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

All of a sudden I am seeing references everywhere to "veil poi." I've watched a couple clips on youtube, but they just make me wonder more. How did this become associated with bellydance? I mean... poi spinning is a very old art... and I've seen people at street festival spin streamer-poi... but now we attach veil pieces and call it veil poi?

Don't get me wrong, I think it's cool! It's mesmerizing to watch. I'd love to try it. But I don't really get how it fits into bellydance. And considering I've seen two different web sites with two different people claiming they "invented" it... I am confused.

Have you seen it integrated well -- I mean, as an accent to dance instead of replacing dance? Do you think this will be a little trendy bubble that will pop right away, or will it take a place next to the candle dance and isis wings?

Originally Posted by tigerb

All of a sudden I am seeing references everywhere to "veil poi." I've watched a couple clips on youtube, but they just make me wonder more. How did this become associated with bellydance? I mean... poi spinning is a very old art... and I've seen people at street festival spin streamer-poi... but now we attach veil pieces and call it veil poi?

Don't get me wrong, I think it's cool! It's mesmerizing to watch. I'd love to try it. But I don't really get how it fits into bellydance. And considering I've seen two different web sites with two different people claiming they "invented" it... I am confused.

Have you seen it integrated well -- I mean, as an accent to dance instead of replacing dance? Do you think this will be a little trendy bubble that will pop right away, or will it take a place next to the candle dance and isis wings?

I first saw Aziza of Montreal do poi/veil when she was in Chicago last year. Since I've been "spinning" poi as part of my Polynesian dancing for over 30 years, I thought I'd try it - a little different, but not too hard to accomplish. Zayna from the Chicago area does it very well as an accompaniment to her routine and it always goes over well with the audience. I think if it's used as an accompaniment, it can be very interesting and very effective. And I think it'll be around for a while, at least until everyone has had their hand at trying it. Actually, I'm teaching my troupe a poi/veil dance right now - again as an accent to the dance - not a replacement. Some of the local teachers are calling it "voi" but I was told by another teacher that the tribal dancers are using the term "voi" to describe dancing while twirling two scarves which are shorter than the standard veil. So we're sticking with poi/veil.

Donna
Mystic Rose Dancers

Are you talking about poi with tails on them, like this?

http://www.kites-rainbowflight.co.nz/cometpoi.htm

I've seen clops of veil poi done with much larger tails, especially wider, hence titling it voi.

I've lost my clip links, but I think someone here has posted them. Hopefully they will again.

Originally Posted by zumarrad

Are you talking about poi with tails on them, like this?

http://www.kites-rainbowflight.co.nz/cometpoi.htm

I googled veil poi and came up with one page that appeared, really, to be little baby isis wing type things - short veils on sticks.

I don't know why people thought poi and BD went together initially, but the fact that veil dance draws on 19th century skirt dance and Loie Fuller's innovations would explain why some form of weighted veil would be considered a suitable prop.

I saw some Aussie tribal dancers doing poi with hankies earlier this year. It was very good.

Originally Posted by tigerb

All of a sudden I am seeing references everywhere to "veil poi." I've watched a couple clips on youtube, but they just make me wonder more. How did this become associated with bellydance? I mean... poi spinning is a very old art... and I've seen people at street festival spin streamer-poi... but now we attach veil pieces and call it veil poi?

Don't get me wrong, I think it's cool! It's mesmerizing to watch. I'd love to try it. But I don't really get how it fits into bellydance. And considering I've seen two different web sites with two different people claiming they "invented" it... I am confused.

Have you seen it integrated well -- I mean, as an accent to dance instead of replacing dance? Do you think this will be a little trendy bubble that will pop right away, or will it take a place next to the candle dance and isis wings?

really? Although there are several people *doing* it, I only ever heard of one person saying they *invented* it. Sadly, I can't remember her name exactly, but it starts with a D ... Deena or Dana, or something similar. I heard she offers formal training in it, but I don't knwo the details or whether a certification is involved.

I wonder too if it will be longlasting or just a fad. I'm very bad at predicting those things! I rmemeber "veiled cane" from several years back, and it hasn't become really widespread.
Goblets on the other hand seem to be celebrating a resurgence. When I learned them in the early 90s is was rare, now seems to be becoming quite common. Of course Isis wings were rare back then too, and um, not so rare these days.

Trend longevity probably also has to do with how difficult it is to obtainable the props are. WIngs used to necessaitate a speial order from NYC, but now you can get them on ebay! What I can't get over is how candle-trays caught on. I even hear people refer to it as "standard" in a dance set now, and that never used to be the case.

I used to be forced to spin poi when I belonged to a polynesian dance company, and they were never my strong point. I'm just just a wimp about them potentially hitting me.

I used to be forced to make poi out of scrunched up newsprint and glad wrap when I was a child. I was always fairly useless with them.

I went and googlged it. I was pretty close on the name. It is Dana.
there is a dancer "Amani" on youtube who says invented as well, but I think they are the same person, and that Amani is a stagename.

