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Hi, I'm David. In case you havn't figured it out yet, fireninja.com is my website. To skip right to the pictures click here.

I have been obsessed with fire for most of my life. When I was younger this was mostly limited to lighting things on fire and watching them burn [although I did make a number of flamethrowers, with varying degrees of success]. Years before exposure to any decent fire equipment, I would spin burning sticks fresh from a campfire much to the amusement of my drunken friends. Later, I experimented with glowsticks taped to broom handles, which was not all that fulfilling.

I first saw fire performance with proper mmodern equipment at a Seattle nightclub, soon after I moved to said city to study law. I started talking with the performers between sets and they let me play with their gear. I guess they were impressed, because within a couple of weeks I was performing on stage as a member of that same professional troupe [note however that I had the advantage of over 10 years of prior weapons training with a heavy emphasis on staff and spear work].

For me the best part about spinning fire is the sound: when you are in the middle of the fire you are surrounded by a roaring noise which drowns out the outside world. For me it is a beautiful Zen space. The sound is what first hooked me. I wanted that to hear the fire tearing through the air again and again.

My favorite way to spin fire is while blindfolded. Without sight my other senses seem enhanced, and I become engulfed by the heat and the roar of the fire. When I used to spar with swords I would sometimes go into a trance [a side effect of siting Zazen too much], it made me MUCH faster and pushed my abilities FAR beyond my normal skill level. Often when I spin blindfolded I am taken to a similar place. It is wonderful to have found a way to achieve this kind of state without the need for combat.

Unfortunately, I don't know of many others who do blindfolded fire performance, which is really too bad. If you do blindfolded firedancing, or are interested in trying it, drop me an email.

*****

I when I lived in Seattle in the late 1990s and early 2000s I was a member of Animated Fusion, a professional [i.e. paid] fire dancing troupe based in Seattle, sadly now defunct. I also had the good fortune to practice and play with quite a number of top-notch old-school fire performers in Seattle, including members of Magma VOX and Pyrosutra. Now I am living in Portland, and am an active member of the performance art community. I co-produce a dark arts performance ensemble called Societas Insomnia, and I run a fire-fetish performance art troupe called Prometheus Bound. Also, I am also a member of Firerotica, another fire-fetish troupe, Circuri Curajul, a [now defunct] touring circus, 999 Eyes ov Endless Dream [a carnival and freak show] and Batty's Hippodrome [a victorian revival circus] as well as doing regular guest appearances with yet more fire and performance art troupes. Additionally, I have a regualr slot at Dante's as part of the Sinferno Cabaret, and also do regular guest appearances at the Someday Lounge. At Burning Man I perfrom with Garnish in the Fire Conclave [were were MV2 in 2002, and Garnish in 2003-2007]. Over the past 5 or 6 years I have performed in hundreds of shows with content ranginf from rechincal fire performance [highspeed blindfolded, etc. . .], to fire fetish shows, to traditional circus shows with leather bullwhips cutting flowers from my assistant's teeth.

During the day I am an erstwhile attorney doing mostly appellate litigation on progressive lefty liberal social issues. I also do a variety of other consulting and research projects.

I spend much of my other time preforming with fire, making electronic music/noise, running my art gallery [Vorpal Space], writing inflammatory essays and opinion pieces, lifting heavy things in the gym, sparring, tending to Artemis [my cat] and my bonsai, drinking gourmet tea, pacticing with my firestaff and firewhip,and clubbing [baby seals].

As an excercise in narcicisism and for the benefit of my friends, I have a blog on LiveJournal which I update somewhat regularly. The content of the blog is scraped into the mainpage of this site. I also lurk on a few of the networking sites, including MySpace, and Tribe, although I mostly just go through the motions. . . but I tend to have newer pictures up on 'em. . .

Got questions? check out the F.A.Q.

OK, now for the pictures. Here are some recent glam shots by Steve Lenz of stevelenzphotography.com:

These were taken backstage before a Societas Insomnia show:

Here is a recent selfportrait.

Here are some glam shots taken of me a bit ago by Robert of decadentphotography.com/. He tends to bring out the worst in me [like giving me a handgun for a prop]:

If only I always looked this cool...

Urban militia poster boy.

This next is of me being anti-social at the surreal but trendy Portland bar Tube. The picture was taken by my brother Adam.

This last one was taken by my Buddy David Wilson [a.k.a. KingNeptune]. In this picture I am playing with my short fire whip in an enclosed space. It has the distinction of being one of the only pictures of me in existance wherein I am smiling.

Click here to see pictures of my remarkable cat Artemis

You can write to me here, I may even write back:
david @ fireninja.com

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