The Rhythm of Japan

We are just about halfway through our performances here at Huis ten Bosch, and we've settled into the rhythm.  We usually sleep in a bit, until 9:30 or 10, then get up and have tea, make breakfast (on the unbelievably slow and underpowered hot plate) and then do a little wandering during the day - visiting local shrines, exploring the neighborhood, or taking a train trip into town for shopping.  

Our work day starts at around 4, when we pedal our bikes into the park and start getting ready for our shows - makeup, lots and lots of stretching, prop repair, etc.

The first show is a mini (solo) at 5, then we've got shows at 6, 7, and 8 and sometimes 9 and 9:40.  We all like that they're pretty much back-to-back so there's not a whole lot of waiting around.

We are becoming absolute masters of efficient shake-off and show prep.  We can prep all 14 props in about 8 minutes, give or take.  

We are also becoming masters of performance in inclement weather.  Who needs to be able to feel their fingers while fire dancing?  Not us.  30MPH gusting winds during fire eating?  Not a problem.  Last night I found myself balanced on Darrell's shoulders, leaning waaaay back while a terrifying gust of blizzardy, snowy wind nearly put my fire poi right out.   I just smiled and gave the crowd a wink.

The audiences are troopers, huddling in their coats and braving the conditions to see us out there in the storm.  It's a little rough on us, though... they clap, with their gloves on, and we can't hear them.  They're too cold to cheer and they're all covering their faces so we can't even see them smile.  But they stay to the end, so I guess that means they like us.

We pedal home in the moonlight, and the next day we wake up and do it again.  The sameness is strange to me.  I ran away to the circus partly because I want each day to be different, and here I am, reporting to work at the same time every day, following the same routine.   I'm trying to let it relax me.  No worries about where to be, no decisions to make, no problem.  I must admit, I will be happy to get back to a life where the day of the week actually matters. 

It's also fascinating to me how accustomed I'm getting to the absolute weirdness of our environment.  Electric disco swans and people in giant tulip costumes no longer get a second glance.  It's just Huis ten Bosch.  

It's still a challenge, and we're still dragging home exhausted every night, but it's manageable.  The main variable of each day is still the weather.  Fire dancing in a blizzard is really no fun at all, and if the temperature gets way up into the 50s we all find ourselves grinning like idiots all day long.  Muscles and joints are not made for below-zero-acrobatics, and while the heat of the fire helps make it possible for us to do this at all, it's still not much fun in the bitter cold.  

I'm Sorry Darrell!

Saturday morning and it's beautifully sunny and cold outside. We're a little tired and achey - our show count goes up on the weekends, and that extra few burns really takes it out of me, but there was fresh crab with melted butter for breakfast so that helps.

It's not the fire dancing. The fire dancing is great. Fun, exciting, exhilarating, especially for big excited weekend audiences. It's the cold cold weather, and the "shaking out" - the 20 minutes of prep time before each show, fueling up all the tools and spinning them around vigorously to get the extra gas out before lighting them so it doesn't spray the audience. My body is sick to death of shaking out.

Last night during our 3rd show I didn't shake out quite well enough, and I could feel the little microscopic fuel droplets spraying me as I started our finale choreography. My tired mind started repeating, "don't hit yourself, or you'll catch fire. Don't hit yourself, or you'll catch fire.."

Now, you know what happens when you repeat a mantra like that, yes? You HIT YOURSELF. Or more specifically, you hit your partner. Bang on top of the head, with both wet poi at once. I managed to light almost his entire head on fire with one perfectly-aimed strike.

With flaming poi in my hands, I couldn't do a thing about it either.. except get wide-eyed and start blowing for all I was worth like my 50th birthday cake was lit up in front of me and I was guaranteed to get my wish if I could get them all out. (note to the uninitiated: when you blow on a fire, it.. um.. flares up higher)

The audience ooh'd and aah'd while Darrell calmly reached up and smoothed the fire from his long, flowing red tresses and then grinned at the audience while comically shaking finger at me. His big smile calmed the audience (and ME) down to the point where everyone relaxed, I jumped back into the choreography and we finished the show spot-on.

He's fine. He just got out of the shower and honestly, I can't even tell that I burned off a good portion of his hair. He's not even mad at me as far as I can tell. I feel guilty as hell though.. couldn't sleep too well last night, so I am baring my conscience and begging forgiveness. Darrell, I won't light your head on fire anymore, ok?

