NEW!! Advanced Poi Spinning with Alien Jon
Three 2 hour sessions that explore the more advanced poi spinning techniques
April 17th 18th & 19th 2009 - Friday 5:30-7:30pm : Sat 1-3pm : Sun 12noon-2pm

"Hi Pixies.... I just wanted to thank you again for bringing Jon here for the workshop.... it was by far the best $60 i have ever spent and i feel like i learned more this past weekend than i have ever learned in my life...
i feel inspired and cannot wait to practice all the new stuff he showed us...
thank you thank you thank you!!!!!" - Heather

1st Workshop : Friday : "Learning to Spin from your Body"

There is a tendency amongst both beginners and advanced spinners, playing at the edge of their technical ability, to plant their feet, lock up their body, and put all of their focus on what their hands are doing with the poi. This workshop gives you the foundational elements, forms, and understanding you need to increase your freedom of movement. You'll develop the tools you need to easily take that move you're learning and move your body freely with it.

1st phase of class: Miming poi

* Footwork basics
* Footwork Drills (expect to be a little silly)
* The Hallway and keeping your bearings
* Timing and direction with your arms: the 4 modes
* Move your feet and your arms at the same time!
* Focus points and transition points for the 4 modes wile turning!!

2nd phase: getting poi involved

* 4 modes with poi
* Footwork drills with poi!
* pinpoint your problem areas and polish them
* Where can we push it: Pirouettes and other silliness!

2nd Workshop : Saturday : "Spinning Geometry with 1 and 2 Poi: Time Sculpture"

In this workshop we'll take a look at the fundamental geometric attributes of poi when spinning , as they relate to you and the space around you. We'll explore how to move circles around your body, touching on basic building blocks that even advanced spinners have missed. Then we will explore the relationship and symmetries of 2 circles. Finally we will move beyond the circle into expansive and contractive orbits, and the patterns you can make with them.
1st phase will be: The Geometry of a circle from 2D to 2.5D

* Anatomy of a circle
* Figure-eights and Cross-Points
* Pushing and pulling the circle
* Move through zones around your body

2nd phase: how the poi dance together

* Symmetry and Harmonic Proportion
* Stalls
* Loops and Arcs
* Linear moves
* Continuous Assembly Patterns (CAPs)

3rd Workshop : Sunday : Tech Poi and Group Requests

In this workshop, we will delve deeper into the space surrounding your body, the frames and negative space your limbs and body can create, and how your poi interact with it. This is an an elegant and more easily understood take on some rather technical poi spinning. Then we will open up the class to participant directed questions and request for technical and advanced moves and patterns.
1st Phase: Advanced use of Body Space

* Framing your poi
* Insides
* Inswings
* Introversions
* Inversions

2nd Phase: Group questions and exploration

The group can explore more advanced moves they want to learn!