense to cleanse their passage and food for nourishment and the hope of another bountiful harvest.

Samhain took fire from the first pot and used it to light the pots of the goddesses who then used their pots to light the torches of the fire dancers. The show continues from their filled with fire eating, fire breathing, poi, long staff, contact staff, baton, fire fans, flaming swords, flaming jump rope, palm torches, big pots of fire, votive candle dancing, rope poi, music, dance, celebration, and fantastic fire manipulation skills. Thanks to one and all for coming out and supporting us and being a part of such a transformational evening. If you would like to contact us for future performances or events please contact me at (520) 990-4048, or email me at michelle@firegrace.com.

Stay tuned for our video and clips of the performance within a week or two!

Baton Twirling and Poi spinning classes for kids in Tucson!

The DanceLoft is hosting Michelle Baas, FireGrace to teach baton twirling and poi for kids!

Ages 5-11 will be held on Mondays from 4-5pm.

Ages 12+ will be held on Thursdays from 4-5pm.

This is a beginning level class that will teach the basics of both baton twirling and poi. We will study body movement and the children will also learn some basic choreography to show off to friends and family. The classes are $10 and will run for 16 weeks.

The DanceLoft is located at:
620 E. 19th St. Suite #150
phone: (520) 990-4048
email: michelle@firegrace.com
~Just west of Park Ave. and south of Broadway, near the 17th St. Market

Orders for batons and LED poi will be placed on the first day of class.

Fire Poi Spinning Classes in Tucson, AZ

The DanceLoft is hosting Michelle Baas, FireGrace to teach fire spinning classes!

Beginning fire poi classes will be held on Saturdays from 1-2pm beginning on August 2, 2008. This class will emphasize technique, fundamentals, transitions, and basic body movement to establish the perfect well balanced beginner.

Intermediate fire poi classes will be held on Saturdays from 2-3pm beginning on August 2, 2008. This class will focus on integrating body movements with more intricate tricks and transitions to enhance your poi experience.

The classes are $10 and will run for 16 weeks.

The DanceLoft is located at:
620 E. 19th St. Suite #150
phone: (520) 990-4048
email: michelle@firegrace.com
~Just west of Park Ave. and south of Broadway, near the 17th St. Market

If you are interested in purchasing equipment for practice, LED, or fire usage I highly recommend buying equipment from Flamma Aeterna. There equipment is extremely high quality, unique design, long burn time and structurally sound. Also they are local to Tucson so we are very lucky to have the option of not paying for shipping! If interested please click here: Flamma Aeterna Fire and LED Toys

Poi Workshop with Zan Moore on Sunday, February 10th for the Gem Show

Zan Moore from The Instruments of the Now! is coming to Tucson for the Gem Show. You may also know him from his instructional poi DVD known as Encyclopoidia. He is truly amazing and I am pleased to announce that he will be offering a workshop while in town. I have learned that there are also a few other amazingly talented spinners coming as well. Zan will be teaching a 90 minute intermediate level poi class for $25. There will be an open jam session for 1 hour following the workshop. If you already paid the $25 it is not mandatory to contribute to the open jam (but a $5 donation would be much appreciated to cover the cost of the space). If you are not interested in the workshop but you want to meet and talk to some really incredible spinners then place come to the open jam and spend $5.

I have confirmed the location and the time of the workshop. Sunday, February 10th, from 1 - 3:30pm at the Historic Y. It is location just west of 4th Ave on the South side of the street.
Zan started performing in South America on tour with his brother Noah, and continues to burn with the same inspired passion as in the beginning. His training has led him far and wide, through a dozen countries and across the disciplines of spinning, dance, juggling, music, yoga, circus, martial arts, and acrobatics. Each of his unique performances offer unforgettable class, style, and grace!

Recently Zan and his brother Noah teamed together to produce the extremely informative and innovative Encyclo-poi-dia DVD. This DVD will expand your mind and challenge all poi spinners "to go where no video has gone before". This DVD was created for the Advanced Beginner and it covers 15 different move groups and many variations in two 50 minute segments. That is two DVDs combined into one! The Encyclo-poi-dia DVD will be on sale at the workshop. His website is The Instruments of The Now, if you are interested in perusing his photo gallery and learning about his life path.

