DrexFactor Poi Blog

Beginner Poi Dancing Combo: Choreography tutorial for November 2017

If there's one thing I wish I could do better with my flow, it's this: dancing with my poi. Learning to get all the tricks is one challenge but moving with them is entirely a different one.

This month I set down a challenge with my poi combo tutorial: it had to be more about moving your body than the poi. Not only do I think I succeeded, but I'm also happy to report that this combo requires only 3 poi moves.

That's not a typo: you only need 3 tricks to do this combo and they're all beginner level tricks.

Give this combo a try and let me know what you think of it!

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Tips on Starting an Etsy Shop with Olive Pizzo of Harmonic Threads

Starting up a new feature through my YouTube and now a new Soundcloud account: Profiles in Flow. Every month, I'm going to interview a Flow Arts entrepreneur about how they got started, the challenges they've faced, and their tips for creating successful businesses.

This first episode features Olive Marie from Harmonic Threads. In this hour-long interview we talk about how Harmonic Threads got its start, how its grown, the stresses of entrepreneurship, and her tips for people starting out. If you've ever wanted to start an Etsy business, this is great advice to help you! 

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What are the best LED poi handles? (2017 buyers guide)

In the past few years, LED handles have grown as a market for prop makers driven by demand from poi spinners learning gunslingers as well as juggling. Today, I’m going to test four different options for LED handles to see how they stack up and which ones are the best fit for you.

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October 2017 Poi Dance Combo

Patterns are hard to remember, let alone where to transition out of them. Not to mention it's super easy to get lost as you're doing them. Have no fear, fam...I got you!

I've been doing monthly poi combo videos for most of the year but I haven't done an advanced combo since the spring. I wanted to throw a bone to those of you who've been learning the techier stuff in my 1-minute tutorials.

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How long should poi tethers be?

It's one of the most common questions that poi spinners have when they begin their spinning careers--how long should your poi be? There's an awful lot of caveats when it comes to answering this question, but here is the best I can do.

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Review: Ovo Handles from Lanternsmith

Lanternsmith revolutionized the poi handle game several years ago with the introduction of their Pomgrips. Now they've just released second generation poms as well as introducing a new handle form factor they're referring to as Ovo handles. These are specifically meant to be heavier and include more internal room than the Pomgrips. What do I think of these new handles? Click below to find out!

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August Poi Combo

So...you've got a few tricks under your belt. Inevitably the question comes up of how you put those tricks together into combos and choreography.

Fam...I got you!

Every month I post a new poi combo that uses tricks that I've covered in my 1-minute tutorial series. This month that combo is for intermediate level spinners!

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How to do Poi Turns

Since taking up formal dance training 8 years ago, one of the my favorite challenges was learning how to turn as I spun my prop!

As it turns out there are a lot of ways to go about this, including chaînés, pique, and fouetté turns.

It's something that people have frequently told me they really dig about my style of spinning as I've worked very hard to integrate these turns into my flow.

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Visual Poi Version 4 Review and Walkthrough

Programmable poi are one of the most exciting offerings in the world of poi from the past few years.

Being able to see pictures and messages in the trails of poi has been a game changer for performers as well as casual spinners--even resulting in one of the first poi videos to gain more than 1 million views!

One of the most innovative companies making strides in this area is Pyroterra's prop making division Lighttoys and they're now releasing their 4th-generation Visual Poi.

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How to Make a Prop Rack and Prop Wall

When my girlfriend and I first discussed moving in together, one thing that came up time and time again was our desire to have a way to store all our props that was both functional and beautiful.

We've had many friends online who've created prop racks or prop walls to show off their many tools and make them easily accessible and so we wanted to make one for ourselves.

Truth be told: this was one of the most fun home improvement projects I've ever done. We started by planning out the wall with scaled down paper cutouts and pricing out various options at hardware stores.

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