It is hard to give guidelines about where you can light your fire props, because rules vary greatly from location to location. I'm just going to cover the United States here, and you should speak with local performers regardless of where you are. In many parts of the country, it is legal to light up on your own property. However, this can vary from location to location, especially if you are in a fire hazard area. If you're in a location that has open flame restrictions for barbecuing, then you can probably assume you're in one of these areas. Don't just assume your areas okay, take the time to find out for yourself.
Restrictions for lighting up are typically different in private, compared to a public situation. If you're performing publicly then you are under fire marshal guidelines and may need to pull a permit of some type. See our section on performing professionally if this pertains to you.
Many communities have what are called spin jams or spin spaces that meet periodically to teach safety and provide a place to light up. Checking out Facebook can be a good place to find groups.
There are fire spinning conferences around the country. They teach classes and provide a venue to light up. Here is a partial list.
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Ignight Fire Flow Conference is a 3 day Fire Flow Community Celebration in Southern California, designed to provide a fun, educational and community environment for spinners from all over the world. More than 160 workshops in three days! Over 100 Beginner Flow Art classes to get your flow renewed. |
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FireDrums is an event in centeral California that brings together flow artists from around the world with the mission of uniting the cultures of fire dancing, fire performance arts, and flow arts. It strives to achieve this mission by organizing events where participants can creatively explore, share, and teach their art forms in a safe and inspiring environment. |
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Kinetic Fire is a 4 day fire performer’s paradise, held in the Mudwest, USA. The event is designed to provide a fun and open-share communal environment in which object manipulators and fire artists from all over the Midwest and the world can learn, teach, and advance together in the fire and flow arts. Kinetic Fire focuses on an amazing workshop program, high energy performances and designated spin time to high quality music. Fire enthusiasts of all skill levels are encouraged to participate in this exciting opportunity for growth and development as a fire artist, with other motivated members of the fire family at the largest annual gathering for fire dancers in the world. |
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FLAME Festival is an event in Georgia that seeks to increase the awareness of flow arts throughout the Southeast by providing a safe environment for both aspiring flow artists and experienced enthusiasts to share their work and talent with the world. We strive to provide a gathering of learning and skill development in Flow Arts and to further the Flow Arts community around us. |
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WildFire is the East Coast's premier spinning and fire arts training camp. Our mission is to spread the spinning arts and build community among spinning artists. Each of our three yearly events offers a diverse selection of over 100 classes on poi, hoop, dance, teaching, safety, business, performance, drumming... and so much more. Situated on a picturesque CT campground, you will enjoy this "camping" style retreat, where all meals and hot showers are provided. WildFire is the perfect spot for you to share, grow, discover, and learn with our spinning and fire arts community. |
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CampFire, located in Minnesota, is a focal point for the performing arts community to gather and transmit the experience of collective and individual transformation through active participation in expressive forms of communication with the ultimate goal of promoting conscious living and a culture of sustainability. CampFire’s goal is to bring the community together to expand our understanding of movement-based knowledge through education offered in workshops and through peer sharing. Refine your technique and experience others passionate about their art and get inspired. |
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Fahrenheit as an East Coast 4 day fire dancer retreat that boasts fantastic workshops throughout the day and incredible performances and fire dancing throughout the night! Come learn from some of the top flow arts instructors and fire performers from all over the East Coast! With classes in just about every prop and skill level, this is not to be missed! |
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Pacific Fire Gathering is the Northwest’s regional gathering of Flow Artists to share knowledge and play together. It is part of an emerging network of festivals that feature Flow Arts workshops all day (around 100 over the weekend), and a large fire-dancing circle with music into the night. The Flow Arts include fire-dancing, poi, staff, hula-hoop, juggling, dance, fans, whips, and whatever else you can imagine that gets you into a state of flow. The festival is located right on the ocean with a private beach. The ticket includes high-caliber performance showcases on both Friday and Saturday nights. Festival participants consistently leave full inspiration and new ideas for deepening their own practice of Flow, and connected to new friends in the community. Light the fires of passion, connectivity, and expression! |
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Hoop Convergence is an East Coast Hoop Dance Conference |
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Flow Camp is a weekend workshop retreat located in Kentucky that features some of the best and brightest instructors in the fields of Flow Arts, Burlesque, Aerials, Fire Dancing, Belly Dance, and more! Fow Camp's intention is to bring these arts to the lives of many to encourage adults to nourish movement and play into their lives. As we get older, we forget to move our bodies around and benefit from the physical and mental health benefits that come with it. |
Burning Man is a great place to light up, but even more importantly, you can join a conclave that will perform at Burning Man. Many cities around the United States have their own conclave and you can optionally start your own. Around 30 groups perform at Burning Man each year, and the groups will practice locally for months before hand to prepare an audition video. If a group does not exist in your area. You can create one.
There are also Burning Man Regional events through out the world, and throughout the year. Many of them allow fire performance.
Many festivals allow fire performers. If you have a Festival in your area, contact them and find out if it's allowed.
Regardless of what is allowed, do not light up in a venue that is not appropriate for fire. Here's a list of things to watch for. We do not claim this to be a complete list and you need use common sense for your situation. Do not light up under any of the circumstances:
- If there are any fire hazards around.
- If there is not a separate secure designated location to keep your fuel and fuel your props.
- If you do not have a trained "fire safety" person with the proper extinguishing equipment.
- If you have not gone through safety training. See our section on safety.
- If you don't have enough room to properly use your prop and provide space for your fire safety.
- If your audience is too close to you or you can't guarantee a safety perimeter.
- If you're not competent with your fire tool unlit