Please come to the workshop with $25 cash, and a $5 donation for the open spin jam. If you are not interested in the workshop we still hope to see you for the open spin! If you have any questions please contact Michelle at 520-990-4048 or michelle@firegrace.com.

I have attached the flyer with this email. Please tell your fire friends to come as well. I hope to have a terrific turn out for the Open Spin Jam!!!

Poi Workshop with Zan Moore on Sunday, February 10th for the Gem Show

Zan Moore from The Instruments of the Now! is coming to Tucson for the Gem Show. You may also know him from his instructional poi DVD known as Encyclopoidia. He is truly amazing and I am pleased to announce that he will be offering a workshop while in town. I have learned that there are also a few other amazingly talented spinners coming as well. Zan will be teaching a 90 minute intermediate level poi class for $25. There will be an open jam session for 1 hour following the workshop. If you already paid the $25 it is not mandatory to contribute to the open jam (but a $5 donation would be much appreciated to cover the cost of the space). If you are not interested in the workshop but you want to meet and talk to some really incredible spinners then place come to the open jam and spend $5.

I have confirmed the location and the time of the workshop. Sunday, February 10th, from 1 - 3:30pm at the Historic Y. It is location just west of 4th Ave on the South side of the street.
Zan started performing in South America on tour with his brother Noah, and continues to burn with the same inspired passion as in the beginning. His training has led him far and wide, through a dozen countries and across the disciplines of spinning, dance, juggling, music, yoga, circus, martial arts, and acrobatics. Each of his unique performances offer unforgettable class, style, and grace!

Recently Zan and his brother Noah teamed together to produce the extremely informative and innovative Encyclo-poi-dia DVD. This DVD will expand your mind and challenge all poi spinners "to go where no video has gone before". This DVD was created for the Advanced Beginner and it covers 15 different move groups and many variations in two 50 minute segments. That is two DVDs combined into one! The Encyclo-poi-dia DVD will be on sale at the workshop. His website is The Instruments of The Now, if you are interested in perusing his photo gallery and learning about his life path.

Please come to the workshop with $25 cash, and a $5 donation for the open spin jam. If you are not interested in the workshop we still hope to see you for the open spin! If you have any questions please contact Michelle at 520-990-4048 or michelle@firegrace.com.

I have attached the flyer with this email. Please tell your fire friends to come as well. I hope to have a terrific turn out for the Open Spin Jam!!!

FireGrace and all her fire tricks

This is probably one of my most polished fire spinning videos thanks to my friend Synge and all of his wonderful video editing skills. This video captures me spinning fire poi, long staff, one baton, two batons, and juggling three batons. The only prop I am not using is fire fans, but you still get the full effect from watching this video. ENJOY!

FireGrace Spinning Fire at Raw Food Retreat in 2006

This video captures me spinning fire in front of an olympic size hot water tub at the Eden Hot Springs in southern Arizona. I am dancing with fire poi, long staff, and fire baton. The camera is pretty unsteady so I apologize for that, but it is worth the watch! Please have patience and ENJOY!

Passion Fire Fans on sale at Flamma Aeterna

These Passion Fire Fans are a fantastic addition to your fire performance equipment. The fire fans are sturdy and lightweight which helps you to maneuver them more comfortably while you dance with grace. Passion Fire Fans are an excellent choice for seasoned performers as well as beginners. The two arches in the fire fan design allows fire dancers of various hand sizes to hold them more easily. To supplement your routine with finger-spinning movements, finger ring holes have been added to the design as well. Passion Fire Fans are sure to illuminate your dance beautifully. The 17 inch (42.5 cm) tall and 26 inch (66 cm) wide frame is easy to manipulate, weighing only 2.2 pounds (1.0 kg), so that you can dance all night long without tiring your arms. Each of the 10 wicks are made with 12 inches of 1 inch wide K2 KEVLAR(R) Tape Wick. The fire fans should burn for at least 3 minutes when using white gas. A cotter pin secures the wick at the top of each head, which can easily be removed when wick replacement is desired.
Flamma Aeterna is a local Tucson, AZ fire toy supplier, so save yourself the cost and time for shipping this holiday season! Just click below:
Passion Fire Fans

Fire Poi Spinning Lessons in Tucson, AZ

I have been teaching fire poi spinning lessons now for about 5 years. I have had the experience of teaching private lessons, group workshops, as well as group classes. I love the experience of teaching. It is always exciting to witness someone for the first time learning how to do something they have never done before.

