Drop in Poi Spinning Class at Trout Lake
Class Details
- July 2nd to July 30 (five classes)
- Thursdays
- 7-8 pm beginners and core practice for experienced spinners
- 8-9 pm intermediate/advanced
- Trout Lake - northwest grassy area by the dock
- Google Map location
- $13/one class or $20/both classes
- Exact change highly preferred!
- Practice poi are available for purchase ($15-$30)
How to Sign Up
This is a drop in class, so there's no need to register. It does help general morale, however, if you drop me a line and let me know you're coming!
Poi Class Content
Beginner/Core Practice - 7 pm
If you're just starting out with poi, this is the class for you! I'll get you started with a core set of poi moves and concepts and show you how they connect and relate to each other. If you practice consistently between classes, you will be able to try some simple figures with fire by the end of the summer.
This class is also a wonderful way for experienced spinners to fill in missing pieces, drill the core concepts, and go over moves and transitions they may have missed. If you haven't started practicing your plane control, two-beat weave variations, reel variations, or same time/same direction variations, you're missing out!
Intermediate/Advanced - 8 pm
This class is meant for experienced spinners who'd like to explore new concepts, transitions, moves, movement, and more. Use stalls to switch modes. Learn what CAPs are. Get started with wallplane flowers. Unlock hybrids, hyperloops, and more!
Can't Afford It?
Over the years, I've had a few students tell me they simply couldn't afford my class. In those cases, I did my best to help out by offering one or two classes for free, charging a reduced rate, trading services, or even asking other students to help them out. Although I can't possibly do this for everyone, the sentiment is there: I'd rather help you learn than turn you away for lack of funds! So, contact me and let me know about your situation, and I'll do my best to help!
Where Can I Get Poi?
To keep the class fee down, poi aren't included, but there are several sources for buying your own pair!
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For students who are interested in buying poi in class, I will have several choices of poi to test and then purchase. My gear section has info about my handmade poi.
The primary source for buying poi online is Home of Poi. Their shipping is surprisingly quick, their customer service is great, and they have a large selection. This link provides Night and Day Dance with referrals points which help us collect more tools for future classes, workshops, and performances!
What Are the Basics?
Here is a list of what I and others would consider to be the "basics" of poi spinning. These are the types of moves you can expect to learn during beginning level classes, Of course, if you already know everything here, I'll show you how to expand on what you know and push your abilities to the limit! There are always more complex variations to master (see below)!
- Same direction, forward or reverse
- Opposite directions
- Turning with the poi in front or back
- Same direction split time, forward or reverse
- The weave, forward or reverse
- The butterfly, forward or reverse
- Split time butterfly, forward or reverse
- Windmill, both directions
- Corkscrew, both directions
- Buzzsaw
- Transitions between any of the above
What Is Considered Advanced?
This is continually expanding territory, as there is always more to learn, and there are always more complex versions of old moves. Here is a list of the current core "advanced" moves and concepts, with examples of even slightly more difficult variations:
- Turning with the buzzsaw
- Opposite direction buzzsaw
- (Next level: isolation buzzsaw, barrel rolls, buzzsaw flowers, buzzsaw stalls)
- Stalls (either hand, in any move, in any direction)
- Behind-the-back weaves or butterflies
- (Next level: 5-beat behind-the-back weave)
- Under-the-leg variations
- Isolations
- Hyperloops/orbitals
- Hybrids
- Flowers
- (Next level: hybrid flowers, wallplane flowers, polyrhythmic flowers)
