Poi (juggling) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Poi refers to both a style of performance art

Performance art

In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...

and the equipment used for engaging in poi performance. As a performance art, poi involves swinging tethered weights through a variety of rhythmical and geometric patterns. Poi artists may also sing or dance while swinging their poi. Poi can be made from various materials with different handles, weights, and effects (such as fire).

Poi originated with the Māori people of New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, where it is still practiced today. Poi has also gained a following in many other countries. The expansion of poi culture has led to a significant evolution of the styles practiced, the tools used, and the definition of the word "poi."

Poi in Māori culture

In the Māori language

Maori language

Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...

, poi can mean the physical objects used by the dancers, the choreography itself, or the accompanying music. In Maori culture, poi performance is usually practiced by women, but some legends indicate that it was first used by men to develop wrist flexibility for the use of hand weapons such as the club-like patu

Patu

A patu is a generic term for a club or pounder used by the Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. The word patu in the Māori language means to strike, hit, beat, or subdue. .- Weapons :...

, mere

Mere (weapon)

The mere is a type of short, broad-bladed club , usually made from Nephrite jade . A mere is one of the traditional, close combat, one-handed weapons of the indigenous Māori, of New Zealand. A mere could be used to split a skull open.- Form :The Mere is a spatulate, leaf shaped, form of short club...

, and kotiate

Kotiate

Kotiate is a type of traditional hand weapon of the Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand.A Kotiate is a short club normally made of wood or whalebone...

, but recent academic study has found no evidence to confirm this story.

Māori poi come in two forms: short, with strings equal to the length of the fingertips to the wrist; and long, with strings equal to the distance from fingertips to shoulder. A performance includes storytelling and singing in conjunction with choreographed poi routines and is often presented alongside other disciplines, such as waiata a ringa
Waiata
Waiata is the sixth studio album by New Zealand New Wave band Split Enz, released in 1981. Its Australian release was titled Corroboree. Waiata is the Māori term for song and singing, while corroboree is the Aboriginal term. According to Noel Crombie the intention was to name the album using a word...

, haka

Haka

Haka is a traditional ancestral war cry, dance or challenge from the Māori people of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment...

and titi torea (included in kapa haka

Kapa haka

The term Kapa haka is commonly known in Aotearoa as 'Maori Performing Arts' or the 'cultural dance' of Maori people...

performances). Poi feature in the 1980s hit song "Poi E

Poi E (album)

Poi E is an album released by New Zealand Māori culture group the Patea Maori Club. In 1984 the totally Maori language title track Poi-E topped the New Zealand Pop charts for four consecutive weeks, and was that year's biggest selling single - outselling all international recording...

Traditional poi construction

Originally, poi were most commonly made from harakeke (Phormium tenax
Phormium tenax
Phormium tenax is an evergreen perennial plant native to New Zealand and Norfolk Island that is an important fibre plant and a popular ornamental plant...

) and raupō (Typha orientalis). Makers stripped and scraped flax to provide the muka (inner flax fibre), which was twisted into two strands to make the taura (cord) as well as the aho (ties). A large knot was tied at one end of the cord, around which the core was formed from the pithy middle of the raupō stem. Dampened strips of raupō stems were then wrapped around the ball and tied off around the cord, forming the covering . The other end of the cord was often decorated with a mukamuka, a tassel made from muka formed around a smaller knot. Occasionally, smaller tassels called poi piu were affixed to the base of the poi ball. Construction and design varied widely depending on regional, tribal, and personal preferences.

Another variety of poi is poi tāniko. In this construction, the outer shell was made of finely woven muka using a pattern based on a fishing net; these poi sometimes included strands that were dyed yellow to form a diamond pattern known as Te Karu ō te Atua (the Eye of God).

In the late 19th Century and the first half of the 20th Century, a cottage industry developed from the manufacture of raupō poi for sale to tourists, especially in the Rotorua

Rotorua

Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...

area. Tourist-friendly variations included miniature poi that could be worn in buttonholes and as earrings.

Traditional raupō poi are less likely to be used by modern poi artists since traditional materials wear quickly with frequent use. Also, flax and raupō are becoming increasingly difficult to find as the wetlands where they are naturally found have been drained or made into conservation reserves (although traditional harvesting is, generally, allowed by law).

