The Responsibility of Fire Performance

Let's face it, this is not an easy hobby. When playing with something as dangerous as fire, there are so many things to consider, insurance, safety, crowd control, stage layout, hazards, fellow performers, sobriety, health, prop condition, fuel, etc. etc. I guess this helps weed out those who "just want to play with fire" and those who are serious performers. 

I've had a roller coaster of emotion when working with other fire artists. Some are hard core into safety, others light up on a whim with little regard for anything. Something that set the BDFC apart in the beginning was our absolute respect for the process. 

Taking hold of the responsibility of "playing" with fire takes everyone in a group. You can't have one person who cares, and five who don't. Responsibility in this game is not just about playing safe, it is also about being a part of a business, not only eating your piece of the pie, but helping collect the ingredient, stir the bowl and bake the pie. 

Though the behind-the-scenes day to day part of the business is not of interest to everyone, and I do find this art form tends to attract an interesting mix, it is ultimately what creates the cohesive, amazing end piece that people have come to love from the BDFC. The hard work that we ALL are willing to put in helps build something that benefits our audience as well as ourselves. Performing art is about giving to your audience, otherwise we would dance for ourselves in our backyards where no one could see. We are presenting this art because it brings joy, awe, love, and a plethora of other emotions. 

We are artists. We are partners. We are business people. It is not about what we take for ourselves, but what we give to our audience.

Opening the senses, finding inspiration

Finding continued, renewable inspiration in dance is challenging, but possible if you practice seeing, hearing, feeling and moving. By opening the senses, the essence of dance can be fully realized, and can also be continually refreshed and renewed through a push and pull of different sensual combinations. 

As a professional artist and dancer, I strongly believe that art begins with the ability to see. Often, our visual perception of dance is skewed by what we "think" we see. For example, have you ever watched a performer do a move, then asked them how to execute the move only to find out it is not at all what you thought you saw? It happens frequently, our brains sometimes work by applying something familiar, a symbol, to something they've never seen before, therefore blocking our ability to actually see what is happening. In order to keep this from happening, you have to start by letting go of attachment to the things you think you know, and then allow new imagery and new pathways to form. When you fully invest in your ability to see, you may notice subtle nuances of movement all around you. Movement happens in static objects as well as those in motion. Be open to inspiration from unlikely sources, and you may be surprised by what you find! 

When working with a piece of music, the ability to hear the fluctuation, rhythm and variation will take your expression of that piece from a simple bass-driven performance to an exciting visual representation of instrument and sound. You become the music, rather than just dancing to it. 

Music does not just contain sound, it also has emotion, and therefore must be felt as well as heard. Feeling is an integral part of dance, you feel the way your body moves, feel the way your feet land on the floor, the way the music pulses through you, and the emotion it conjures inside as you move. There is a physical sensation as well as an emotional connection. Both lead to more expressive movement and understanding. 

So many senses come into play with movement and performing arts. Remember to explore all of them, and you may find inspiration from places you never imagined. Let the body be open to receive this beautiful gift, and translate it so the world may know it, too. 

Satya