Beginning January 5th of 2008 I will begin to teach classes at The Dance Loft. The Dance Loft is located in downtown Tucson very close to the 17th St. Market.
The address is:
620 E. 19th St.
Tucson, AZ 85719
Please call me at 520-990-4048 if you are interested in taking lessons.

My intention is that these fire poi classes will be designed for men and women ages 18+ and the classes will be divided into two, 8 week sessions that will run back to back. If you are younger than 18 please contact me and I will see if there is another opportunity that I may offer you (either in the form of another poi class or private lessons). The fire poi classes will cost $10 to attend and they will be on Saturdays from 11am-12pm. If you do not want to commit to the entire session then the drop in rate is $12. There will be no fire allowed in the class, however for the culmination of the 16 week period I will allow the students, in a safe and healthy manner, to practice the tricks and techniques they have learned with the poi on fire at the student's request. I will post my flyer as soon as it is complete. Please contact me as soon as possible so that I may prepare for the amount of students interested in the fire poi class. If you need to purchase equipment there is an amazing local fire toy supplier that I would recommend. Get your fire poi at Flamma Aeterna Fire Poi. You can also find glow poi and practice poi. It is extremely high quality and a very reasonable price. Thank you for your interest.

The Best of Fire Toy Suppliers

If anyone is looking for the best contact fire staff to buy for their very own, please consider my recommendation for Flamma Aeterna's contact fire staff. Here is the link:

Flamma Aeterna Contact Fire Staff

This long staff is really the best I have seen to use as a fire contact staff! The Kevlar wicking is very high quality and tightly woven for an exceptionally long burn time. Grip material covers half the long staff, providing plenty of surface area for contact staff juggling. While SFC Contact Staves are designed with the contact "staffer" in mind, these staves are also excellent for beginners. The 7/8 in. aluminum body is reinforced at the ends by wooden dowel, which has the additional effect of reducing the amount of heat that travels to the center of the long staff. This is a crucial addition to the creation of the contact staff for anyone interested in spinning for long periods of time! The fire contact staves come in 2 sizes; 4 ft 8 inches and 5 ft.
When you buy fire equipment you want to be able to trust that you are receiving high quality equipment that is safe and will last a long time. I have been ordering supplies from Flamma Aeterna for 3 years now and I have nothing but great things to say about all of their fire spinning products. Shop around and look at some of their other supplies as well! They have some really unique designs for fire poi heads in case anyone is looking for fire poi,
Flamma Aeterna Fire Poi. The fire poi heads that I use are the MoonBlaze Fire Poi set. I can burn them for at least 5 minutes and the flame is huge. I am always getting compliments on how bright my fire poi burn and how long they last. Every item they sell is extremely high in quality. Take my word for it!

FireGrace Spinning Fire at Bohemia May 06'

This fire spinning show is really entertaining! I am performing along with a great friend of mine MC Fun Young Moon. I spin fire poi, fire contact staff, and single and double fire batons in this video. A woman krishna of Krishna's Body Painting did the artwork on our bodies. Sorry the camera continues to rotate around and around but I am sure that you will enjoy it one way or another.

