Fire Desire : Travelling Poi & Staff Workshops

So things have started to fall into place and we are all systems go. We will be anouncing the venues shortly. Have a look at the updated information below. We have added dates and locations for the workshops. Detailed information on the Workshops and even some Special offers. Hope to see you all shortly and please invite your friends and share with them the magic if Poi and Staff.

Dates and Locations
Please Note:
The workshops will take place on either Saturday or Sunday in your respective city from about Midday till late. We will finalize the dates, times venue within a couple days. We are considering having a Fire Night/Jam at each city after the day’s workshops. Please contact us if you have any queries.

22 - 24 July: Clarence
29 - 30 July: The Vaal

06 - 08 August: Durban (Workshops Saturday 6th August)
11 - 13 August: East London (Workshops Saturday 13th August)
14 - 15 August: Molteno (Workshops Sunday 19th August)
19 - 21 August: Port Elizabeth (Workshop 20 August)
26 - 28 August: Knysna (Workshops Saturday 27 August)

02 - 04 September: Stellenbosch (Workshop Saturday 3rd September)
09 - 11 September: Sprung festival (Cape Town)
16 - 18 September: Cape Town (Workshops Saturday 17th September)

If you live in any of these areas above or surrounding areas please get in touch with us, we would love to meet you and possibly host a Workshop in your area.

Workshops will be held over the weekends at the above mentioned Cities. During the week we will be travelling from one city to the next. If you live in-between any of the cities above and would like to meet us. Please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Workshop Teachers
Jaco le Roux (Poi Beginner and Advanced)


Bruno Kopf (Staff Beginner and Advanced)

Workshops Information
Beginner Poi Workshops (Cost:R150 pp)
This Workshop is aimed at teaching you all the fundamental foundations to easily learn more advanced movements. The workshop will extensively cover: Basic Poi Theory and Terminology, Crosspoints, Plane Control, Changing Direction. Turning/Footwork, 4 Basic Modes of Spinning and Timing (Same and Split Time). Understanding and mastering these fundamentals is essential for any poi player who wishes to learn more advanced moves and techniques. One cannot run before you learn to walk.

After spending some time on the fundamentals we will then start building on these by covering the following moves and their variations, Weaves, Butterfly, Corckscrew, Windmill, Hip and Shoulder Reels, Basic Stalls, Linking Moves, Threading the Needle, Freely Turning(All Moves), The Fountain and Going beyond the Basics.

The beginner workshops are intended to teach you how to freely turn and dance with all the basic modes of spinning and their timing variations. If you want more information regarding specific moves we will be covering please get in touch with us and we will send you some additional Information.

Beginner Staff Workshops (Cost:R150 pp)
This workshop will cover all the basic principles of single staff manipulation and basic footwork. The eginner workshops are designed to give you the proper foundation to easily learn more advanced staff arts like Contact and Double staff.

The following topics and their variations will be covered in the Beginner Staff Workshop: Staff 101, Basic Staff Theory, Weaves, Rotors, Hip and Shoulder Reels, Hand Transitions, Exploring your Space, Stalls, Finger Twirling, Turning Freely with basics.

If you want more information on the variations and moves we will be teaching in the beginner workshops please contact us.

Advanced Poi Workshops (Cost:R250 pp)

The Principles of Poi: Planes, Time, Form, Footwork and Flow
The Advanced workshop requires you to have a good understanding and feel for Planes, Timing, Footwork, 4 Modes of Spinning and flow. By using the basic principles and fundamentals of Beginner Poi we will show you how to apply this knowledge to more advanced theories and movements, providing you step by step instruction so you can easily advance through the huge list of moves available.

Think of your Journey into Advanced Poi as if you are in a long hallway full of locked doors. For each advanced movement you learn you will get the key to open another door. Each new move you learn opens up new possibilities. We have structured our advanced workshop to show you what we feel is the best path forward in the vast world of advanced poi. Some moves are more advanced than others and will require knowledge of various advanced moves to learn.

We will be covering the following in the Advanced Workshops: Arm Movements and Timing, Anti-spin Theory, The 16 Wheelplane Flowers, Wallplane Flowers, CAPS, Advanced Stalls, Isolations, Pendulums, Crossers, Hybrids, Hyperloops and Orbital’s, Turning with Advanced Moves and our favourite Plane Changing/Plane Bending.

Sadly we will not be able to cover all the moves and variations in the above ‘families’ of moves in a single workshop as there are way too many. We will however explore some of each and advise where to start within each ‘family’ so you can go home practice and start progressing further on your own. Flowers and Stalls will be looked at extensively as we feel learning this will open up and simplify many other movements.
If you want more information regarding specific moves we will be covering or feel you know all the above already please get in touch with us so we can talk and give you further information.

Advanced Staff Workshops (Cost: R250 pp)
This workshop is aimed at building on the basics by looking at more complex variations and moves of single staff manipulation. The following topics will be covered: Advanced Staff Theory, Throwing and Catching, Anti-Spin Flowers and Contact (Fish Tails, Shoulder Rolls, 360 Halo, Half Steve and Conveyer Belt.) The advanced workshop will also explore some more advanced footwork and body language that will further enhance your performance.

Additionally if anyone is interested I can even cover some Double Staff, but this is so vast that there could be a Beginner and Advanced Double Staff Workshops. So let me know if anyone is interested in learning some double staffs and we will make special arrangements. If you want more information regarding specific moves we will be covering please get in touch with us and we will send you some additional Information.

Please Take Note

1. As we arrange and confirm workshop locations, dates and times we will update the event page to keep you updated. 
2. Please share this with your friends, Family or anyone you think might be interested.
3. If anyone is willing to help with accommodation, travel, food, arranging the workshops or any way you think you could help. Please contact us.
4. Besides the group workshops on the weekends we are willing to give private lessons during the week if we are travelling past your area. Contact us for more information.
5. All Profits from the workshops will be used for transport, food and accommodation to the next location. Please help us achieve this and invite your friends. It’s about sharing the passion not money.
6. We aim to meet and connect with as much of the SA fire community as we can and encourage them to register on http://www.firedesire.co.za/ (A social networking site for Fire Dancers) by connecting all Fire Dancers/Flow Artists on our community website it becomes easier for us all to Chat, Meet, Interact, Share, Learn and keep up to date with the latest news and events here in SA. Please Join today and help start the revolution.

If you have any questions, suggestions please do not hesitate to contact either Bruno Kopf or Jaco Le Roux.

Contact Details:
Bruno: 072 033 5535
Jaco: 071 766 6935
Email: Bruno@firedesire.co.za

The Fire Desire Community - Spreading the Desire for Fire!