Secret Poi Swinging In NY

New York fire poi dancers are flouting fire restrictions and meeting stealthily on top of city rooftops to attend secret classes, where students are careful to remove any traces of their activity afterward. The graceful movements of fire poi dancing do have roots in spirituality. A derivation of Maori tribal movements, fire poi has grown more popular in America owing to its prominence at the annual Burning Man festival in Nevada and international groups providing YouTube instructionals. “It’s a good way to stay active and fit that’s incredibly stimulating,” teacher Claire de Luxe says. She also performs fire poi professionally. “It adds a sense of play that many New Yorkers desperately crave,” she said, “whether they are conscious of it or not.”