Menu

  • poi

    learn :: poi

    Congratulations! You have poi, and you are about to embark on a journey of joyful learning and discovery. Poi can be your movement meditation, means of creative expression, medium for technical mastery, or simply a fun way to get your ya-yas out.

    Whatever your trajectory in the world of poi, you are going to need some technique, and you have come to the right place.

    Click on the button below to get started with some free tips and lessons. Once you've mastered the basics, we recommend taking one of the online courses below, or getting a DVD to help you take your poi skills to the next level. Happy spinning!

    Get started with free lessons

    getting started - adjust your leash

    Step 1 is adjusting your poi length. Here are some helpful tips for finding a length that works well for you.


    getting started - how to grip your poi

    Different grips help you spin in different ways. Let’s address this invaluable, often overlooked, piece of poi technique.


    getting started - planes

    Planes are a fundamental concept of spinning any prop. Understanding planes means you’ll have control of your poi, your spinning will look cleaner, and learning moves will be made easier.



    basic poi moves - timing & direction

    There are four different modes of timing and direction. Basically every poi move stems from these 4 modes of spinning. With these roots in the ground, everything else will stem forth, and you’ll already start to feel at one with your poi.


    basic poi moves - forward 3-beat weave

    This is the standard, iconic poi move. In this tutorial, you’ll learn the meaning of a weave, beats, and the technique for doing the forward 3-beat with grace and flow.


    basic poi moves - turns & reels

    Let’s start moving! Turns and reels will get you moving comfortably while weaving your poi around your body. Already, you’re opening up the ability to dance with your poi.


    basic poi moves - butterfly

    Here’s a move that will get you thinking in a different timing and a different plane. With the poi in front of your body, you’ll create the illusion that the poi are bouncing off one another.


    basic poi moves - corkscrew & windmill

    The corkscrew is a 2-beat weave on the floor-plane (spinning horizontally, parallel with the floor).

    Go to poi

  • staff

    learn :: staff

    Staff spinning is both simple and complex, straightforward and nuanced. There are a multitude of styles and variations of staff manipulation, including single staff, contact staff, dragon staff, staff juggling, and multi-staff manipulation. Wherever your staff journey takes you, technique will take you farther.

    We offer a range of instructional DVDs, downloadable videos, and a book that offer high-quality instruction. One of our favorite learning resources features Cirque du Soleil Fire Dancer Srikanta Barefoot - this digital download takes you from basic patterns & techniques to intermediate patterns, moves & sequences - a great learning tool for beginners and intermediate spinners. be inspired

    Though staff spinning may be the most ancient and broad of the flow arts, the widely available free tutorials that poi spinners enjoy aren’t so widely available for the multitude of staff techniques. So we’ve gathered some inspirational videos for you below, along with our favorite instructional resources. We’re working on a series of introductory staff videos just for you. Stay tuned!

    be inspired - no sweat


    be inspired - johny douglas


    be inspired - rollin’ with the flow


    be inspired - pheraileen


    be inspired - arcane


    Go to staff

  • wand

    learn :: levitation wand

    Master the modern levitation wand dance! Explore movement, space and rhythm, while improving your grace, coordination and focus with this fresh take on the magician's dancing cane.

    Featuring Prisna von Stade, creator of the flow-wand® and modern levi-wand dance, and Aileen Lawlor, world-renowned flow artist, Flow-wand Fundamentals brings you the world's first comprehensive learning resource on the modern levitation wand.

    Join us for over 1hr 20 minutes of instructions, practices, inspiration clips and troubleshooting tips covering three popular wand styles and techniques: short string, long string and double wand. You can also save by getting a wand & DVD bundle!

    Get started with free lessons

    Below are 3 tutorials covering the basics to help you get familiar with your wand, and get a feel for the balance and movement necessary to maintain the illusion of levitation. If you'd like to learn more, you can order the whole DVD, with over 1hr 20 minutes of instructions, practices and tips on short-string, long-string and double wand.


    getting started

    Welcome to the wonderful world of the flow-wand! Learn about the basic styles of wand manipulation, get to know your wand, learn basic terminology, and get some tips for avoiding common problems with this video.


    leading

    Leading is a fundamental way of moving with the wand. It is the basis of almost all levitation wand moves, including stalls and circles.

     

    circles

    Circles are a foundational wand movement that allow you to explore planes and add dimension and character to your wand dance.

     
    Go to wand

  • play & dance

    play, dance, flow

    The flow arts are not just about learning new tricks and techniques. One of the best things about flowtoys is how they inspire people to move, dance and play.

    Dancing with flowtoys brings so much joy - from getting your ya-yas out after a hard day's work or study, to having extensions of your body to express yourself with and feeling like a superhero.

    There is a burgeoning movement of dancing with flow arts props - check out this video from PropDanceCulture for a free tutorial to get started on moving with your flowtoys.

    Go to play & dance