Fire Dancing Performance Wear with Astrea Taylor

Magic, fire dancing, witchcraft, published author, blogger and elf ears, Co-Curator of Blessed Be Boxes! When I met Astrea in 2012 I immediately knew she would be someone I would admire. I have been watching her perform since 2009 and I have a lot of questions about the clothing she wears. This was my perfect opportunity to learn and share about Astrea’s craft and fire performance wear.

What is fire dancing and what tools do you use? 

Fire dancing is the art of dancing with a flaming object. I use poi (fire on chains), staff, hoop, fans, palms, gloves, a fire umbrella, and fire crowns. These tools are made of metal or wood and they have kevlar wicks that are soaked with white gas or denatured alcohol. I’ve made several of my fire tools, including the crown and gloves below. I dance with Aurora Fire Dancers (link to https://www.facebook.com/AuroraFireDancers/).

We would love to know which fabrics and styles are the safest to wear while throwing flames?

The safest fabrics are 100% cotton, wool, leather, or cotton denim. It can be very limiting, and more than a little stiff. Beginners should wear them at all times.

Some fabrics are impossible to wear when fire dancing, including polyester, rayon, silk, satin, and velvet. They can melt to the skin, especially if there’s a fuel transfer. It’s sad because there are so many cool synthetic costumes that I simply can’t wear.

More advanced fire dancers like me are able to get away with wearing fabrics with a small amount of synthetics, such as 95% cotton with 5% spandex, especially if the clothes are wet down with water before performing. Those are my favorite fabrics ones to wear, as they provide fashion and flexibility.

When did you start performing with fire and what was your style when you first began?

I started playing with fire in 2002. My style was a Bohemian/fantasy, with colorful skirts, decorative tank tops, and jewelry. I lived on the road, doing it from a converted school bus for the greater part of two years. This photo is from the summer of 2003, when I settled down in Ashland, Oregon for a few months.

Are there specific colors for performing at night that work best for you?

That’s a great question. As a fire performer, you want to give the audience a good show, but the clothes shouldn’t distract from the movement of the fire dancer or the presentation of the fire.

Wearing all black is an option if there’s some ambient lighting, but it doesn’t look great if you’re performing in a dark place. With too much darkness, you run the risk of fading into the background completely except for some disembodied limbs. To avoid this, I like to use a bit of color or a simple design. I like iconic images that aren’t too busy and don’t distract from the show.

Do you have a favorite place to shop for your performance clothing?

https://phoenixrisingartists.com/ for pants

Luna Gifts for tank tops http://www.lunadayton.com/

Photo by Rob Badger

Have you created or modified any of your own costumes?

Yes — once, I sewed an A-line thick cotton fire skirt and added velcro straps on the bottom to hold a fire hoop in place. The skirt was completely wetted down with water, and it was so hot, I had to keep moving the entire time. I like how elegant it looks.

I usually have to modify my clothes just a little, because it’s poor showmanship to pull up my pants in front of everyone. My modifications have included sewing a pair of pants to be tighter around the waist, sewing a tank top’s sleeves to make it higher, and  modifying a tank top that was designed for a man’s body.

Share with us your worst performance costume experience?

Once, I wore platform heels while fire dancing, in the photo above. Nothing bad happened, but I don’t recommend them because it was hard to dance compared to a flexible shoe or being barefoot.

How has your style grown since you started playing with fire? 

I still love my Bohemian style, by I started wearing cotton capri leggings, and it has revolutionized my dance. These days, I wear cotton arm bands and flowers in my hair. I do my makeup more dramatic and wear more jewelry. I even wear shorter skirts, too.

What are the three most important things you have learned about playing with fire in clothing?

1. I became a much better fire dancer once I wore a small amount of spandex in the fabric. For example, 95% cotton, 5% spandex provides such a comfort of mobility and silhouette that cotton alone can’t provide.  It’s a risk, though, and I always make sure to wet the clothing down with water.

2. With all the limitations on clothing material for fire dancers, it’s hard to find good clothing for fire performance. I really have to search for clothes. Once I find something I like, I stick with it — sometimes buying two of them so I’ll have a spare.

3. If you love a piece of clothing and truly want to perform in it, there may be a way to do it. For example, wearing a wetted-down rayon skirt and dancing with fire gloves can work for some people if the fire is kept away from the skirt.

We just have to ask, is it really hot dancing with fire and are there jewelry and make up rules?

It is really hot! Especially on those humid summer nights.

Some people say no jewelry should ever be worn, but it all comes down to acceptable risk that each dancer chooses for themselves. In general, jewelry shouldn’t be so long that it catches, and shouldn’t have any hooks or parts that can latch on, like a crescent moon. Makeup is usually fine, but we have to avoid a lot of hair products, as they’re extremely flammable. 

Please share with us your favorite costume and why it is special to you?

Last winter, I was an elf, with real elf ears! It was so cold, and it was snowing, but I had so much fun. Here’s a video from the night.

Where can we follow you at?

There are a few ways to keep up with me.

My fire group’s facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AuroraFireDancers/

My facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/StarlightWitchcraft/

My blog: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/starlight/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astreafire/

I’m also thrilled to announce that I have an upcoming book release with Llewellyn Worldwide (link https://www.llewellyn.com/) for a book called Intuitive Witchcraft. It’s all about intuition, feeling the energy around you, raising energy toward your goals, and exploring the mysteries of old. I’ll have some fabulous guest writers in it, too. It’ll be available in 2020. I’ll make an announcement on my facebook page when it’s available for pre-order.

Astrea is an amazing person to know! Thank you Astrea for the time you took away from your busy schedule to do my interview. I am so proud to be your friend.

Thank you for reading,

Tracy McElfresh

Dream it! Sew it!