Fire Dancing - Fire Apparatuses

Fire Apparatuses

The various tools used by the fire performance community borrow from a variety of sources. Many have martial sources like swords, staves, and whips, where some seem specifically designed for the fire community. The use of these tools is limited only by the imagination of their users. Some tools lend themselves to rhythmic swinging and twirling, others to martial kata, and others to more subtle use. Some common tools are:

• Poi - A pair of roughly arm-length chains with handles attached to one end, and bundle of wicking material on the other.
• Staff - An metal pipe ranging from 3-7 feet long with wicking material applied to one or both ends. Staves are used individually, in pairs, and with three or more staves. Incorporation with juggling three or more also is also possible.
• Fire hoop - hoop with spokes and wicking material attached.
• Fans - A large metal fan with one or more wicks attached to the edges.
• Fire umbrella - an umbrella-like performance prop that can be constructed in a variety of ways.
• Fire meteor - A long length of chain or rope with wicks, or small bowls of liquid fuel, attached to both ends.
• Nunchaku - Nunchaku with wicking material, usually at either end.
• Batons
• Fire stick - Like a traditional devil stick, with wicks on both ends of the central stick.
• Torch - A short club or torch, with a wick on one end, and swung like Indian clubs or tossed end-over-end like juggling clubs.
• Fire-knives - Short staves with blades attached to the ends and wicking material applied to the blade. Fireknives are the traditional Polynesian fire implement and have been in use since the 1940s.
• Fire rope dart - A wick, sometimes wrapped around a steel spike, at the end of a rope or chain ranging from 6–15 feet long, with a ring or other handle on the opposite end.
• Fire sword - either a real sword modified for fire, or one specifically built for the purpose of fire shows.
• Chi ball/Fire orb - 2 rings or handles with a wick attached between them by a thin wire.
• Finger wands - Short torches attached to individual fingers.
• Palm torches - Small torches with a flat base meant to be held upright in the palm of the hand.
• Fire hip belt - A motorcycle chain belt with five spokes extending at equal intervals with wicking on the ends.
• Fire whips - Lengths of braided aramid fiber tapered to make a bullwhip, usually with a metal handle about 12 inches long.
• Fire ropes/snakes - Similar to poi, but has a short 3-5 inch chain attaching the handles to a 12 inch or longer kevlar rope.

Fire jump rope - A jump rope made of kevlar.

• Fire cannons - a propane flame effect device; larger ones can shoot a pillar of fire up to 200+ feet in the air, although they usually are mounted to a base or vehicle.
• Fire poofers - Similar to fire cannons, but much smaller and made to be held, with fuel stored in a "backpack" fashioned of one or more propane tanks.
• Fire Balls - Specially constructed juggling balls, either solid balls dipped in fuel and juggled with protective gloves, or ones designed to contain the flame in the centre of the ball.
• Wearable Fire- Headdresses, hip belts, arm bands, or other garments made typically of metal with kevlar torches attached. Can be worn while fire dancing.

The variety of available tools took a sharp swing upwards in 2000, and as the numbers of dedicated fire tool makers increased, many makers added their own ingenuity to the art and expand the performance potential even more. Frequently, new tools appear from home tinkering and enter the public domain.