Beyond the Basics of Poi

In this video we look at Split-time Hip Reels, also known as Watermill. Really watermill and windmill are the same basic pattern, just done at different heights. 

Want to learn stalls? Then find a wall! 

Speaking of stalls, here's Nick's Favourite Stalling Pattern! Stalling patterns are a great way to learn freedom of movement!

A crosspoint is the point where the flight path of a poi intersects itself. Playing with crosspoints is a way to observe, understand, stabilize, and interact with the poi. 3-beat weaves when performed randomly don't look like anything from the front, but by stabilizing the crosspoints it can become a beautiful helix. Crosspoints can also be used for spotting when turning and whirling in virtually any pattern. (It is easiest to work with crosspoints if you have light emitting poi!)

In this lesson we keep the poi spinning on a wall plane while we turn through a full circle. This teaches plane control through a full range of motion. Great for developing freedom to dance!

Nick demonstrates a few ways to wrap the poi around your hands to spin with shorter poi, followed by a Sign of Intelligent Life: Toronto's new Bixi Bikes! Music is "The Happy Track" by Delhi 2 Dublin. A big thanks to Kim Ivey and Raymond Ng for video.

In this video we look at buzzsaws; how to learn them, how to turn with them, and how to make them look good. Filmed at the inspiring Don Valley Brickworks, well worth checking out if you love the idea of nature coming back to major cities.

In this video we look at turning with behind-the-back weaves.

Clockwork is a family of moves combining flower petals, extensions, and pendulums on wall planes. Below we cover a few now-famous patterns.

Tick-Tock

In this video G teaches a classic clockwork pattern that we're now calling "Tick-Tock"

Time Flies

And this one we call "Time Flies." Thanks to Vanita for the name idea!

Nick shows you how to learn the anti-spin fountain. Hover over the thumbnail to see the move animate, and click it to go to the lesson page!

Big thanks to Karen for filming. Music is "The Happy Track" by the ever-awesome Delhi2Dublin.

Also known as "orbitals" by the glowstringers, superduperuberloops are a variation of hyperloops. This has been one of Nick's primary pet moves for the past year, and yet he still can't quite master it! 

We'd love to see this move become popular, as we're sure we'll see ubercreativity regarding new things to do with it.

This is the first installment of our hyperloops tutorial. We'll film more soon with more shots from above, and a few more tips as well.

The antispin weave: How and why to do it, and as usual, a little theory and silliness thrown in for good measure, including more guest appearances from some of our favorite poi artists :)

More Antispin Weave

nano-Tech Blog #4

Alien Jon demonstrates a number of antispin weave variations.

nano-Tech Blog #6

Antispin weave fountain with Alien Jon.

This is a tutorial video about compound circles (aka flowers) and freedom of expression. It uses footage from our first video shoots in the Poi Studio, so it's not the same production quality as the DVD, but it's entertaining and helpful... just like us!

More Flowers

Retreat Flower Tips

A little window into our Costa Rica 2009 retreats, covering rhythm and petal placement. 

Workshop Flower Tips

A few nice clips from a workshop tour, covering some theory on rhythm, beats, and flowers.

Wall Plane Flowers

A little bit of plane control goes a long way for opening up wall plane flowers and related patterns.

Triquetras

A triquetra has 3 anti-spin petals and they open up a world of poisibilities.

The Atomic Weave is a fusion of a 3 beat weave and split-time opposites, and a portal to the wonderful world of 3 dimensional poi spinning. Filmed in Berlin.