Fire performing is a performance art which has been increasing in popularity over the last few years.  As part of the counter-culture in the Unites States, it is not the type of performing art which you can buy a ticket and go watch, unless you know someone who does it.  Generally, you will find fire performers at various types of festivals. 

When someone learns that I am a fire performer, the first questions is always, “What do you mean, fire performer? How do you do that?” Well, there are multiple ways of performing with fire, as there are many different 'props' you could use, but I will first describe how the props are turned into fire props.

Let's take one of the basic props which can be used, the baton, similar to the baton you would see a high school baton twirler using.  To make the baton a fire prop, you would need Kevlar.  Kevlar is a cloth-like material, the same material from which a fire fighter's suit is made of.  To make the wicks on the baton, and most other fire props, you would take two lengths of the material, about 4 inches wide and about 4 feet in length, and wrap one section around each end of the baton.  Now you would have two wicks on either end of the baton, about 4 inches long, although, these lengths will vary on any prop, depending on the type of prop and personal preference.  The wick would be bolted onto the baton to keep it on.  The baton could be made of almost any material, even wood, although it would need to be covered in metal, such as aluminum, so the baton will not burn.

So, we now have a prop that can be used safely with fire, and now we need to light it.  There are multiple ways to do this as well, however the safest fuel to use is lamp oil.  Alternative fuels include Kerosene and 'white' gas.  The fuel is poured into a designated container, usually an aluminum can, such as a used instant coffee can.  The wicks are then dipped in the fuel.  After dipping the fuel, a designated towel is used to help absorb any extra fuel from the wicks.  If this is not done, after the wicks are lit and the prop is twirled around, flaming fuel will shoot off of the wicks, and as you may imagine, this is simply not safe!  After pressing off the excess fuel, the prop is ready to go, and just needs lit by any open flame.

What I think makes fire performing so interesting is the different types of props which can be used.  It seems to me that almost every time I meet another fire performer, I learn about a new prop.  The baton has many variations, including double baton, short baton, staff, and the (slightly more dangerous) three-section staff.  Aside from staffs and batons, the most popular fire performing props are poi.  Poi come in pairs, and are roughly 2-3 feet in total length, although this too depends on personal preference.  There is the handle, usually made of leather, nylon, or, honestly, whatever the performer feels like using (I've seen socks used as handles before!).  The handle is connected to a chain, which is then connected to the poi 'head'.  Imagine the wick from the baton, and take just the wick, and attach it to a chain, and it is now a poi head.  Other variations of poi include multi-headed poi, and 'snake' poi.  There is a whole list of different props, because after a few years of learning new props, people begin to get creative and make up their own type of prop. However, just to name a few of the other types of props; whip, sword, knife, nun chuck, rope dart, fire fans, finger torches, and hula hoops.

Finally, what do people do with all these different props, especially with fire? Well, fire performing is like a mix of martial arts and dance; it has been compared to Tai Chi.  Well-practiced and well-timed weaves, spins, twirls, throws, and isolations are all combined and executed in a rhythmic style, and creates wonderful patterns.  To the performer, it is a stress reliever, and a mind and body exercise, almost like a meditation.  To the audience, it can be an awesome experience, and very visually entertaining.