Circus and Flow Education

We offer several classes to help spread the joy and knowledge of kinetic play. Check out the list and see if something is right for you or your event!

Poi

Introduction to Poi Spinning : At it’s most basic, it’s a simple ball on a string, but it can change your world. Covering all the basics as well as some of the history of poi, this class will set you well on your way to becoming a poi spinner! Learn the skill sets and knowledge you need to start your journey. Topics include but are not limited to: Who the Maori are and how they feel about us playing with a dance prop they invented, spin direction, planes, stalls, turning while spinning, basic butterfly and basic weave.

Butterfly Variants : Every single variety of butterfly I can think of. Forward, reverse, thread the needle, behind the back, wheel plane, butter weaves, sky plane, flying your butterflies, butter flowers, and one handed butterflies are all included.

Poi Weaves: Nothing quite entices people to spin poi like seeing someone weave for the first time. Because the basics class is focused on fundamentals, we don’t touch weaves in it. Instead, I break weaves off into a separate class, so we can give the the attention they so richly deserve. We instruct 2 beat and 3 beat weaves in this class, and talk about the 5 beat.

Snakes : Bring on the slinky snakes! Wiggle and trace your way through an exploration of the snake and body tracers. This is 1 hour class is intermediate because of the need for plane control. It’s also helpful to understand isolations, but I can explain this to those who are unfamiliar. We will learn a basic “snake”, as well as various variants that take it vertical, reels, and explore all sorts of body tracers. This class includes time to practice, experiment, and come up with questions.

Dragon Staff

Basic Dragon Staff : A relatively recent invention in the world of juggling, dragon staff is a form of staff contact juggling. Basic chi rolls, forward and reverse alternating chi rolls, front and back body rolls, and cheat death make this basic course a great way to get to know your dragon staff.

Juggling

Introduction to Juggling : Juggling has been around for at least 4,000 years, and all that time has been sharpening people’s minds, hand eye coordination, and multi-tasking abilities. Come take your first step into a new world of surprising skills. We will begin with simply tossing and catching one object (usually people start with balls), and move from there onto 2 objects, and then onto 3 in a basic cascade. We can always go farther, but for most beginners this is plenty to keep them busy.

Devil Sticks

Introduction to Devil Sticks : These are also known as flower sticks, crystal sticks, or just juggling sticks. You hold a stick in each hand, and in between them, you bounce another, back and forth with clocklike rhythm. That tic toc motion will be the first part of the lesson. We will also cover basic flips and tosses, propellers, and one handed sticking.

Diablo

Basic Diablo : A Diablo set consists of a string tied between two sticks. On the string balances a spinning, two sided cup. Sort of like a yo-yo and a set of crystal sticks had a baby. But different. It is a unique toy, and I can get you rolling into exploration of it. You will learn how to build speed, elevators, one sided wraps / bounces, tosses, and over the foot bounces.

Yo-Yo

How To Yo-Yo: From the very basics, we teach you the ups and downs of this classic toy. You will leave this class with the knowledge to start moving happily down the path of becoming a yo-yo master!

All Props / Dance

Move With Your Prop : So you know how to spin your prop. You have some basic moves down, and maybe even a few more complex tricks. You can stand stock still and do them to show off to your buddies. But what you really want to do is be able to move with it. You want to dance! Or, failing that, maybe just be able to walk while spinning or juggling and not trip and land on your face. Dancing with props is one of my vary favorite things to do, and in this class we look at moving with your prop, whatever it may be, and how you develop a relationship with it to move with ease and comfort.

Flow

Achieving the Flow State With Intent : This workshop focuses on the flow state, or what is commonly referred to as “the zone”, and how to reach that state intentionally, at will. The flow state has great benefits for learning, personal happiness, mental health, and group cohesion. We will look at the history of the flow state through time, how we have reached the modern view today, and what science can tell us about the benefits of flow. Highlights will include learning who Mihaly Chikszentmihalyi was, why his work matters to us today, and how to pronounce his name. That will be followed by discussion of techniques for application, and a section of practice at the end of the workshop where we apply what we have learned. This workshop is part discussion, and part activity. Come ready to learn and bring a prop you like to use for the end section. If you have no prop to bring, we’ll have some extras handy, but it’s best if it’s something you are familiar with. Yoga and dance practitioners, your body counts as a prop for the purposes of this class! I have seen artists draw for this class, I have seen people build with legos… I imagine one could crochet or knit… the possibilities are endless!

Flowlosophy : This workshop focuses on the flow state, or what is commonly referred to as “the zone”, and will explore concepts, history, and notable names associated with it. The flow state has great benefits for learning, personal happiness, mental health, and group cohesion. We will look at the history of the flow state, how we have reached the modern view today, and what science can tell us about the benefits of flow. Highlights will include learning who Mihaly Chikszentmihalyi was, why his work matters to us today, and how to pronounce his name. We will have a Q&A section will be at the end of class. This will be a laid-back class. Come relax with us and engage in some learning and discussion. This class covers much of the same material as the “Finding the Flow State with Intent” class, just without the movement section and with a bit more depth on the philosophy.