Instructor Profile

2023 Instructor lineup
Fen Aisling

Fen has spent much of their time in the last 30 years intensely studying both the circus arts and a myriad of self-care and meditation techniques. These studies led them to what are now collectively called the Flow Arts, and specifically into the study of the Flow State, also commonly known as “being in the zone”. Their approach to flow is a unique patchwork of multiple disciplines, and as such is cross applicable to literally any field of study, management effort, or act of creation that one might engage in. One of their prime purposes in life has become the sharing of their experience with those who can benefit from adding some intentional flow into their lives.

Fen is a trained craftsman, musician, and dancer with decades of experience. Over the years they have directed plays, acted on stage, designed shows, built puppets, managed internationally known costume studios, washed uncountable piles of performer’s laundry, and learned how to change an actor’s clothes from one 3 piece suit into another in 30 seconds. A longtime circus enthusiast, Fen first learned to juggle 34 years ago, and has been a poi spinner for 19 years. They are genuinely excited to share with others the techniques and tricks they have learned over the years.

Yo yo’ Yo-Yo, yo!
This playshop will focus on the basics of one of the most classic toys of all, the yo-yo. We will learn a little bit of yo history, talk about types of yo-yos, ways to play with them, and then get into learning yo tricks! We’ll start with gravity drops and move from there, as far as we can reasonably get during the class. I expect to cover throw downs, forward passes, sleeping, walking the dog, and around the world. If we have time, there will be an advanced extra trick or two to teach at the end. This class is best suited for ages 10 and up. Children under 10 *are* welcome, but please be aware that some may find moving past the first trick or two quite challenging, so please use your discretion on whether it will be right for your kid or not. You know them best .Byo yo-yo or borrow yo yo-yo from me, I will have a bag full of them.
Intro to poi spinning
This workshop will take the beginner at poi spinning through the very basics. We will cover: what is a poi, where poi come from, the parts of a poi, the origins of poi spinning, terminology, and a set of foundational moves. Those moves include but are not limited to: forward and reverse spinning in wheel plane and wall plane, together and split timings, basic wall plane butterflies, turning while spinning, simple stalls, and basic weaves. This class goes as far as I can take the students in one session. Usually we make it through all the material above, and students always leave with plenty to practice as they move into becoming poi spinners. All ages are welcome, and, please be aware that some children under 8 may find this very challenging. Please use your discretion on if your kid will be comfortable. There will be some spare poi available for use, but if you can bring your own, please do.
Snakes and Tracers
Bring on the slinky snakes! Wiggle and trace your way through an exploration of the snake and body tracers. We will learn a basic “snake”, as well as various variants that take it vertical, reels, and explore all sorts of body tracers. This class includes time to practice, experiment, and come up with questions. This class is intermediate because of the necessity for plane control. It’s also helpful to understand isolations, though they are not necessary for the basic moves and I can explain them to those who are unfamiliar.Please bring your own poi if possible, and, I will have some spares that can be borrowed.