Of all the classic elements, fire, earth, air and water, it is perhaps fire that most readily evokes magick and mystery, with its shimmering light, ethereal movements and the familiar shock of an unsuspected burn.
Many pagans use fire in their rituals, from lit candles to raging bonfires. Others, many pagans among them, have taken the use of fire to new levels, blending dance and theater to present and use fire in creative visual performances. Fire aficionados will have no trouble finding such performances in the Seattle area. Performance quality can vary depending on the skill and planning of the artists. Notable groups in the area include the Cabiri, www.anunnaki.org (see Widdershins Volume 7 Issue 2 for a review), and a group I recently saw for the first time, Ignis Devoco Industrial Fire Circus, www.ignisdevoco.com.
I saw the Ignis Devoco at the Vogue nightclub in Seattle, which routinely plays host to varied musical and artistic performances and dance club scenes. Pagans may have visited there last summer for the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) Apple Camp performance of The Rite of Jupiter (see Widdershins Volume 7 Issue 1).
Translated, Ignis Devoco means "call down the fire." Troupe founder and performer Donia Love has had years of experience working with fire and performance art and has participated in numerous local pagan events, including the Aquarian Tabernacle Church's Spring Mysteries Festival. According to Ignis Devoco's Web site: "We are exploring the use of fire in myth and storytelling, rites of passage ritual, performance, modern dance, traditional dance styles such as belly dancing, fan dancing and traditional fight styles such as capo era, tai chi and others, plus we just have fun."
The evening began with the ethereal tones of local Seattle Goth band Legion. Immediately, the gyrations of beautiful dancer Nikki Ross evoked a mood receptive to art, dance and music. Nikki describes her performances as deco-ambulism, a balance of art and movement. As she danced, she placed candles and strewed flower petals about the floor. Bubbles filled the air as she danced to the cool rhythms, twirling ribbons. The flash of a strobe light gave her graceful movements an atmosphere of shock and exoticness, which set the mood perfectly in line with the music.
Next was the fire performance. I was impressed to notice Ignis Devoco cordoning off the dance floor to avoid any of the crowd accidentally wandering onto the stage. Also, despite the abundance of flame, there was little soot or smoke. The group obviously knew the type of fuel to use at an indoor venue. A key element of the Ignis Devoco performance was the attention to both the fire itself and the use of the fire incorporated into other theatric effects.
At the performance began, we saw a young couple share a dance of love and desire, the couple using the flames of lit torches to caress one another's bodies, lips and mouths.
Later, the audience was mesmerized by one of the best examples of poi spinning I have seen. Poi balls are weights at the end of ropes, similar to bolas, and poi spinning involves holding one poi ball in each hand and twirling them around each other and the body to make intricate patterns. In this case, the handsome poi-spinning artist used pots of fire in the place of the traditional balls, showing great skill in his deftness and grace. The pots of fire whirled around him, guided by his steady hands, enchanting the audience.
The performance also included an artful piece with two masked dancers in shimmering white, their flames flickering off of the long mirrored wall running the length of the dance floor opposite the performers. Costuming added depth to this performance with tall flaming headdresses, white masks and flowing white gowns. In general, the use of dance and costume blended with the skill of the fire performances, resulting in a theatrical effect.
Skill, planning and choreography all came together to create an awesome show. I have seen some fire performances that left me blasé and choking for air. This performance was far the opposite. Each piece was interesting, visually stimulating and raised the emotional level for the viewer, filling me with wonder, excitement and passion. Be sure to check out Ignis Devoco Industrial Fire Circus at their next performance, March 26 at the Rebar, for memorable performance art from a group founded by a local pagan.