By THERESA HOGUE
corvallis Gazette-Times | Posted: Saturday, December 24, 2005 12:00 am
Dancers use flames and drum accompaniment to entertain and to share their passion for the art with others
Sometimes, when you're out for an early evening stroll, you stumble upon something unexpected in quiet Corvallis. This summer, anyone walking among the park blocks along Monroe Avenue on a Tuesday evening might have thought their ears were deceiving them.
From far away, the dull, rhythmic thumping might fool the ear into thinking someone's radio was up too loud. But someone following the steady beat would soon realize the noise was much louder and much more immediate than a cranked up stereo system.
Getting closer, the pulse becomes less like a distant heart beat and more like something primitive and yet familiar, something soul-stirring and reminiscent of the soundtrack to a movie set in the Kalahari. And just when the noise becomes recognizable as the sounds of a drum circle, that's when you see the fire, and you know you're not in Kansas anymore.
The Nan Nkama drum circle accompanies a group of fire dancers who spin and weave their fire staff and flaming poi (Maori for the flammable balls on the ends of ropes or chains spun by fire dancers). For about three or four hours during the weekly gathering, the drums are rarely silenced and the fire dancers can be seen from a distance, making swirling hot-white patterns against the darkness.
Three of the fire dancers form a local group called FIREality, and the drum circle gatherings allow Paynim and Mas (their fire dancing names) and Corie McKeone to practice their skills in preparation for the performances they do on weekends and at various events.
Other fire dancers often join in on the weekly sessions, and in the summer, at its peak, 15 fire dancers, 10 drummers and a crowd of hundreds of spectators gather to celebrate the art form.
In the winter, the crowd shrinks and the location changes.
Last Wednesday, to celebrate winter solstice, the group gathered on private property to celebrate the longest night of the year.
"It's been a lot of fun," said Paynim, a stay-at-home mom who supplements her income with hired fire dancing performances.
The weather affects the size of fire dancing crowds, and the ability of the drummers to play. Nan Nkama uses imported hand-made African drums, which don't handle the cold and wet very well. So wintry conditions can put a literal damper on performances. But the camaraderie and the fun of combining two art forms keeps people interested.
Mas said he's arranged his life around fire dancing. He's drawn to the circles by "a love of fire dancing, and a passion for doing it."
Paynim was first exposed to fire dancing when she was camping out for a festival, and met two fire spinners camping next to her tent. They taught her how to use practice poi - two tennis balls attached on chains that mimic the real, lighted poi - and she started practicing her moves.
When she got home, she stuffed two tennis balls in socks and began working on the spinning, and it wasn't until a year and a half later that she actually began using real fire.
Despite appearances, she said, fire dancing isn't dangerous, as long as you keep your hair covered and pay attention. Because they use class one fuels, which are the safest fuels with the lowest chance for combustion, and because they move so quickly, even colliding with the fire does little damage.
"We've smacked ourselves in the face, set our clothes on fire," she said, all with little result other than a bit of a singe. Fire extinguishers and a fire blanket are always kept on hand in case of emergency, but they've never had to use either.
The fire spinning shows usually last about 45 minutes and include elaborate choreography. She, Mas and McKeone spin together several times a week and take classes on fire dancing.
"It's a great way to do something I absolutely love," Paynim said. And the response from everyone who gathers to watch is always positive.
"Everyone who sees what we're doing just loves it."
For more information on FIREality, call 753-7384 or e-mail fireality@hotmail.com.