Baton Twirling Lessons in Tucson, AZ

I am really excited to say that I started teaching baton twirling lessons again. Since I have lived in Tucson, AZ (7 years now) I have only been teaching and performing fire spinning. I have been dancing with fire poi, short staff (batons), long staff (otherwise known as contact staff), and fire fans. Although, for the longest time baton twirling was an enormous part of my life. However, once I moved away from Maryland I never really practiced baton twirling at all... until now! It is so much fun. I feel like a child again. I am really enjoying teaching baton twirling lessons and I expect that after I have my baby (I am due in 5 weeks) I will be teaching many more baton twirling lessons. My plan is to not only teach private lessons, but also to rent studio space and teach group classes as well. I am really excited about incorporating baton twirling into my life again. Of course I will still be teaching and performing fire spinning as well! I hope to have some classes and workshops going again around December or January. Stay tuned!

Fire Dancing for the Body and Soul

Advice for fire dancers at all levels:

Tricks that are more difficult and complex can present you with less freedom to move your body and enjoy your practice. You can get really tied up in a trick and then your body really has no where to go to express itself. This limits you in many ways. From the perspective of the audience, as well as the dancer, sometimes the more simple a trick is the more graceful it can be. When your poi and your body have the ability to interact with one another, your performance is that much more appealing. Whether they are moving independently of each other, or they are moving together, you will be able to dance with more ease and grace if you keep the tricks simple and enjoyable.

For a more spiritually enhanced practice you can try to bring intention to your practice. Begin with some basic breath work exercises and some yoga. Taking the time to center yourself and align your body will really affect your practice in a positive way. While you dance and groove throughout your practice continue to breathe deeply and listen to your body. Practicing in this way can be more calming and meditative, and it may allow you to discover new ways of movement that you have not done before.

Try to practice in a way that is healthy for you. You want to be able to create an experience that will give you encouraging feedback. Fire spinning is an incredibly empowering art form but you have to remember to treat yourself and your toys with respect. So learn from each other, learn from yourself and your fire toys, and learn from the fire that burns within you and around you. Dancing with fire is a way to dance with your fears. When you are ready, invite the fire into your life.

Pregnant Fire Dance

I was 7 and a half months pregnant for the filming of this. My friend and I filmed it during a camping trip we took to Mt. Lemmon just outside of Tucson, Arizona. It was made to inspire women to continue their art, especially dance and movement art during and after pregnancy! I am spinning poi, baton, long staff, and fire fans. We are deep in the woods, so the lighting is a bit low, but I believe I still satisfied my mission of creating an inspirational piece despite the lighting issue.
I felt like I was smiling the entire time we were filming. It was extremely healing for me to do this. I have been twirling and dancing now for 18 years and I have even won gold medals at the World Championships for baton twirling, but still none of that compares to the way I was feeling throughout this experience. I am stepping into a new realm with my art now and I am happy to say that my pregnancy has played a large role in initiating this transformation. I am constantly searching for a deeper meaning in my art so that I can do my best to reveal the most truths to everyone that shares it.
My goal has always been to show people the power and the strength of fire, but I also want people to be able to feel that same power, strength and beauty within themselves. I want people to witness the grace of my dance and the grace of the fire as one entity. We move together because the fire gives me strength and the energy that is created within me as a result causes me to dance and move the way that I do.
We must not be afraid of that which we possess, for it is what will guide us to where we need to be. Whether we possess strong anxieties about our current situations, or fear of moving on into the future because we don't want to give up our past, or any other fear that keeps us rooted where we are, we can all find strength in ourselves. When we release our fears, we free ourselves from them and we have the ability to dance along side of them. Instead of identifying with our fears, we need to take hold of them and know that we are in total control.

Video Diary... Date of entry 12/10/06

I am beginning a video diary to log and share all of my new discoveries! I am sure that this will be great fun! I want to share with people the art of baton twirling as well as the art of fire spinning. I will spin and dance with the baton, contact staff (long staff), fire fans, juggling torches, and double staff. Enjoy.

Fire Spinning Workshops in December

Note: This video is very raw and unedited. I am still learning how it all works but it is worth watching for certain sections. Enjoy!

Fire Spinning Workshops in Tempe, AZ Saturday December 2nd and 16th!