Japan - Day 4

Today was a lighter show day - only 5 shows instead of 7.   We are very much appreciating the break, and took advantage of the shorter work day to have an epic shopping trip (hot plate!  yes!  no more microwaved fish!) and to go see a delightful magic show (fire illusionist FTW).  Also I got a wonderful massage, wherein they shiatsu-ed the tightness away and then encased my legs in the fabulous Leg Massage Machine, which squeezed and squeezed and squeezed until I was in absolute heaven.  These cobblestone streets do take their toll on the ol' feet.

Tomorrow we will (hopefully) get our loaner bikes, which will give us a bit more freedom to explore.  We've got a heavier show schedule for the weekend but then it lightens up again for the weekdays, and we'll also start getting to take days off fairly soon.  I think we're all a bit wiped out and in need of a rest, but our show keeps getting better and better.

It's an interesting phenomenon.. as our show gets tighter, we seem to get more dissatisfied with it.  New interactions emerge, we get more laughs and more applause, and we really start to notice all the bits that don't work as well as they could.  We'll absolutely ROCK a piece of one show, and if it's back to "normal" at the next show we feel like failures.

We're also feeling the effects of oh-so-many shows and starting to get a lot of singed hair and mini burns, especially on our hands.  When the weather is really cold outside, that also takes its toll.  I'm impressed with everyone's resilience and grateful that our bodies work so very well -- in spite of minor things like burns and illness and below-freezing weather we are still jumping around, doing acrobatics and playing with fire.  My troupe members RULE!

This first week is the most demanding of the whole run.  Soon we'll settle into a comfortable routine and have a little time to relax, enjoy, and explore.  For now it's all about getting through the weekend.. and I have absolute faith that we're gonna rock it.

Japan - Arrival

We've arrived!  Fire Pixie is performing for the winter season at Huis ten Bosch theme park in southern Japan.  

The trip out was pretty grueling, almost 24 hours all told to get here.  We are staying in a teensy apartment complex (the apartments are teensy, not the complex) just across the river from the park.  We got in late last night and crashed, then woke up to find the full moon setting over the hills and the sky lightening with a beautiful misty dawn.

Yesterday we got our performance schedule and took a tour of the park, visiting all our different stage locations and moving into our dressing room.   We're going to be performing either 2 or 3 full length shows each day, plus 3-4 "mini-shows" - basically 10-minute solo shows.  The first few days are going to be nuts, as we'll be packing as many shows in as possible for the New Year holiday.  However, our first show each day isn't until about 4:30 pm, which is sort of awesome.. we will have day times to do whatever we please. 

The rest of yesterday was taken up with shopping.  The park is under new management, and the amenities aren't quite what they were last time - our little apartment is pretty bare-bones.  We have no plates, silverware, chop sticks, towels, or cookware for our teensy kitchenette.  There was no food or tea on the first morning, and not even a cup to drink water from. We do have a sink, a microwave and a mini-fridge.  The walls are barren, the lighting is harsh and fluorescent, and the bed is a narrow twin that Darrell and I both have to squeeze into.  (good thing we like to snuggle)  

I will admit, dragging into this sad little place after 24 hours of travel had me pretty disheartened.  I miss my hanging fairy bed and my giant bathtub and my well-appointed kitchen!   I miss my cat.  I miss waking up in my comfortable familiar surroundings with my comfortable familiar routine.  I miss all that way more than I thought I would - way more than I feel I should.  When did I get so set into my ways?

"The powerful odor removal effect will not make you feel uneasy"

But, after shopping today things are getting a little more homey.  Thank heavens for Daiso - the 100-yen store that has EVERYTHING.  Why aren't our dollar stores this awesome???  I got some art supplies, some cozy slippers, a soft area rug and some scented candles and the place is feeling better already.  I'm going to make some crazy art and decorate the heck out of this institutional little cubby.  

Of course, having things like tea, and a mug to drink it from (as well as my very own bottle of sake) doesn't hurt either.  :)

Today is rehearsals all day long, then we begin performances on Monday (NYE).  I'm quite looking forward to it - here's hoping the weather holds.

New Year's Eve Aerial & Fire & Belly Dancing

For NYE 2011, Fire Pixie was booked at the India Community Center in Milpitas to put on a New Year's Eve circus show.  We rocked the house!

Opening act was a belly dance solo by Miriam.  I absolutely love her fluttery fabric fans..

