Baptism by fire; that is what it felt like for Alice Taylor when she was first handed a rope dart lit on fire in Pai, Thailand. Alice was 18 when she was solo travelling around South East Asia. “I didn’t know anyone, and I didn’t know what else to do with my life,” Alice shared. While she may not have known anyone in Pai, Alice and fire soon become closely acquainted.
One night, a fire show was staged at a hostel that Alice was staying at in Pai. Having never seen this art form before, Alice’s interest was instantly piqued, “I had done dance all through school, but I had never seen any form of expression that was like dance and fire, and it seemed really emotive.” Alice approached the performers and asked if she could try their props, to which their response was, “sure.” Alice mentioned that it did feel scary, you know, playing with fire and all that. But Alice found an instant connection to the fire lit prop. “It felt so calming. It felt like such a purposeful thing,” she said. After that initial introduction to fire, for the next 5 months for 5 hours each day, Alice would be totally captivated by flow, practising this newfound artform. “Especially because I was going through such an emotional journey for myself, there was something about that felt really grounding. It was an opportunity for me to transform my emotions into movement” Alice disclosed.
The Flow Arts Institute defines the flow arts as “a general term used to describe the intersection of a variety of movement-based disciplines including dance, juggling, fire-spinning, and object manipulation. Common forms of flow arts include poi and staff spinning, hula hooping, juggling, sphere manipulation, and fan dance. New props and expressions are emerging all the time as flow artists cross pollinate with martial arts, yoga, circus, belly dance, and beyond.”
When I asked Alice what it is about flow arts that has kept her returning to the flow since she was 18, she answered by saying, “the community. There is something deeper about finding a prop that connects to you.
When you spend hours and hours with a prop and developing a connection with it, it starts to become a part of you. Reaching into this flow state and being able to experience this form of movement outside of your mind is fully intuitive and creative. When you find other people that have that experience, it is so beautiful to share the love of flow arts.”
Flow arts are often referred to as ‘moving-meditation,’ providing a multitude of physical, psychological, and social benefits to anyone who gives them a whirl. Other than being ridiculously fun, the flow arts are a disguised workout. Fire & Flow NZ revealed that flow can improve muscle strength and control as well as body awareness, balance, and even perception. The entrance into the ‘flow state’ is another benefit of the flow arts where you will find yourself completely engrossed in the task at hand where everything else seems to fade away. The flow state provides us with a portal into the unification of feelings, senses, and intentions all being directed at achieving the same goal.
Alice spoke of her own experience of the flow arts’ healing powers by sharing that, “there have definitely been times where I have gotten caught up in other things and I have stopped flowing for a period of time. Often, it is when I am going through a tumultuous emotional time and I find a moment to pick up some of my flow toys. When I start flowing again, it solidifies how healing it can be. It is a continuous reminder of how important it is to connect with your body, connect with your breath, and to have something to dedicate your time to that essentially has no purpose, it is all about creating a moment to enjoy with yourself.”
Alice described fire spinning as a form of therapy; a cathartic release. “If I’m emotionally charged, whether it is happiness, anger, or being upset, I can use that as fuel for creation and movement. However I am feeling internally will come out in my flow. Flowing can open up my stored emotions in whichever way I need to express it.
It is really magical, I’ve never encountered anything quite like it” she affirmed.
Beyond flowing for herself, Alice has taken her flow to various crowds across the globe and the motu. Kiwi crowds have seen Alice’s flow at numerous festivals such as Ignition, Twisted Frequency, Yatra, Kiwiburn, Spirit Festival, and Re:Gen. “Learning to perform was very different. I love performing but it is a different experience. If your main relationship with fire spinning is one-on-one or within a tight circle of friends, you’re not trying to do any cool tricks or whatever. You’re just wanting to feel it in your body” she said. Flowing with the presence of others brings in a multitude of different variables. “You’re being watched, you’re trying to impress people, and you’re trying to do cool moves” Alice expressed. She continued to say that “performing is something that I have enjoyed touching on and I am getting comfortable with now.”
Participating in the flow arts also grants us a portal back to childlike glee. “As adults, there’s really not a lot of time for us to just explore and play with no purpose. You know, for example you want to do some art, but there’s an objective to create an image and you’re working towards something” Alice explained. She continued saying that, “the only purpose of this for you is to enjoy yourself. If you fail, it is totally fine and a part of your journey. Failing is often how you end up learning new things.”
When I asked Alice to describe her relationship with flow in three words, she said, “expansive, creative, and empowering. It is hard to describe my relationship with flow art in three words because there is so much to it and there are so many different things that it brings into my life. But is it really empowering. Also, it is an incredible way to connect with myself and my emotions, as well as connecting with my creativity and other people.”
While actively participating in the flow arts is a transformative experience, there is also the hypnotic and almost trance-like experience of simply observing the flow arts.
Alice suggests a potential reason as to why the flow arts are so transfixing to watch could be their deeply entrenched relation with ancient culture and tradition. “There is something tribal and ancient about watching the flow arts. A lot of fire spinning props come from indigenous cultures or are borrowed from ancient cultures and traditions” Alice stated. For example, the rope dart originated in the Chinese Tang Dynasty dating back to 618-908 AD. Fire and Flow NZ wrote that Chinese soldiers used the rope dart as a weapon due to its compact size and ability to be easily concealed. They shared that “poi are one of the most well known props across the globe. Poi are a precious Māori taonga (treasure) and originate from her in Aotearoa.”
You might be reading this and thinking you want to have a go at the flow arts but you don’t know where to start. “I think that when you’re starting, you don’t have to have any expensive toys. You can find a straight stick or you can make any prop at home” Alice shared. “Most cities have a Fire & Flow group where they might meet once a week. It is an open space for anyone to come and learn and you can play with fire with people who are doing the same. You can also just play by yourself! There are so many YouTube tutorials online with people explaining spinning” Alice recommended. Furthermore, Alice suggested that you should, “play around with different props to see what feels right and to see what connects to you best.”
Looking ahead in Alice’s flow journey, I asked Alice what she is most excited for. “I am just excited to learn more and to meet more people that are doing it. I also feel like there is a resurgence and a lot of people are getting into it. I am also really excited for the summer and Christmas season which is always an exciting time for flow where I am excited to explore other facets of flow performance” she shared.
If you want to follow Alice’s flow journey, you can find Alice on Instagram @aliplayswithfire
