Hey Jeremy,
I was very glad to see that Greg (flagboyoh@…) directed to you Home of
Poi. It’s a great resource.
You’ll discover that there are lots of things to spin besides glow sticks. I
recommend getting a set of UV-reactive Zuni poi. They’re good for learning,
and great for performing at clubs, especially those that have black lights
set up for flaggers. You can get them at Renegade Juggling
(http://www.renegadejuggling.com). You can also attach those little key
chain LED lights to them — I use Rav’n Party Lights (Ribbon style); the
crystal diffusers look great. There’s a little clip where the bean bag
attaches to the string, so you just slip the light on there. The light is so
small, you won’t even notice it.
The Home of Poi site is rather fire-centric, but their DVD is a good place
to start learning if you’re geographically isolated. They offer a package
with beginner poi and the DVD, but I don’t like their beginner poi as much
as the Zunis. (That combo package is how I learned originally.) The site
also has lots of little video clips that can help you learn moves.
Neon Husky (http://www.neonhusky.com/) sells pretty cool light rigs called
Quantum Leashes, but they’re not for beginners. You can give yourself a
pretty good whack, and break quite a few lights, if you’re still learning.
(Likewise, do NOT get the Beaming Balls from Home of Poi — unless you’d
like a nice concussion.)
The fire chains site also has some useful information.
http://www.firechains.com/.
I also have quite a bit of regional information, though it’s mostly West
Coast. I’m in San Francisco, and I actually teach poi through the Temple of
Poi (www.templeofpoi.com). I also have contacts in Los Angeles, Portland,
and Seattle. Let me know where you live, and I can give you more
information.
I hope all of this is helpful. Please feel free to write me directly if
you’d like any more info.
Jim