Our second act was an aerial tissu duet featuring Miriam and me.  I was all kinds of excited about this. I've never done aerial for such a huge venue before and I was nervous as all get out.
We put together a new duet for this show.. the storyline was of a dragonrider and her dragon meeting and flying together.  It was choreographed to original music by Darrell, my hubby and partner in crime.  There's something so exciting about working together with a musician.. the music and the dance can grow organically together so that they fit together like legos.  If the dance calls for a pause or a crash, the music can change to support it, and if the music calls for a legato section we can add that into the dance.  It's a fluid kind of creation and frankly, kind of a rush.  (More about making the costumes over at Fire Pixie Fashion)

Since it was a new piece, we'd had a "preview party" at my house the week before the performance, so we could perform it in front of an audience before the big show on NYE.  This upped my confidence level enormously.  And it really worked!  I had the jitters until I heard the first drumbeats of the music start, and then found myself transported to that magical timeless flow state, flying through the routine effortlessly, spinning and dancing, climbing and dropping, connecting with the audience.

Moments like that are magical.  This is why I choose this kind of life. 

See the whole photo set here 

After the show, the adrenaline rush took us right through the last set of the night, the fire show.  I'll be honest.. we've done so many fire shows of this type that we don't even bother taking pictures anymore.. but we pulled it off with our usual aplomb and then made it back to Miriam's in time for a new year's champagne toast.

Happy New Year!  I want to hear about your NYE adventures too!

San Jose State's Fire on the Fountain Show Photos

I was trawling the internet late at night and happened upon these awesome photos of our fire show at San Jose State University's Homecoming from this year.  It was a really fun show.. and TrueNoir got some really great shots! 

Here's my favorite... spoooky!

Fire Dancing at Cache Creek Casino

Fire Pixie was lucky enough to perform for the VIP Club party at Cache Creek Casino last weekend.  We did 4 shows throughout the night on their gorgeous stage at Club 88.  The whole place was decorated with a Fire & Ice theme.. I love doing fire & ice parties!  Being a fire person, I'm really blown away and impressed with ice sculpture.  This event had a 6 foot long bar made out of ice, with drinks inside it (how do they DO that??).  The Ice Bartender was even brave enough to get her palm lit on fire by Darrell during one of the shows.  I guess maybe she was cold?  :)

Above is my favorite shot from the night, and here is a slideshow of all the best shots we got.  Darrell has been playing with placing a camera on a timer at the back of the stage so it takes loads of pictures.. we have to weed out the blurries but ended up with some great stuff this time.  Enjoy!

SFSU AIDS Awareness Day

Today we'll be performing at the SFSU Aids Awareness Day again.. come on out and see us!  We'll be performing at around 12:30 outside the Student Union.  Come and support this awesome event and the amazing students who put it on every year.

This event is lots of fun, with games, booths, food and entertainment.  The students always turn out for this one - be sure to come by for a fun lunchtime show if you're in the area.

Fire Dancing in the Rain

Last night we did a fire show for a 16th birthday party in Sacramento.  This show had been booked for MONTHS and the hostess was really excited about it.. we were too!  It was a very cool location, right near the capital building, and a "Fire & Ice" theme which is some of our best stuff.

When yesterday's thunder storm rolled in, I called the hostess..  Would the show go on?  The wind was whipping, the rain was driving and there was dramatic thunder and lightning!  We hemmed & hawed for a moment .. but then decided that yes, the show must go on.  I braved the traffic and the 2 hour drive, and got to the restaurant right on time.

It was raining BUCKETS.  I was a little nervous about the PA system.. electronics and rain do not do well together.. but I was able to borrow a catering cart and drape fabric all around to make a little "tent" for the speakers, and cranked it up just as loud as it would go to overcome the incredible noise of the rain drops.  The hostess pulled some capers to trick all the guests into coming outside in the rain, and then the show began.

Remember how fun it was to stomp in puddles when you were a kid?

Well, as the music started, I got a huge surge of energy.  There's this moment.. at first, you're trying your best to stay as dry as possible.  Keeping the hood up, avoiding the deepest of the puddles, hurrying to any overhang you can see.. and then there is an internal shift.  The music starts, your shoulders relax, your jacket comes off and you turn and face the rain... and embrace it.  Embrace the wet, embrace the cold, jump into the puddles and smile.  The rain drops sizzle as they hit the fire.  The audience shivers until you get close and share the fire's heat.  The light reflects from the puddles and from the falling drops, surrounding you in a magical halo of warmth and fairy lights.

When you embrace the rain while being embraced by the fire, the magic of the opposite elements twirling around you and surrounding you is absolutely transcending.

The last time I fire danced in pouring rain was at Castello di Amarosa, the very first time we performed there.  It was magical, and still one of my favorite fire dancing memories of all time. This weekend's show might not rank up with the favorites.. but it sure did an amazing job of making me feel truly alive.

Being an entertainer means bringing performance and art off the TV screen and into the real world.  Sometimes the real world presents challenges.. but if it's too easy, is it really worth doing?  Transcendence is easiest to find on the opposite side of adversity.