Today, most performance poi are made from durable and readily available modern materials. Cores are often made of foam or crumpled paper, while skins consist of plastic or loomed fabrics, such as tulle. Tassels are usually made of wool.

Modern poi

Modern poi coexists with traditional Maori poi and enjoys a broader, worldwide audience.

Traditional Maori poi is generally performed in group choreography at cultural events, with vocal and musical accompaniment. By contrast, modern poi is generally performed by individuals, without singing and with less structured choreography. The tools and styles used are more varied. Many people first encounter poi in the form of fire spinning, but fire spinning is just one form of this highly varied art.

Modern poi borrows significantly from other physical arts, including various schools of dance

Dance

Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....

and many object manipulation

Object manipulation

Object manipulation is a form of dexterity play or performance in which one or more artists physically interact with one or more objects. These can be special props made for the purpose of the manipulation itself - such as balls, clubs, hoops, rings, poi, staff, devil sticks, etc. - or any other...

arts. Poi is practiced around the world and can often be seen at large festivals like Burning Man

Burning Man

Burning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. The event starts on the Monday before the American Labor Day holiday, and ends on the holiday itself. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening...

, European Juggling Convention

European Juggling Convention

The European Juggling Convention , is the largest juggling convention in the world, regularly attracting several thousand participants. It is held every year in a different European city. It is organized by changing local organization committees which are supported by the European Juggling...

, and the Fire Dance Expo held annually during the US National Dance Week

National Dance Week

National Dance Week is an annual event in the United States sponsored by the United Dance Merchants of America to increase public awareness and appreciation of various forms dance...

in San Francisco.

Unlike many physical arts, learning poi does not usually involve formal education. Most spinners learn from each other or teach themselves using DVDs or online resources. A strong sense of community and self-teaching are key elements of modern poi.

The Internet has directly fueled the popularity of modern poi by helping people around the world discover poi and learn from one another.

Practice poi

Beginners learn using a simple pair of practice poi, which are typically constructed from soft materials such as rolled up sock

Sock

A sock is an item of clothing worn on the feet. The foot is among the heaviest producers of sweat in the body, as it is able to produce over of perspiration per day. Socks help to absorb this sweat and draw it to areas where air can evaporate the perspiration. In cold environments, socks decrease...

s or stockings that are filled with soft household objects such as bean bag

Bean bag

A bean bag is a sealed bag containing dried beans, PVC pellets or expanded polystyrene, with various applications.-Games:...

s, juggling balls, balloons filled with legumes, or small toys. Simple poi can also be constructed from tennis balls and lengths of rope weighted by rolled up bike tubes.

More advanced practice poi models may include swivels (for orbital-type tricks) and weighted handles (for tosses).

Performance poi

Performers often use poi with bright, contrasting colors to enhance aesthetics and emphasize patterns. Some performance poi also incorporate tails or streamers for visual effect.

Glow poi/glowstringing

Poi can be performed in the dark to dramatic effect when spinners use poi containing a light source, such as UV-sensitive materials, LED lights

Light-emitting diode

A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...

, or chemical glow sticks. Glowstringing

Glowsticking

Glowsticking is a form of dancing with glowsticks or other glowstick-like instruments that share the same qualities: durability, consistency in light, safety to toss around, and the material of which they are made, often a soft and pliant plastic....

, or using glowsticks swung from shoelaces, is popular at festivals

Music festival

A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...

and rave

Rave

Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...

Meteor

Meteors were cross-adapted from poi and from a Chinese martial arts weapon called the meteor hammer

Meteor hammer

The meteor hammer , often referred to simply as meteor, is an ancient Chinese weapon, consisting at its most basic level of two weights connected by a rope or chain. One of the flexible or 'soft' weapons, it is referred to by many different names worldwide, dependent upon region, construction and...

. The meteor is often constructed similar to poi, or can actually be made using poi. The meteor, however, also incorporates an additional short chain, rope, or bar in the center. This format means that most poi skills will translate to meteor, plus some staff, rope dart

Rope dart

The rope dart or rope javelin , also known as Jōhyō in Japanese,is one of the flexible weapons in Chinese martial arts. Other weapons in this family include the meteor hammer, flying claws, and chain whip...

and chain whip

Chain whip

The chain whip is a weapon used in some Asian martial arts, including Chinese martial arts, in addition to modern and traditional wushu. It consists of several metal rods, which are joined end-to-end by rings to form a flexible chain. Generally, the whip has a handle at one end and a metal dart,...

skills as well.

