Fire & Performance
Fire has always been a powerful, mythic element for humans. It has played a significant role in our history and molded our very way of life. Fire performers have a deep respect for the flame and know that by no means do they ever have total control over it. At The Crucible, you can learn to safely manipulate fire’s captivating power, and learn to make and use various tools like poi, fire staffs, hula-hoops and the fire rope dart.
Adult Classes
The Crucible offers a wide variety of adult classes teaching different fire performance techniques. Whether you want to learn the fundamentals of eating fire or how to dance with poi, The Crucible has you covered. See the complete list of fire performance classes offered below.
Fire Eating I
Amaze an audience with your new skills as a fire eater! You will learn the science and safety behind basic tricks so you can fearlessly perform with open flame. You will learn tracing (how to run fire along the surface of your skin), transfers (moving flame from one source or position to another), various extinguishes, and tips for putting on a great show. You also will make your own set of torches to take home.
Fire Eating II
Expand your performance repertoire by learning intermediate fire eating tricks. Construct a new pair of torches and explore vapor tricks and transfers, jellyfish variations, human candles, and more! You will also learn basic choreography, transitions, and stage blocking to best showcase your new talents.
PREREQUISITE: Fire Eating I
Fire Hula Hoop I
Hoopnotize your friends with your amazing skills! This energetic course is an introduction to the basics of hooping including using different planes of the body, hoop tricks, and hoop expression through flow and imagination. At the culmination, you will hoop with fire!
Fire Hula Hoop II
This class takes you beyond the hoop dance fundamentals and helps you add more complex hoop moves to your basic foundation. You will learn isolations, stalls, tosses, and how to move the hoop in different planes on your body and at varying levels.
Fire Performance
Learn the art of fire dancing using poi, staff, and hoop to increase strength and skill in choreography, movement, and tricks with music. Build up to spinning with fire through this course, and get to practice during a specially scheduled evening session to see your fire performance light up the night. It is recommended (but not required) to take Fire Safety before this class.
Fire Poi II: Turns, Transitions, and Flows
Learn how to integrate movement with your poi spinning. After this class, your body and your poi will work together as one and you will know many new tricks. This course highlights choreography, movement, and working with music.
Fire Poi: Introduction
Learn to spin fire! Both a dance form and a style of juggling, poi spinning is an expressive performance art that uses weighted lines swung in circular patterns around the body. Using soft, practice poi, you will learn basic moves, such as butterflies, weaves, windmills, corkscrews, buzzsaws, and fountains. You will also be introduced to the concepts of plane theory, sequencing, and in-spin, and anti-spin rotation. On the last class, you will set your fire poi ablaze!
Note: It is recommended but not required to take Fire Safety before this class.
Fire & Performance Youth Classes
We do not currently offer youth classes in our Fire & Performance Department. You can see all The Crucible’s offerings for youth here.
Meet The Fire & Performance Department Head: Shaina Johnson
Shaina’s performance career started with ballet at age four, and after exploring many forms of dance, she discovered a passion for fire performance in 2001. Shaina first performed at The Crucible at the celebration for our new Oakland location in 2003. As an instructor, Shaina strives to create a supportive environment for participants to explore new skills by imbuing her classes with warmth, humor, and engaging, hands-on activities. Her classes emphasize safety, learning at one’s own pace, interactivity, and community creation.
Being Prepared For Your Fire & Performance Class
Fire & Performance classes are held on the second floor of our building, and outside in the gated parking lot. Please contact us if you have any questions about accessibility and we will be happy to accommodate.
Students must arrive for class in all-natural fiber clothing, long pants, and closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with socks that protect up to the ankle. Long hair must be tied back. Nylon, polyester, spandex, or other synthetics are not allowed around machines, equipment, or processes that can produce hot fragments, sparks, or flames.
The Crucible requests students always arrive in studio safe clothing when working. Layers are encouraged as the studio can be very cold or very hot.
