For thousands of years, fire has been an element of fascination. On one hand, it’s one of the most useful discoveries known to mankind, essential for cooking, warming, and lighting. On the other, it can be perilous, fully able of demolishing and killing.
Such capabilities mark fire as dangerous, yet alluring.
It is then no wonder that fire dancing has become all the rage, with festivals like Burning Man and groups that perform it for entertainment springing up left and right. The sense of exhilaration from the art, even from just watching a performance, is enough to peak interest; it provides a sense of escape from the mundane, everyday life.
Fire dancing has long been an integral part of the history of many different cultures from around the world. It is not just a ritual; it is an art that wholly benefits them.
For the same reasons, people today are still captivated by fire dancing:
Body: Like with any form of exercise, fire dancing effectively helps maintain not just physical fitness, but overall good health as well. With this art, it is not just the fire that burns, your calories do too! It is an effective weight loss strategy that simultaneously helps strengthen muscles. It enhances body flexibility and promotes good posture, which makes you look leaner. Additionally, it helps promote a healthy heart and improves blood circulation, reducing chances of cardiovascular disease.
Mind: Physical benefits, such as good blood flow, also tie in with the mental advantages gained from fire dancing. The integration of fire with dancing requires a higher level of concentration than other forms of dance on top of the memorization of routines. It also challenges the mind by calling for the ability to make rapid- fire decisions, necessary for safety reasons and for the aesthetics of the dance routine. Such creative and stimulating thinking could help prevent diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, and even depression.
Soul: The combination of good physicality and mentality add a third benefit to fire dancing. Overall well-being is a spiritual advantage to the art. The ability to look and feel better can help promote higher self- esteem, boosting one’s body image and sex appeal. It can provide relief for stress, which in turn will leave you feeling more energetic.
Not enough to convince you? Check out some of our performances and feel the heat for yourself! It might just leave you with a burning desire to give the fiery dance a try.