
Hey There...
Welcome to Dancing Lights, My name is Nell Abram and I am a flow artist specialising mainly in the art of Poi Spinning, Palm Torch and flow dance. I have a social working academic and professional background so using my talents to be accessible to all social groups and contribute to my local community is at the core of my work. This is my professional performance website where you can book me for light and fire shows, enjoy my stories of previous shows I have done and keep up to date with future gigs and my community work. Please drop me a message to say "hi", its a pleasure to have you visit my site and I always appreciate feedback and contact. Much love.
Origin stories...
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Every day since January 29th 2021 I have been practicing spinning for an hour or more a day. There have possibly been only several days missed in this time and I never go for more than a day without picking up my poi or other dancing props to play with.
I was first introduced to poi in my early 20's at a party but I never imagined it was something that I could or would do. I remember feeling mesmerised by the patterns and look of peace in their mastery that the Artists had and wishing that I could have that the same way you might wish you could have a pet elephant. Fast forward twenty years down the line, a long standing history working in health and social care with a variety of user groups, a post grad diploma in social work, lone parent to a 3 year old (who is now 8), chronic health conditions, long covid that had me questioning if I was suffering early on-set dementia, an existential dilemma about who I was and my place in the world, and due to a few traumatic experiences along the way, some on-going anxiety inducing mental health problems....this is the ground upon which the seed germinated.
I have a neighbour who plays with Flow Arts (Kara Love) and whenever I saw her I remembered the Flow Arts that I encountered when I was younger and yearned so much to feel the peace and beauty I saw when I watched her play. The following Christmas I was at an emotional rock bottom. Every ounce of energy and willing to exist I had I put into keeping my daughter happy, but I realised I was setting her a poor example by merely existing to keep her happy. I realised that she needed to see there was more to life than keeping your children happy; that life was also about investing time in the things you love and make you happy which meant I needed to start showing her by example.
But what did make me happy?
What was the "thing" I wanted to be?
I remembered my yearning for the peace and contentment I had witnessed in all the people I had seen partaking in Flow Arts and wishing that I could do the beautiful patterns they make when they are spinning.
That Christmas a friend gave me some money as a gift with the message that it must only be spent on something that would put a smile on my face. Without hesitation I bought Nick Woolsey's beginners course. I actually only completed four weeks of the course before I already found myself in what us Flow Artists call a "rabbit hole", where we become so absorbed by the variations of one particular trick that we are unable to move forward until we exhaust it of all exploration. From this point forward I built a network of Flow friends and family all learning, growing and supporting together. My poi collection grew along with my repetoire of moves and dancing style. My journey has unfolded so naturally and at the same time it feels quite remarkable the pleasure I get from playing with new ideas.
I speak of the contentment, peace and beauty I observed in other artists that inspired me, but find it incredibly humbling listening to other Flow Artists origin stories which can often contain many different shades of rock bottom that inspired them onto a Flow Arts journey too. Message me if you think this is something you would be interested to try, it would give me joy to get you started. Lets give the elephant a nice warm welcome.
History of Poi Spinning and Uses:
​The contemporary poi spinning movement emerged in the festival and party scene in the 1990's. It has spread much wider than the “partying” and “festival” origins now and is known worldwide for its proven mental and physical health benefits, mathematical intrigue and artistic aesthetic in the patterns made and is practised by people from all walks of life. It is very important to acknowledge that poi spinning and the name “Poi” was appropriated from the “Indiginous maori...” who have spun for centuries. When it became popular in the 1990's dance scene the name was adopted quite naturally without awareness of ethnic appropriation. In recent years the appropriation issue has entered the community's eye and efforts are being made to show acknowledgment and respect for its true origins. Traditionally, Maori females known as Wahine perform group ceremonial dances with poi called The Kapa Haka. The practice of poi within the culture was also used as a form of physical rehabilitation, coordination, flexibility and strength training.
The poi used within the Maori culture look very different from the poi that have emerged over the years from the 1990's and the history of the continuing growth of the movement, its equipment and branches of spinning techniques is a very interesting one. Videos have been made to catalogue these things but as yet it has not been brought together on an academic level.
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The Glencorse Centre Auchendinny 2021 to 2023
I used to have two projects "Glad Rags" and "Family Flow Jam" supported by and in collaboration with the Glencorse Community Centre in Auchendinny. I reached out to them looking for a space to practice with a view to eventually run some groups that would give the community a safe affordable space to go in the winter to prevent isolation and promote inclusion, mental wellbeing and fitness opportunities. My hope is that these groups may come to be seen as safe welcoming spaces that support diversity, give respite from the cold with a relaxed atmosphere to engage in playful and expressive movement doing as much or as little as people want to.
