DrexFactor Poi

DrexFactor Poi Blog

New session of poi classes at Contradiction Dance

Fri, 09/17/2010 - 10:07am by Drex Tags:

This week begins a new session of poi classes at Contradiction Dance in Silver Spring. I have to admit that as a teacher I was spoiled rotten by the kids I taught in Kenya, whose focus and discipline was incredibly inspiring. Fortunately, the first class we had last night was just as inspiring! This session in addition to focusing on plane control and adding to our catalog of tricks like normal, I've added partner poi to the syllabus. Partner poi has seen some huge advances in the past year and presents some unique and interesting challenges for us.

Conway Jennings spins fire at Hookahdome -- Burning Man 2010

Thu, 09/16/2010 - 2:46pm by Drex Tags:

After the temple burn at Burning Man 2010, a bunch of the firespinners on the playa congregated at Hookahdome for one last firejam. Here's Conway Jennings spinning to the tunes.

conwayburningman2010.mp4

Kate shows off a cool new move at Burning Man 2010

Thu, 09/16/2010 - 2:37pm by Drex Tags:

During a Saturday geeking session at Vulcantown during Burning Man 2010, Kate McCoy from Ohio showed us this badass trick.

kateburningman2010.mp4

Arashi spins fire at Vulcantown -- Burning Man 2010

Thu, 09/16/2010 - 2:35pm by Drex Tags:

During a spin jam at Vulcantown on Friday night at Burning Man 2010, Arashi brought out his poi for a rare fire set. Enjoy!

arashiburningman2010.mp4

Spin jam in Mombasa

Thu, 09/16/2010 - 2:30pm by Drex Tags:

Spinning fire with Martin and the other Motomoto kids my last night in Mombasa.

spinjammombasa.mp4

Video Tech Blog #111: CAP vs pendulum hand switching

Mon, 08/30/2010 - 2:43pm by Drex Tags:

Uploading videos here in Africa has proven to be such a production that I think this might be the last one I get to upload before coming home, but keep an eye out just in case I change my mind ;) Here are two methods for switching which hand is performing CAP and which hand is performing pendulum in the CAP vs pendulum antibrid I've been working to death lately. The first method switches both moves to isolated pendulums and when the orientation of the hands is reversed, we return to the original move.

techblog111.mp4

Video Tech Blog #110: contact poi transitions between hybrids

Mon, 08/30/2010 - 2:39pm by Drex Tags:

After having been spending a lot of time trying to get the basic contact poi moves down, I went back and viewed a couple of Poiboi's old tech blogs and realized that a lot of the contact moves he demoed in them made a lot more sense, so I went back to learn them and found there are a couple interesting transitions using these basic contact moves that actually look pretty neat! One is demoed here: you switch from static vs. extension to pendulum vs. CAP using the forearm roll where one catches the poi on the opposite arm before flicking it to roll along the original forearm.

techblog110.mp4

Video Tech Blog #109: pendulum vs CAP with a point iso on top

Mon, 08/30/2010 - 2:36pm by Drex Tags:

I made a stop this past weekend at Nairobi National Park just outside the city to take in some wildlife and untouched African wilderness and it gave me the perfect opportunity to record a video! I know I've been doing a lot with pendulum vs CAP lately and I probably will keep on doing so because what I'm finding is so much fun! Here I've been working to put together a point isolation with a pendulum to create the illusion of the two poi moving together like a single line.

techblog109.mp4

Video Tech Blog #108: more plane-shifting with CAP vs pendulum

Mon, 08/30/2010 - 2:33pm by Drex Tags:

So if I've uploaded the right video (the computer I'm currently on won't view mp4 videos, so I'm making a guess at which video on the camera is the right one), you should all be seeing a transition from a cross-shaped plane shift to CAP vs. pendulum utilizing essentially an inverted linear isolation and a isolated pendulum to line the poi up the proper way to go into pendulum vs. CAP and back. Really, though, it was just an excuse to shoot a tech blog my first few days here in Kenya. Enjoy! :)

techblog108.mp4

The great Kenya adventure, Part 5

Fri, 08/27/2010 - 1:03am by Drex Tags:

It's Friday afternoon in Mombasa. I surface in the Indian Ocean just off Nyali Beach, North of the city. The weather could not be more perfect: lazy clouds hang at the edges of the horizon as an unobstructed sun shines down on a seemingly endless corridor of white sandy beach. Three British tourists attempt to learn to windsurf several yards further out to see without much luck. Next to me floats Martin, one of the first street children who started working with Will when he created the Motomoto Circus School.

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