What is your performance for?

[Edited Feb 25th by Rada]

I answered my own question after much through on this topic. I was looking at it wrong. Questions like, "For who?" and, "Why?" don't have (acceptable) answers that come from others. We each lead different lives, and my answer is in me. Thanks for the help guys.

But, since we're on the topic, and I am curious why you like POI:
My performance is practice to I fend off a horde of bad guys from attacking a village. Who's with me?

Rada

Performance is for public.

I do it for me.

And also hot chicks.

ie practising,

Depends what you mean by performance but it sounds like you're talking about general spinning, not professional performance on a stage.

Poi/spinning/etc.. is about many things: flow, playfulness, fun, beauty... all myriad the aspects of art. A beautiful painting can involve the simplest or most complex of techniques, but neither are a guarantee of a beautiful painting. And so watching somebody spinning can be very enjoyable regardless of technical level performed. Some people can integrate complex & technical moves into a smooth flow, where other stumble. That's why sometimes we spin to lose ourselves and other times we spin to better ourselves and over time we progress.

Agree with Dom; I spin because it feels good and relaxing. I'm not a fan of a lot of the uber-technical moves because I don't think they look or feel as nice as simpler stuff done well.

For me, it's all about the flow.. ...and synchronised expensive LED glow toys of course

I like FRD's reasons. Although #2 never seems to work for me....

hrm. I am the exact opposite of you, Rada. when I'm doing something relatively complicated my brain tends to focus on the geometry involved. I try to follow the paths of the poi as best I can in my mind. the result is a state of meditation where I understand where the poi exist now, where they were, and where they will be - and there is precious little room left for anything else in my mind. maybe it's because my brain is ADD and if I don't give it something to focus on it will find something, and it usually picks the worst topics. I'd rather feed it the geometry and physics that are inherent to poi spinning.

that's not to say flow spinning isn't important. it's so important and it has benefits all its own... but this is not a tech vs. flow post. unless you want me to make it into one

and I didn't really touch on the topic of audiences... I'll say this, there is spinning, and there is performing, and they are two different things. if I'm performing I'm gauging my audience's reaction, taking into account their experience with fire spinning, and doing whatever I can to create feelings of joy, wonder, and awe in them. if I'm spinning, then the performance is for me and only me (and I do tend to use more tech when spinning than peforming).

So after lots of time practicing and growing I've looked back at this thread. I can say 2 things.
1) Don't get ahead of yourself. Once a trick becomes second nature, the act of integrating it into your flow feels really good. No matter the complexity. Being able to pull off a trick is not the same as knowing it. I spoke without knowing the tricks that were making me feel frustrated.

2) When the loops are on your fingers, and the wicks are lit, the crowd should be the last thing on your mind (except for not hitting them). If the onlookers make you feel something wonderful, great, if not, also great. You're the one risking your eyebrows. You're the one who practices, and you're the one who understands how hard it really is. If that means you stick to weaves, windmills, and butterflies because that's what you're comfortable with (and like your hair how it is), do those. If you are doing it to get admirers, do the most crazy crap you can pull off.


There is no answer.

I think I do understand how easy it really is .

Even the point of learning tricks 1 at a time is kinda silly now that I think about it. This isn't a yo-yo. No offense to yo-yo'ers. It took me 11 years to integrate antispin into my body movements. Find people who can teach you things you want to learn. and share what you know with them.

The word performance would indicate an audience of one type or another and choreographed set of movements.
For me I dont like the description "trick", its more a movement. Or an individuals interpretation of the feeling they may have at any given moment.

Reading some of these posts it seems its more an individual desire to acquire a greater level of skill and then wishing to share whats learnt with others - its all entertainment one way or another, either casual or formal

I do it for mine and the public's entertainment

I do it as almost meditation Love spinning to music... Almost like music and poi are hand in hand. When I hear beautiful music... and sometimes even awful music, I'm thinking about what moves would go with what, almost like planning out poi performance in your head.
And also for public enjoyment festies are EPIC FUN!!