Fire dancing

Fire dancing (also known as, "fire twirling," "fire spinning," or "fire manipulation") is a group of circus-art 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, 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 apparatus

Fire apparatus can be roughly divided into two groups: rhythmic and non-rhythmic. Rhythmic apparatus are twirled or manipulated in circular or other rhythmic/repetitive patterns; non-rhythmic apparatus do not have such clearly defined motions. Because of the creative nature of fire dancing, some dancers choose to use some rhythmic tools non-rhythmically, and vice versa.

Rhythmic fire apparatus

Poi - A pair of roughly arm-length chains with handles attached to one end, and bundle of wicking material on the other.
Staff - A rod of wood or metal, with wicking material applied to one, or both ends. Staves may be short and used in pairs, or longer, and used individually.
Fire hoop - Hula hoop with spokes and wicking material attached.
Batons
Fire stick - Like a traditional devil stick, with wicks on both ends of the center stick.
Fire meteor - A long length of chain or rope with wicks, or small bowls of liquid fuel, attached to both ends.
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 knives or swords with wicking material applied to the blade.

Non-rhythmic fire apparatus

Chi ball - 2 rings or handles with a wick attached between them by a thin wire.
Fans - A large metal fan with one or more wicks attached to the edges.
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.

Materials and construction

The typical construction of fire performance tools involves a metallic structure with wicking material made from fiberglass, cotton, or Kevlar blended with fiberglass, Nomex, and other poly-aramids. Kevlar-blend wicks are the most common, and are considered standard equipment in modern fire performance. Though most wick suppliers refer to their wick simply as Kevlar, almost no suppliers sell a 100% Kevlar wick, which is both expensive, and not particularly absorbent.

A typical poi construction would consist of a single or double-looped handle made of webbing, Kevlar fabric, or leather. This is connected to a swivel and a length of chain or cable. This chain or cable then connects to another swivel, and then to the wick, which is made out of tape wick (a wide, flat webbing made of wick material), or rope wick. The wick material is typically folded or tied to a central core in either a knot or lanyard-type fold.

The chain or cable can be anything from stainless steel wire rope (preferred by some for its low cost, light weight, high strength, and almost invisible profile) to dog chain (preferred by some for its heft and low cost) to industrial ball chain, which is the most common chain for fire performance equipment. Made out of nickel-plated steel, stainless steel, or black-oxide brass, ball chain in the #13 to #20 size ranges provides excellent strength, a fluid feel, and great tangle prevention. Since every link on the chain swivels, one can eliminate dedicated swivels from a design, and body wrapping and chain wrapping moves become much easier. Extra cost and a higher weight to durability ratio are the biggest downsides to ball chain.

Fuels

Nearly all modern fire dancing apparatus rely on a liquid fuel held in the wick. There are many choices for fuels, each differing in properties. Individuals select a fuel or a blend of fuels based on safety, cost, availability, and the desirability of various characteristics like color of flame, heat of flame, and solubility.

White gas, also known as Coleman fuel, naphtha, or petroleum ether - This hot, volatile fuel is popular because it is easy to ignite, burns brightly, evaporates cleanly, and does not leave smoke or residues on wicks and bodies. However, it burns hot and quick, limiting the burn time, and potentially increasing the risk of burns.
Kerosene or jet fuel - This is a popular fuel due to its low cost and relative safety, and long burn times. It is very difficult to ignite, meaning that smoldering wicks can actually be extinguished by dunking them in kerosene. Some performers do not like it because of its dim, smokey flame and slippery residue. A common fuel is made by using a 50/50 mix of white gas and kerosene, which offers some of the benefits of both fuels.
Lamp oil, also known as liquid paraffin - Lamp oil is an oily, non-volatile fuel. It has many of the same properties as kerosene, including its long burn time and high flash point, but it produces much less smoke. Lamp oil is fairly expensive as a fuel and difficult to ignite alone; so, like kerosene, it is often mixed with white gas.
Alcohol, also known as denatured alcohol, methylated spirits, meths - Alcohol fuels are usually ethanol with methanol, acetone, gasoline, or other denaturing agents added. The denaturing agents provide odor and toxicity to discourage consumption of the fuel, and may lower the cost and adjust burning and vaporization properties for industrial reasons. Denatured alcohols can be up to 95% ethanol, or as little as 50%. An MSDS sheet of chemical can indicate the exact mixture. The fuel burns fairly hot, and is volatile, meaning it readily releases flammable vapors. The flame is blue to orange, depending on methanol content, and fairly dim. However, when mixed with chemicals such as lithium chloride, copper chloride and boric acid, various colors of flame can be created. Lithium compounds produce pinks, copper compounds produce greens and blues, and boric acid produces green. Other chemicals may produce other colors, and performers often experiment with various choices. Use of chemicals like these may produce some toxic vapors, and have a tendency to destroy wicks.
Biodiesel - Biodiesel is a fuel produced by refinement of vegetable oil (used or virgin), producing glycerin and biodiesel. The fuel is designed for use in diesel vehicles, but is a fairly safe and practical fuel for fire performance. Like kerosene, it is difficult to ignite by itself, and produces a dim, long-lasting flame that may smell a bit like French fries, depending on the source. It is often mixed with white gas to produce an easy-to-ignite, long-burning fuel.

External links

NAFAA - The North American Fire Arts Association
Fire Dancing World-wide resources for trainers & performers
Various Fire Dancing

Circus skills | Dances | Syllabus-free dance