I don't know if there were any old-time dancers to come up with the same idea in the past, but right now I think this girl is the only one claiming to have invented it. Michelle Joyce has a poi DVD too.Obviously I am friends with Michelle, so you would think I would know more about this, but in fact I have been listening to her rants about color-correction so much, that I have heard little about the content. I do know that is mainly general poi technique, and includes a section of Veil-poi. It seems to be targeting the layperson who just wants foundational poi basics.

Danna/Amani (I really do think it is the same person) seems to be more targeting the bellydance specialty market from what I saw on the trailer clip. Her clip had middle eastern music. I don't know about the content beyond what's on the youtube. She also has a nice gothic clip. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2oGtpBqvLk"]YouTube - VOI & Gothic Bellydance[/ame]

Personally I think it would be really smart of her to sell the props as well, because I don't know anyplace to buy them. I think a lot of dancers would be interested to try, but are probably never going to get around to making their own poi. Also then, people would build a mental connection. She could be like the Tempest of poi or soemthing, lol.

It's pretty, I almost want to try it even though I would probably give myself a black eye and self-strangulation all at once.

You're right - Dana Beaufait is Amani. Here's more info: http://www.myspace.com/voi2

i just saw her little video on myspace
http://www.myspace.com/voi2

it was really cool and entertaining. i think an audience would eat it up.
maybe it will fit into the fusion branch of bd
it looks so cool i bet lots of people will want to learn it.

i think i will need dental insurance before i would try it though :) i would probably hit myself in the face with the poi

Aziza does that great. She actually teaches in her workshops and sells them.

Well, I think that little video pretty much clears it up. How do you get the fire poi look without the hassle of licencing, danger etc? Stick some silk on the poi, I guess. It looks pretty.

Aziza does this really well and also sells some how-to dvd's. I got my practice poi from Home of poi, also a website that I highly recommend if you want to learn basic poi. The practice dvd covers several basic and more advanced poi patterns.


I love to practice poi but I obviously suck at it, so I'm probably not going to use it in a belly dance performance.

I don't normally buy into new fads but I found this so cool that I actually ordered the DVD ..g.:

There are several accessories that have no former association with Oriental dance (feather fans, anyone?) so this is just another prop to put on a cool show. And I want to be cool for a change

MEISSOUN

Originally Posted by meissoun

I don't normally buy into new fads but I found this so cool that I actually ordered the DVD ..g.:

There are several accessories that have no former association with Oriental dance (feather fans, anyone?) so this is just another prop to put on a cool show. And I want to be cool for a change

MEISSOUN

I have Dana's DVD and I think it's great! I've love playing with my veil poi as much as I love doing ordinary poi.

Someone mentioned about Dana selling the prop, but the great thing about Dana's DVD is that she shows you what basic kit you need and then you can convert any suitable veil into voi which means that you can mix and match according to what costume you wear. I admit it - I'm addicted!

i've been practicing with my poi (i've got two different set) for a month or so now, and it's just a lot of fun (and a great workout for the arms, chest, upper back muscles too btw, great stabilisor exercises)... not sure i'll go into doing it with a veil.

aziza is fantastic with it, i saw her do it on stage in duisburg (check out the dvd, www. leyla-jouvana.de, it's on last years festival dvd), and its just amazing. she does it with one huge silk veil, it's beautifull. i had my mouth open for the whole set... it looked like magic. and she manages really letting it be part of her dance, not just some other silly prop. and she keeps communicating with the audience while dancing with it (something i miss in most double veil performances for example). it's still about the dance, not "hey i've got this new toy".

i'd love to give it a go, but i'd feel like it'd be copying her, so that's holding me back. right now i'm just really enjoying fooling around with my two poi (and going really well even if i say so myself) as a new hobby.

i've always been rather "arm" challenged in bellydance, and it's helping on that front too.

Artemisia

I had a veil poi workshop in my studio this summer with the talented and amazing Zayna. We have a huge turn out so we set it on the lake in a forest preserve. There is definitely an interest in it..and I know I am always mezmorized when I see it done. Donna Diva is amazing at it as well! I do think there is a difference between veil poi and voi though. I saw a group of dancers at tribal rev 2 years ago who spun around weighted square pieces of fabric. I believe that is more voi then a long silk veil, which I still term veil poi. Either way, it is stunning.

Nilaja

I really like the way the poi look with silk on them. But I have yet to see someone actually dance while using them. I feel like I'm either watching them spin or I'm watching them dance. I know I can't dance while spinning (yet?) I can barely spin the poi without whacking myself!

I also saw Aziza do veil poi in Chicago last year, and it was absolutely incredible. Her veil was huge - possibly a 4 yard? - and the poi stick (or whatever it's real name is) she used was super long. She really did look like a magician, but like artimesia mentioned, it never stopped being dance. I just remember sitting there agape, thinking, "My God, it's Veil 2.0"

OMG, that is so cool! I want....someone please post where the DVD is available from...and the poi.

