Koncerts for Kidz promise to dazzle, delight at Dehler
- Font Size:
- Default font size
- Larger font size
The primal spectacle of whirling lines of fire downplays the fear that Jonnie Egeland is performing a dangerous dance.
Lithe and agile, Egeland circles her lit poi on a chain so quickly and so naturally it looks as though the fire is coming from a hoop circling her face and body. In the dark, it's hard to see her arms furiously pumping the chains, one in each hand, to keep the illusion of a fire circle going and to protect herself from the flames. Egeland's fire-spinning dance is done with poi, a lit wad of fabric soaked in fuel, on the end of chains.
There have been injuries along the way to learning her art. Egeland said she once smacked her eye with one of the poi engulfed in flames, but it only singed her eyelashes. Another time, the hot chain connected to the burning poi wrapped around her arm, searing a red mark into the skin of her upper arm that looked like a tattoo of a snake.
She wears cotton clothing, usually jeans and a T-shirt, for spinning because it doesn't catch fire as easily as synthetic fabrics. And when she first started practicing, she covered her hair with a stocking cap. Now, she simply pulls her shoulder-length hair back into a pony tail.
"This is like playing a violin for musicians,'' Egeland said. "This is my art and the way I express myself. Of course, being me, it had to be something totally different."
Egeland grew up in Billings, graduating from Senior High School in 2001. She saw her first fire spinner in 2004 when she attended an island party near Huntley.
"There was this hippie named Dandelion and I watched her spin. I couldn't wait to try it,' Egeland said.
Her first fire-spinning set was homemade, and the chains wore blisters into her hands because Egeland didn't attach a handle. Eventually Egeland found a Web site where she could order a practice poi for about $20 and a performance poi. Over the years, Egeland has embellished her dance, spinning the poi in front of her with both arms and out to the side.
"To me, being naturally drawn to fire, this is the perfect art," Egeland said. "It's a dance. Given the right mood, I'll dance for hours."
The art of spinning originated in New Zealand with the Maori tribe. Both men and women spun weights on ropes because the women wanted to keep their wrists strong for cooking and weaving and the men wanted to build arm strength for martial arts.
At some point, fire was added to the dance, and now fire spinning is big in Thailand and South America. The West Coast of the U.S. also has many active fire-dancing groups, and Maui has a beach, Little Beach, that is known for its fire spinners performing at night.
Several different tools are used for fire dancing, including staffs with wicking material at either end, torches and fire hoops. Festivals such as the Burning Man in Nevada and the Parade of the Dead in Missoula are perfect opportunities for fire spinners.
"I've met people from all over the world fire spinning," Egeland said.
Since returning to Billings this year, Egeland is trying to establish a spinning group, like the one she formed in Missoula, the Fireflies. The Missoula group still performs together, usually at Caras Park in Missoula. Egeland is working with the Billings Fire Department to find a suitable public place to practice her art. That way, Egeland figures she can draw more dancers into a group.
Because of its unique beauty, fire spinning isn't an art that you typically practice alone at home, but one you want to share with others. Egeland said that on the Fourth of July, she went to a private party with her friends, members of the band Past Mars, and performed her fire spinning dance for the first time in months.
"I felt my passion for spinning again," Egeland said. "It feeds the soul."
Posted in Theatre, Enjoy on Friday, July 24, 2009 12:00 am Updated: 5:41 pm.
Similar Stories
- British Columbia's government says no mines, oil or gas in the Flathead
- 70 years later...
- No foul play suspected in East Helena man's death
- Ex-Miles City man sentenced for fraud in South Dakota federal court
- What Caught My Eye
- Padres and catcher Yorvit Torrealba finalize deal
- Cruise suits up for `Mission: Impossible IV'
- Murtha to be buried in heart of his Pa. district