If you’ve been on the First Friday Art Walk recently, you’ve most likely been among the wide-eyed spectators witnessing flames being twirled, thrown, spun into patterns, and even breathed. These flamboyant performers are The River City Burners. They aim to expose you to the unique and ancient art form known as poi or “fire spinning.” They also strive to be a driving force in Richmond’s performance art community, making jaws drop and hands clap.
Parker: How did all of this start out for you guys? What made you want to perform with fire?
Stephen Bowman: I was first bitten by the fire/poi spinning bug after watching Brenda (my sister-in-law) and Sean from the DC Burners perform in DC. Like most people watching fire spinning for the first time, I was amazed and mesmerized. I could have watched them all night.
Carol Lee Bowman: Yeah, my sister got involved with fire spinning in D.C. She came down to visit us and lit up her poi in our front yard. The next day, I was on www.homeofpoi.com ordering an instructional DVD to start practicing poi. I was hooked!
Brandy Horvath: I went to a music festival in Georgia and saw someone spinning fire. I loved it so much that when I got home, I did some research to find out more about it. I met Carol Lee on the Home of Poi website. We started practicing and spinning together, and eventually decided to form the performance troupe, The River City Burners.
Parker: Can you talk about the history of fire spinning and where it originated?
BH: Poi was originally used many years ago by the Māori people of Polynesia to increase their flexibility, strengthen their hands and arms, and improve coordination. Over the years, different tribes passed down their own history of poi. The types of poi and spinning styles are as varied as the tribes they originate from.
Parker: It seems like it’s not only an art form but also a way to get more in tune with yourself.
BH: So true! Not only does spinning poi help with flexibility and coordination, but it also helps you center yourself and definitely gives you an outlet for being physical.
SB: Fire/poi spinning has helped me with my physical as well as emotional coordination. I’ve become much more in tune with my body and mind. It has forced me to think in new ways, maximizing the balance between the left and right sides of my brain.
CLB: Until recently, I was only comfortable in water. Land was just where I had to be in between trips to the water. Spinning poi has changed that. When I spin, I feel a wonderful rush of excitement. I’m hopelessly addicted to the combination of music and movement with the thrill of fire. Spinning calms my restless, hydrophilic soul.
Parker: Do you guys all have fire-performing names?
CLB: Since poi originated in the Māori tribes of New Zealand, we decided to have animal totems represent each member of the group. My tribal symbol is the catfish, and my performing name is Pyrofish. I’m a huge fan of the James River and love snorkeling with the catfish at Pipeline, Nickel Bridge, and Pony Pasture. During the drought a few years back, I had amazing experiences—swimming with 20 flathead catfish in a swimming hole, hovering over huge blue cats during spawning season, and being eye-to-eye with some really big flatheads nestled under boulders. Snorkeling the James is my favorite place to be. My specialty is fire poi, but I’m teaching myself to spin a fire staff and might try fire fans in the future.
SB: My fire name is HyperFire. I was hyperactive as a child, and that energy is still in me today. Coupled with a monster metabolism, my fire/poi spinning stems from this energy. Oddly enough, fire spinning relaxes me.
BH: I spin poi and double staff (batons). My stage name is Catalyst, and my totem is the rabbit. Both are significant in my life. I’ve always been drawn to rabbits, and I collect rabbit statues and artwork. A catalyst, of course, is something that speeds up or induces a chemical reaction. I’ve always been interested in chemistry and how one material can change to another. The process is quickened by the catalyst, so choosing Catalyst as my name was obvious.
Parker: Have you had anyone interested in learning to spin? Are you looking to add to the ranks of The River City Burners?
CLB: Right now, The River City Burners has five members. I hope to add more as new spinners pop up in Richmond. I’d love to hold organized poi-spinning classes to teach people how to use poi for exercise and stress relief. It does wonders for me, and I’d love to share that. For now, we just have informal “spin jams” where we exchange new moves.
SB: We’ve had a lot of people interested in learning to spin fire/poi. Our email list grows with each event, and we post to everyone on the list when we get together for spin jams and informal lessons.
BH: Yeah, a lot of people ask about lessons, and we’d definitely like to start teaching. Hopefully, this summer will be busy, and we’ll schedule days at a local park to bring in new people.
Parker: Do you see performance in this genre increasing?
BH: I do. Fire arts are becoming more popular. There’s already a strong fire community overseas, in England and Australia, but I think the U.S. will catch on soon. That’s part of what we’re about—spreading the word and introducing people to the art form.
Parker: You’re now a staple of the First Friday Art Walk. What’s your opinion of the event? Do you see it growing or changing?
CLB: Every time I go to the First Friday Art Walk, I’m amazed by the showing of culture and people supporting the arts. I’d love to see Richmond thrive artistically, rivaling places like Austin, TX, or Athens, GA. Spinning fire on the sidewalks during First Friday brings Richmond closer to that potential.
SB: I think the Art Walk is a huge success. It’s great to see Richmonders supporting the creative community. First Friday is an excellent reason for people to come downtown. I’d love to see Broad Street shut down to vehicle traffic for the event.
Parker: What’s your main goal for the future?
BH: Our goal is not just to perform but to connect with other fire artists and help the fire community grow. Spreading the joy of fire spinning is at the heart of what we do. I’ve had such positive experiences learning and spinning fire, and I want to share that with others.
Photos by Brandy Horvath
For more information, visit www.rivercityburners.com
