Alien Jon Poi Workshop

Alien Jon is coming to Vancouver in January, and his arrival will prove to be a mind-bending experience for all the new and experienced Vancouver poi spinners who wish to meet him! We have a three part workshop planned so everyone who spins poi in Vancouver will benefit from his expertise.

But first, a brief video introduction:

Alien Jon youtube video #1 (opens in a new window)
Alien Jon Youtube video #2 (opens in a new window)

All I can say is this: he spins beyond the edge of what's possible - he CREATES the possible in poi - and I have been sifting through his videos for new ideas for the past year or so, and every time I do, I find something new.

Details

The plan is as follows:

Wednesday, January 14
45 W Hastings (tentative)

Daytime spin jam, practice session, and a chance to see Alien Jon in action as well as a chance for him to see what everyone here is up to. Possible evening jam as well.

Workshop #1
Thursday, January 15, 7-8:30 pm
Scotiabank Dance Centre

Learning to spin with your Body 1st

1st phase of class: Miming poi
- Warm-up, Timing and direction with your arms: the 4 modes
- The Hallway and keeping your bearings
- Footwork
- Footwork Drills (expect to be a little silly)
- Try to move your feet and your arms at the same time!
- Focus points and transition points for the 4 modes wile turning!!
2nd phase:
- 4 modes with poi
- Footwork drills with poi!
- pinpoint your problem areas and polish them
- Where can we push it: Pirouettes and other silliness!

Workshop #2
Friday, January 16, 7-8:30 pm
Scotiabank Dance Centre

Geometry with 1 and 2 poi: Time Sculpture

1st phase will be: The Geometry of a circle from 2D to 2.5D
- Anatomy of a circle
- Pushing and pulling the circle
- Figure-eights, of the bent variety
- Cross-Points
- Zones around your body
2nd phase: the poi dancing together
- Symmetry and Harmonic Proportion
- Loops and Arcs
- Driving Styles
- Where can we go with Hybrids and/or Framing?

Workshop #3
Saturday, January 17, 2-3:30 pm
Roundhouse Community Centre, Room B

The 3rd class will delve deeper into assembling more advanced moves, and jam on specific tricks and moves people wanna learn.

The other 2 classes are rather nice prerequisites to the 3rd.

Cost

One workshop - $30
Two workshops - $55
All three - $80
Pay by January 9, and the cost is $75 (message me, then drop off cash, send a cheque, or use PayPal)
Wednesday session - free for full workshop participants, $5 otherwise

Alien Jon's Payment Policy

He says: "I've dedicated my life to pursuing poi as deeply as I can, and sharing what I find. If you can afford to pay as advertised, do so, because it's worth it! That helps me keep doing what I love and sharing it with both you and the rest of the world. If you honestly can't afford it, however, I'd rather you contact me and let me know. In that case I will graciously accept what you feel is fair for your current means. I'd rather have you come out to play and learn than be turned away because of money. No matter what, bring your enthusiasm for sharing in our collective exploration of this wonderful art! My email is alienjonpoi@gmail.com."

Anything else?

Further details are being arranged at this very moment, so please stay tuned for more. Thurs and Fri night locations are confirmed.

...back to Poi and Fire

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!

For students who are interested in buying poi in class, I will have several choices of poi to test and then purchase. These will include some unique handmade sets provided by a friend and fellow poi spinner (photos and details coming soon).

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 the workshop, 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: