Thread: Veil poi? Voi? Who what where huh?

Hey Michelle, I watched the DVD while I was stretching before rehearsal and it looks nicely done. Glad I bought it.

It's worth it just for the explanation of different poi at the beginning. I see what you mean about the nylon cords... so now I'm thinking about investing in some practice poi with chains, bringing my random poi collection to about 5. Oh well, I can loan them to other Jump-Start folks for our playtime workshops.

My question to you, just for clarity's sake: You just pick one corner of the veil to tie off above the weight, right? Or do you tie it around the weight to camouflage it? Do you double-knot it?

And JEs, I cant wait for my voi veils!
Yeah!

There are may different ways to tie the veils on. I know Dana ties the veil entirely around the weight so that it can't be seen. But lately I have just been using a small black weight and tieing the corner of my veil (double knot) to the top of the weight. The weight does show, but it isn't really easy to see when you are moving.

How small of a weight are you using? The beanbags on mine mimic the feel of real poi but I am wondering if they look too big.

you can see a photo in my ebay store
http://cgi.ebay.com/Poi-Veil-Poi-Voi...QQcmdZViewItem

if the weights look too big you can always tie the veil around them so they don't show.

I finally got around to putting up a veil poi performance. Shimeralla, you can see that the weight at the end of the poi really barely shows when you are moving.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulxXo8hPv7I"]YouTube - Veil Poi Performance - Michelle Joyce - Belly Dance[/ame]

Lovely, Michelle! Now I really am inspired to not eff around and actually learn the skill!
You're right abt the weights. In any case, someone standing close enough to notice them deserves to get bonked in the head, ha ha.

You look amazing!! It looks as though the veils I got are a bit too long (then again maybe I am just very inexperienced) and they get entangled easily. I thought it was me being a beginner but after seeing your video I am going to try to tie them a bit differently to shorten the overall length. I am still having a hard time with switching directions, but the instructions are so clear on the video, its just a matter of practicing.

Agh! I can't wait for my set to arrive! *bounces up and down*

Michelle - I stole (um, I mean borrowed) my instructor Chris Hall's dvd while I'm waiting for mine to come and I love the dvd. My poi set from you arrived today and I love it. I can tell you put a lot of thought in your starter set. My 8 year old has decided she needs to learn it with me!!! My 3 year old is trying to figure out how to use them and do snake arms at the same time! Thank goodness for the bath mesh sponges on the end for practice!!!!! -Beth

I love the bath sponges... they help your complexion when you hit yourself in the face!!

Originally Posted by michellejoyce

I love the bath sponges... they help your complexion when you hit yourself in the face!!

LOL! I just got mine in the mail today, woo hoo! I can't wait to exfoliate! ..l;,

Bath sponges! Genius! Mine have tennis balls on the ends. Getting whacked in the face by a tennis ball on a chain is no good, trust me.

Originally Posted by michellejoyce

I finally got around to putting up a veil poi performance. Shimeralla, you can see that the weight at the end of the poi really barely shows when you are moving.

YouTube - Veil Poi Performance - Michelle Joyce - Belly Dance

I do poi as well and have done the veil poi for fun but not for performance. My only question is (and you know I love your dancing!) do you have any video that showcases you belly dancing while doing the poi? This clip is a gorgeous lyrical poi style performance, but I would love to see how you incorporate the two styles into a single performance :)

Hi Mahsati

I don't have too many veil poi clips, but below is an excerpt form the DVD that shows how to go from regular veil dancing to veil poi. Then below that are a few of Dana's clips, which do a much better job of showing how veil poi can be incorporated into a belly dance routine.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIudDMq-zXY"]YouTube - Excerpt from Poi DVD - Veil Poi Section[/ame]

[ame="http://youtube.com/watch?v=I2oGtpBqvLk"]YouTube - VOI & Gothic Bellydance[/ame]

[ame="http://youtube.com/watch?v=_JvD4Q99Nho"]YouTube - Voi Performance "Pirates"[/ame]

The voi kit arrived today! The weights are awesome and I love that you included glow sticks for the rave-girl in me :) I have so many practice poi sets that I happily unhooked the bath puffs for the husband, since I don't use them that way either!
I have discovered that spinning poi while running lines for my new play http://jump-start.org/?p=276 helps me focus and slow down on the words... so my director thanks you, too.

