Years ago, as a very young dancer in San Francisco, I befriended a well known feature entertainer. This person really inspired me in what exotic dancing could be. Some of you probably know this person, but that isn’t important, what the person did is important. I had gone into one of the clubs with the Marketing Manager at Déjà vu, back then I was helping with promotions. The Marketing Manager was insistent that I needed to meet this feature dancer, and took me into the dancer’s dressing room to introduce me. Sure enough we became friends, and hung out throughout the week she was there. It wasn’t until the third night though that I saw exactly what this woman could do. As I watched from the back she would enter the stage in different costumes, normally white, and mesmerize the entire audience with her grace. The last set of the night she entered the stage in one of the most elaborate feather costumes. In a matter of seconds she lit the stage with a ring of fire and melted the hearts of the customers from the very center of it with her sultry moves. I was left in awe.
Fast forward a number of years, and I now know her tricks of the trade, after all she was an inspiration! This obviously doesn’t mean I know all the fabulous tricks that every working feature does, but I know what this particular dancer was doing. However, with all great things, there also comes the bad.
Wow! So the news today is a feature dancer who performed a fire blowing act in her stage show set her face ablaze, resulting in second degree burns! Apparently the 31 year old feature had be doing fire acts (usually associated with fire poi) for five years using Coleman Campfire Fluid. Before any of you go out and try this, I would NOT recommend it! There are many ways for features to entertain using a variety of non-toxic chemicals that glow, and that should be the first option. There is also one popular household liquid used by many on stage that is much more controllable and creates a low temperature burn. If however you really want to try incorporating fire shows into your sets using typical fire poi methods (or using the household liquid), do me a favor:
1. Find a reputable fire dancing or fire poi instructor to take classes from, or a feature training instructor who has lots of experience and references. Be sure you research on your own as well though, your teacher is there to help you, but sometimes they don’t know everything. Ultimately you are responsible for yourself.
2. If you have long hair, always tie it back, and keep the fire away from your face. In many cases you may even want to wet your hair before performing.
3. It is better to be either naked or wearing clothing wet from water when dealing with fire.
4. In most instances, you will want to use a barrier on your body to keep the fire from coming into direct contact with your skin, such as lotion. NOTE: Lotion and poles do not mix! 
5. Don’t drink the same day you plan to deal with fire. This is not just to keep you from making mistakes, but because it of how the tissues in your mouth react and absorb to alcohol, which makes fire breathing/blowing very dangerous.
6. Understand what around you is flammable including: artificial nails, hair extensions, floor cleaners, alcoholic drinks etc. Be particularly careful around these things.
7. Make sure you have insurance that covers fire incidences.
8. Find out if the location has a fire permit, if not you will need to obtain one. In many cases this will require taking a class, so plan in advance.
9. Be sure the location has sprinklers and the all exits are clearly marked and accessible.
10. Always make sure that you have something near the stage to set the fire out in case of emergency such as a fire extinguisher or fire blanket.
11. Stay in control of what is going on. If you are performing with a partner, have a safe word for stage performances so they will know when something is wrong. Sometimes people don’t get when things have gone too far, such as was the case encountered by Maria Leeb and fire blower Marc Miszler.
12. If you plan to contain your fire (if you location allows this), understand the material you are putting it in. Obviously metal heats up, and you may not be able to touch it once it is lit. Glass, particularly thin glass, heats easily and can shatter even with low burning temperatures.
With that being said, I do feel terrible for this dancer! Performing with fire and chemicals can be very dangerous. Take the time to know what you are doing and the proper procedures to avoid problems.