I've given up on ever receiving my fan veils but these may be my new thing!

Kitty

Forget the first part-just ordered the DVD. Which will do me no good without the goods! I did a google search and got lots of results. Any recommendations? And yes, I want them now!

Kitty

Originally Posted by laura 2

I also saw Aziza do veil poi in Chicago last year, and it was absolutely incredible. Her veil was huge - possibly a 4 yard? - and the poi stick (or whatever it's real name is) she used was super long. She really did look like a magician, but like artimesia mentioned, it never stopped being dance. I just remember sitting there agape, thinking, "My God, it's Veil 2.0"

I'm curious, what kind of costume was Aziza wearing? It seems like a big skirt could look really nice with that prop, especially if it was edge in a color complementary to the veils...but I would worry about it tangling.

Originally Posted by zumarrad

Are you talking about poi with tails on them, like this?

http://www.kites-rainbowflight.co.nz/cometpoi.htm

We use a regular 3 yard silk veil, not tails. Same concept, though.

Would it be possible for this thread to appear at a better time? I just released a veil poi DVD literally 4 days ago. http://cheekygirlsproductions.com/catalog/poi.html

As for the history of veil poi, I do think that Dana was the first, though poi with tales has been around for possibly hundreds of years. I am just guessing here, but I would imagine that veil poi grew out of the tribal/ fire dance fusion camp. Obviously, it is pretty difficult to get most venues to let you set stuff on fire and twirl it around your head.

I can only speak to how I got into it... I have been doing regular poi for years. I have some LED poi that I use in the nightclubs to compliment my belly dance show - I enter with them in my hands and do some candle dance moves then let them go and spin them around. It is a cool and different thing, which the audience likes a lot. Not really for the purists, though.

I first saw veils attached to the poi in Aziza's photo gallery a few years back. It was such a great idea!! And because you can enter the stage with your veil poi disguised as just regular double veil, it adds a really cool surprise element to the performance.

Michelle, do you work like, 24 hours a day? I swear you cant possibly sleep! :)

Originally Posted by michellejoyce

Would it be possible for this thread to appear at a better time? I just released a veil poi DVD literally 4 days ago. http://cheekygirlsproductions.com/catalog/poi.html

As for the history of veil poi, I do think that Dana was the first, though poi with tales has been around for possibly hundreds of years. I am just guessing here, but I would imagine that veil poi grew out of the tribal/ fire dance fusion camp. Obviously, it is pretty difficult to get most venues to let you set stuff on fire and twirl it around your head.

I can only speak to how I got into it... I have been doing regular poi for years. I have some LED poi that I use in the nightclubs to compliment my belly dance show - I enter with them in my hands and do some candle dance moves then let them go and spin them around. It is a cool and different thing, which the audience likes a lot. Not really for the purists, though.

I first saw veils attached to the poi in Aziza's photo gallery a few years back. It was such a great idea!! And because you can enter the stage with your veil poi disguised as just regular double veil, it adds a really cool surprise element to the performance.

Let it be known that I do NOT WORK for Michelle Joyce, nor do I have any connection with Cheeky Girls Productions and I received no payment for starting this thread. :-D

(Although I'd take a free copy of the video for sure )

Originally Posted by lotus

I'm curious, what kind of costume was Aziza wearing? It seems like a big skirt could look really nice with that prop, especially if it was edge in a color complementary to the veils...but I would worry about it tangling.

I'm so sorry, but I can't recall. I remember she wore the faboo coin/mirror set featured on the cover of her instuctional DVD for her first number, but I can't remember what she wore for the veil piece. I think I was just so mezmerized by the veil poi, I didn't notice - because I *do* clearly remember that the veil was bright green.

There weere lots of Bhuzzers there besides me though - maybe one of them will remember better.

I think there are some photos of Aziza with voi (or veil/poi) on her tribe.

Hey Tigerb -

Email me your mailing address and I will pop a DVD in the mail for you tomorrow. How could I deny you after posting such a perfect thread!

- Michelle

in duisburg i think she was wearing a grean pharaonics (?) with indeed a big skirt and matching veil. not a 100% sure. get the dvd!

link to leyla's shop, if you clikc on the picture of vol 14, there's a small pic of aziza doing veil/poi
http://www.leyla-jouvana.de/v2d/shop..._g000_001.html

http://www.leyla-jouvana.de/v2d/shop...D_Vol14big.jpg

and they are nice dvds anyway, also the ones from the previous years...

Originally Posted by laura 2

I'm so sorry, but I can't recall. I remember she wore the faboo coin/mirror set featured on the cover of her instuctional DVD for her first number, but I can't remember what she wore for the veil piece. I think I was just so mezmerized by the veil poi, I didn't notice - because I *do* clearly remember that the veil was bright green.

There weere lots of Bhuzzers there besides me though - maybe one of them will remember better.