Learn the amazing art of fire spinning with FireGrace. In these workshops you will learn techniques for spinning both poi and staff that will allow you to take the art of fire dancing to a whole new level of intensity and grace. FireGrace is a two time gold medalist at the NBTA World Championships for baton twirling and has been spinning fire for over four years.

Each class is $30. Take 2 classes for $50.

11am-12:30pm beginning poi
1:00pm-2:30pm advanced poi
4pm-5:30pm beginning staff
6pm-7:30pm advanced staff

Reserve your spot the classes are filling up!

The Mystic Jewell Studio
524 West Broadway, Suite 107
Tempe, AZ 85282
(480) 894-8777
email: jerseyrhinestone@yahoo.com
~North side of Broadway, west of Mill Avenue & just
east of the light at Roosevelt in Tempe~

For More Information Contact:
michelle@firegrace.com

Full on FireGrace in Phoenix June '06

Check out this video that Synge did of me in Phoenix this past summer. There are more videos to come, ENJOY!

Dia De Los Muertos

This is a photo taken of me this past weekend during a performance that I did downtown for the Procession of the Little Angels. I performed on Saturday for this event. There was an all night vigil to honor our ancestors that have passed. This is the first year, of the 17 years that Tucson has honored this celebration, to have a day specifically for kids. It is the first attempt at making this holiday a weekend celebration, instead of just one day. Friday night there was an event called the Dance of the Dead for performers from all over as well as some local artists to express themselves. There were amazing musicians, artists, acrobats, stilters and dancers. Then Saturday we had workshops in the park to teach kids how to play with poi, hula hoop and I taught some staff spinning and baton twirling. Kids ages 3-18 were there to play and learn and express themselves. After the workshops all the kids paraded around downtown and then came back to a raging fire show in front of the library. After that we had a kids glow toy jam. Oh man it was the cutest thing in the world! Tucson's first kid rave. There were camera crews for the local news and newspapers. Sunday was the main event... everyone gathers downtown around sunset and a massive parade of thousands of people in costume, dressed as the dead, grace the streets of downtown Tucson. They paraded with drums and fire toys for about an hour and then finish at the railroad tracks where they are greeted by all the fire performers. It was truly an event to remember. I performed with Elemental artistry and it was our first opportunity to be a part of the big event. It really was spectacular!

A call to all who love to express yourselves...

My experience has taught me that the presence of others in our practice, be it other performers or audience members, provides us with a sense of protection and empowerment. Offering us the strength and motivation to continue our practice, this presence of others also helps us to remain grounded, focused and yet challenged as well. For these reasons it is essential for us to unite as a community so we can continue to express ourselves and to learn from one another. Our collective energy, our awareness, and our passion for learning and expressing ourselves will grow together. United, we will be able to create a positive vibration that is so powerful. This action will cause more and more people to be present and conscious. Together we will provide the hope and inspiration that is essential to uplift the spirits and hearts of ALL people. Do the world a favor and resonate your true vibration!

Long Staff Body Contact Practice

Long Staff Body Contact

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This is a video of me having fun and practicing my long staff body contact juggling at a friend's house. We are in his living room and grooving to some funky music. He wanted me to show him some tricks and I really liked this video. You can see more of these videos on myspace, FireGrace on Myspace. Just click on my videos section and add me as a friend if you like.

Now is the time!

I am writing this to state my commitment to fire dancing and creating a community to inspire the masses. It is time for me to really push myself to the limit so that I can initiate a chain reaction that will force people to wake up and dance with their fears. It is time for us all to enjoy our lives and know that we can be doing so much more for ourselves and for each other. Thank you for all of your support and curiosity. And thank you for your love of fire and dance.

Contact Juggling

Contact juggling is what I do best. After twirling baton for 12 years, picking up fire spinning was just a natural transition. I love spinning long staff the most, but poi has been a really exciting addition to my performance portfolio. As far as staff goes, I am able to spin 1, 2, or 3 short staves (aka batons), and longer staves up to 5.5 feet. I am really enjoying the longer staff because I can really bliss out with it. I can get it flowing really slowly and control it better. I can roll it all over my body and manipulate it to no end. I love that feeling of oneness that I experience with it.