Originally Posted by shimarella

The voi kit arrived today! The weights are awesome and I love that you included glow sticks for the rave-girl in me :) I have so many practice poi sets that I happily unhooked the bath puffs for the husband, since I don't use them that way either!
I have discovered that spinning poi while running lines for my new play http://jump-start.org/?p=276 helps me focus and slow down on the words... so my director thanks you, too.

that play looks really cool! the photo makes me want to go to circus classes.

Did you see this clip? her veil ir really big and she holds on to both ends. She only does it for a short time thou (I don;t know why, she was doing it so good?)

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcpjBrcsIAQ"]YouTube - Sonya of Chicago Belly Dance Veil-Poi Voi[/ame]

Originally Posted by amity166

You look amazing!! It looks as though the veils I got are a bit too long (then again maybe I am just very inexperienced) and they get entangled easily. I thought it was me being a beginner but after seeing your video I am going to try to tie them a bit differently to shorten the overall length. I am still having a hard time with switching directions, but the instructions are so clear on the video, its just a matter of practicing.

Wow!

My DVD will explain you how to create and use both single and double Voi. You should check it out! MySpace.com - Voi ( veil & poi ) - 21 - Female - US - www.myspace.com/voi2 ~Dana

I don't know why flinging around a piece of fabric looks so cool but it just does!!

I never got into the fan veils but this is quite interesting!

Wow...all of those clips are amazing. It actually makes me want to go out and start learning. What fun!!

Samira
Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive

I have no idea who came up with it but its actually very pretty in person. I do have one major complaint about it though... The weight does not make it good for outdoor performances at all. If there is a slight breeze you will not be able to get those things to look right. They rely on a lot more spinning than regular veil work seems to and as those of you who have danced outdoors with veils know... the spinning is the lynch pin that can bring outdoor veil work crashing down. Its definately an indoor or, at least, enclosed area art. But like I said its very pretty. If you're going to dance outside anyway you might as well just go with live fire or a glowing aparatus.

I think it could easily work for either a Cabaret type performance or a more Tribal Derrivative style.

~*Gen*~

Got Michelle's DVD last week and I love it!
Very comprehensive breakdown of the moves and lovely combinations.
Combined one of the poi sets of Azizas website (Aziza) with Jes's veils (A'Kai Silks) and they go together perfectly ;-)


Best wishes,
Khalida
Buikdanseres Khalida

I Just came upon this thread while reviewing info about poi on the web several years after it was written... I love that about Bhuz, it just keeps everything!!

I have been making quite a variety of veils for attaching to poi balls for quite awhile now and would love to share information about the variety of sizes and weights of silk and shapes, too that dancers are using.

Is anybody interested in discussing this still?

Meag
Fairy Cove Silks
Fairy Cove Designer Silks

try your local toy store or even a dollar store I found some poi balls for super cheap, I dye silks of various sizes that can be used for fan veils or voi :)

Home - Divine Dancing Silks and Island Wear

My adventure with veil poi was very brief because (1) I have a low ceiling and (2) I have cats who thought this entertainment was entirely for them!

But since then I did take an actual poi spinning class from a fire spinner and had a lot of fun with it. You really need a good place to practice (and a LOT of practice). I did have the fun of standing still while she spun fire poi around me... that was AWESOME.

Nobody in my area seems to have picked up veil poi as a prop of choice, although I'm occasionally lucky enough to see DonnaDiva doing it.

(P.S. How weird is it to see a thread you started five years ago come back???)

Wow, has it really been 5 years??? I'm a lot slower in my dancing now than I was 5 years ago (66 this year and now retired!), but I'll be doing my double poi veil with zils dance - by request - at Diana the Dancer's OARS event on May 19 in Oshkosh. Better go find my magic veils!!

I love poi but I'm AWFUL LOL! Been practicing outside. It's fun!

Originally Posted by Shaula

I love poi but I'm AWFUL LOL! Been practicing outside. It's fun!

My practice sessions go like this:

whirr whirr whirr whirr BONK

whirr whirr BONK!

whirr BONK!!!

&#(*#&@#*#*!!!

whirr whirr whirr whirr No! bad cat! get out of there! let go!!!