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Poi Dance---Anjuna Beach. North Goa.-------------------------Thanks, Anya.---- Poi is a form of juggling or object manipulation employing a ball depending from a length of rope which is held in hand and swung in circular patterns, comparable to club-twirling. Poi spinning originated with the Māori people of New Zealand (the word poi means "ball" in Māori) as a means of promoting increased flexibility, strength, and coordination -in particular, the dexterity of the wrist- and as an exercise of movements central to the use of hand weapons, including the patu, mere, and kotiate.
In Maori culture, the discipline of poi evolved into a traditional performance art practiced mostly by women. This art includes storytelling and singing choreographed to poi routines, and developed in conjunction with others disciplines -such as waiata a ringa, haka and titi torea- included in kapa haka performances.Contemporary poi has built upon the Māori discipline and is now a combination of spinning arts from around the world.
Fire poi:
Considered by some to be the "ultimate" performance poi, fire poi are constructed from chain, with kevlar blend wicks, sometimes also stuffed on the inside with more absorbing non-melting material such as cotton, that can be soaked in fuel and set on fire; usually paraffin, kerosene, naphtha (also called "white gas", "camping fuel", or "Coleman fuel"), methanol or a similar household fuel is used - as gasoline burns too quickly for either safety or performance longevity and is much more toxic it is generally avoided where other options are available but is still popular in poorer countries. Likewise alcohol and lighter fluid are considered too dangerous and not sufficiently long lasting due to their low flash point and volatility.
Fire performances can be interesting for both audience and performer, provided the poi spinner is good enough that they can control the fire poi without putting anyone (particularly themselves) at risk.
Many kinds of fire poi are available, the simplest utilizing two wicks. The fire wicks are generally one of three varieties: a cylindrical wrap, cathedral stack (square) or a monkey fist knot tied with kevlar blend rope. Some experienced performers like to pick and choose their wicks, according to the performance they intend to give - controlling their burn time and the brightness of the flames. More advanced fire poi can have multiple wicks.
A variation called fire snakes (sometimes referred to as Fire Ropes) consists of a length of kevlar blend rope that can produce a long flame. These can look stunning when used by a skilled performer, resulting in them being surrounded by sheets of flame.