Fire poi

Fire poi use wicks for the weighted ends (often made using kevlar

Kevlar

Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...

). The wicks are soaked in fuel, set on fire, and then spun for dramatic effect.

The first known fire poi shows were part of private men's rituals in Hawaii. The first public appearance of these rituals started around 1959 and became a tourist attraction by the early 1960s.

Poi tricks

Typically, poi spinners start out learning simple moves and then gradually add moves of increasing complexity. A major part of learning poi is learning to transition smoothly between different moves or classes of moves. Many spinners find it helpful to practice spinning their poi to music in order to maintain a smooth cadence or rhythm.

There are several basic classes of tricks. The two poi are usually spun in parallel planes, and can be spun in the same direction (weaves) or opposite directions (butterflies). Moves such as stalls and wraps can change the direction of one or both poi in order to move between these two classes.

Weaves

Weaves are a class of trick centered on the "basic weave." Considered by many poi swingers to be one of the staple moves, the basic two-beat weave is often one of the first tricks learned. The basic weave is called "two-beat" because each poi spins two times in a cycle: once on each side of the body. Reverse weaves, behind-the-back weaves, 1½-beat, 3-beat, 4-beat, 5-beat and other weave variations are also possible.

Butterflies

The butterfly is a simple trick in which the hands are held close together in front of the spinner and the poi spin in opposite directions flat to the spinner, so that the poi cross at the top and bottom of their circles. This move can be done behind the head, behind the back and extended to any number of additional moves; there are as many variations on the butterfly possible as there are for the weave, including polyrhythms and hybrids. Some skilled performers can use four poi (two in each hand) to execute a double butterfly, a move that can also be executed with meteor. A few practitioners use six poi balls so that a third, one-footed butterfly can be performed with the other foot. However, the majority of poi performers consider such a trick to have no real use, as there's no way for the performer to execute the move as part of a dance without breaking the fluidity of movement.

Wraps

A wrap is a move in which one or both poi are wrapped around something, usually a part of the body, to change the path or direction of the poi's spin. There are different types of wraps. Recoil wraps first wrap around the target and then bounce off so that the poi ends up spinning in the opposite direction to which it started. Thru-wraps, meanwhile, wrap around a moving body part so that the poi's direction stays the same but the path it is traveling along changes. Typical targets for a wrap are the arms and legs, but any body part is suitable. One of the more dangerous places to perform a wrap is around the neck. Double-neck thru-wraps are perhaps the most dangerous move that can be done with fire poi due to the risk of the poi tangling.

Flowers

Flowers, or compound circles, are a visually impressive set of moves in which the poi spinner fully extends their arms and moves them in circles around the body while spinning the poi. When done in proper rhythm, doing so gives rise to a series of loops around a large circle, which resemble the petals of a flower. Flowers can be done in-spin, in which the poi spin in the same direction as the arms, and anti-spin, in which the poi spin in the opposite direction of the arms. Additional movement factors, such as same-time, split-time, opposite direction, and same direction in two directions of the arms and poi, make for 64 possible different combinations.

Further tricks

Isolations refer to a class of moves in which the poi handle is also spun in a circle. "Perfect" isolation occurs when the poi handle and the poi are moving in the same circle, and can usually create distinctive synchronized moves (e.g. cranks). Hyperloops are where the poi ropes becomes entangled (twisted up) and then untangled, keeping the ends spinning the entire time. Advanced spinners are also able to spin behind the back and under the leg.

External links

Poi in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Maori.org.nz Traditional Māori poi performance
Maori Poi Performance Origins and Tricks of Poi
Research in New Zealand Performing Arts - a free online research journal that discusses Maori music and related performing
Poi and Friends - an online community dedicated to teaching poi and other performance arts
Playpoi - an active site providing poi lessons for both new and advanced poi performers
Home of Poi - a repository of community-created learning videos, along with active discussion forums on poi and performance

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.