Glad Rags:
Glad Rags was a donations-based women's only (and male identifying boys under 10) Flow dance group for people who identify as female. The poster asked the questions: Do you miss going out for a dance, but can't find the time or the childcare? Do you wish you could join some exercise group but don't have the money? Do you have any body confidence issues that prevent you from going out that you wish you could overcome? I asked these questions because my answer to all of them was a "yes" and from my previous profession am aware there are lots of women who would identify with these questions and enjoy a group like this. After I had my daughter, there was never any options for me to afford fitness classes that would be good for my health and allow me to make friends and socialise. I had suffered some traumatic experiences that also made me nervous about socialising. As a lone parent I felt so isolated and disengaged from my identity outside of "parent" and longed for some "me" time. This is what I hope to provide with Glad Rags. I say on my poster: "[A]..safe space for women to gather and dance freely, be who they want to be, dress how they want to dress and support each other for fitness, fun, friendship and confidence building".
Family Flow Jam:
Family Flow Jam was a "flow dance" themed group for anyone interested in Flow Arts and again, a safe affordable space from the cold to take part in activities and make friends. People are free to drop-in and learn and/or skill share poi spinning, juggling, hula hooping, staff spinning, or any other Flow Arts prop skills they are interested to try or can already do. .
Everyone is being affected by the current financial climate and energy crisis, myself included. The Family Flow Jam was a space for all people, families and their children to partake in some fun non- competitive low impact physical activities that are good for the mind and the body without breaking the bank. ​​
What's next?
2024/2025
Family Flow Jam part 2?
After a wonderful Christmas Light switch on gig for 2024 I am currently updating my website and looking to invest in a space to start a more local family flow jam in the new year.
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I have also had some ideas for a small local project to support vulnerable people in the community which I shall share more about as things progress...
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Street Performance...
To raise money, build more confidence and self promotion I plan to give street performance a try and keep a blog about my experience and learning..
Poi Profile...
As my skills continuously progress, this section shall be updated on a yearly basis. Next update due: Nov 2025
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​For TLDR (Too Long Didn't Read)...
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I have mastered most if not all of the basics/fundermentals (the wonderful thing about all flow arts, is that our individuality leans into different directions and specialisms as we enjoy the different sensory experiences and patterns of different movements, but this also means even the most famous performers will have a couple of moves they explored less than others and this is why you'll see me type "most if not all"...the areas of "basics" I have explored least are wraps and taps which is a particular style used within the "glowstringing" style of spinning.
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As mentioned above about leaning into different directions, very early on I became fascinated by isolations and this became something of an obsession...learn a new move? Now, can I isolate it? I then discovered 3d which is considered to be quite an advanced area of poi spinning where you spin your poi at different mathematical angles of space at the same time resulting in the patterns you make to no longer appear flat. I really enjoy mapping out and tracing sacred geometric shapes, and atoms....so I take the basic/fundermental moves and I say: Can I do that 3d? Can I trace that pattern with atoms?
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I enjoy pendulums (where one or both poi swing back and fourth with control and accuracy to make beautiful zig zag patterns) and poly rhythms (when you swing your poi at different speeds so one may have 3 rotations by the time the other makes one)...these days the rhythems of both my hands are different depending on what I am doing and it has become quite instinctive.
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I am at an intermediate level with throwing poi and know plenty enough to teach a beginner and with my advanced tricks, some transitions people who may know how to throw, but don't yet know the moves throws can become.
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I love to spin with two poi in one hand as I also play with double meteor (equivalent of four poi in two hands). I would say I'm a beginner very close to intermediate in this area, there are some very advanced things I can do, but there are still some basic things I need to get polished before I feel I've earned that identity.
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​Areas I'm looking to develop are contact rolling which I can do, but havn't yet found time to work into my muscle memory to do "instinctively" while I dance...more taps and wraps, again I am proficient but have not yet worked into my muscle memory to do instinctively; tracers which I do quite a lot of and can very easily teach someone else, but I feel like there is plenty in this area I have not yet explored; 3 poi juggling and more 3 poi spinning in general, which I can already do some basics because I like to play with double meteor, and finally tangles, an area I've not really learned a lot about at all...but can make for some very interesting movements and shapes.
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As well as learning all of the moves, I have spent a lot of time practicing how to do them whilst also turning around and rhythmically to music....turning whilst doing poi moves with dancing motion is actually considered a difficult style and skill unto itself, as so many of the more difficult moves require very exact angles so a lot of people remain still and stiff to execute them. I have spent a lot of time learning my moves and practicing them in motion which in general makes them more "instinctive" and "natural" whether you are into dancing or not.
(TLDR) Rough Translation?
I can teach a lot of poi, from basic level to advanced....any mentor who says they can teach you it all is not being realistic. One of the wonderful things about flow arts is that its a neverending journey of learning, and the only person who can do it like you is yourself...you will find your own interests and passions with certain moves that will create your own unique style and identity which nobody can imitate...sometimes, I come across videos by beginners of different shapes and sizes, who, despite only using beginner moves...inspire me in the way they carry and perform them which looks unique even if the move itself is very well known.
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