Introduction to fire play

So, what is this fire performance stuff, anyway? Put simply, it's any type of performance that involves fire. Fire performance generally fits into three broad categories:

Firedancing
Fire juggling
Fire breathing

Firedancing/firetwirling

Firedancing is the art of dancing, with the use of fire as a prop, or as an extension of the body. Firedancing (also known as firetwirling) can be done with different types of equipment, which typically have one or more wicks that are dipped in a fuel and ignited for the duration of the performance. The most common are firestaffs, and firechains (also known as poi).

Fire juggling

Fire juggling is basically the same as traditional club juggling, except that the "business end" of the club has a wick on it, so as to light it up for the performance.

Fire juggling does allow for a few extra bonuses and gags that separate it from normal club juggling. Since the fire clubs are alight with flame, then fire juggling can be done at night, and looks quite spectacular when done by someone with lots of experiance. Fire juggling also affords some comic moments that aren't as effective with ordinary clubs. For example, you could pause the juggle py placing one club between your legs (fire behind you), and one more under each arm. This lets you lampoon as a roast chicken for a few moments, before you resume the juggle. :-)

Fire breathing

Fire breathing fire is the art of expelling fuel from your mouth and igniting the fuel, giving the impression of breathing fire.

You don't actually inhale the fuel and breathe it out again, you hold it in your mouth and expel it in such a way as to atomise, or vapourise it. The fuel, in a vapour form, ignites very easily, so that if you expel the fuel across a lit torch or firestaff wick, it will explode in flames and look very impressive. :-)

NOTE: Breathing fire is extremely dangerous. There is a lot to learn in order to minimise the risks that it poses to yourself and your spectators. As such, I won't include instructions on this page for breathing fire. However, if you are interested in learning to do so, feel free to contact me

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