creativeexpressions
In the Flow
with local Flow artist marie Barnett
by linda Sechrist
M
arie Barnett’s dreams never in-
fingers, Barnett heard her technical
Above: Marie Barnett (Photo by Jerry Krecicki)
cluded the remotest possibility
mind whisper, “How does she do that?” Springs beaches, she had managed to
of becoming a performance
“Even though I realized that it overcome her shyness when onlook-
artist who swings balls of fire in circular
wasn’t a logical thing for me to do,” ers gathered at the beach to watch her
patterns around her body. In her wild-
Barnett recalls, “I knew in that moment perform poi and dance. “After I added
est imaginings, she never envisioned
that I wanted to learn poi, which is a the dancing and fire to my art, sunset
stepping beyond the comfort zone of
traditional performing art of the Maori admirers stopped to watch,” advises
her successful architectural career to
people of New Zealand.” Barnett, “but when I got into my medi-
perform in front of audiences. But all
A successful architect who spe- tation zone, they disappeared, and so
that changed when she hired a belly
cializes in environmentally friendly did my stage fright.”
dancer and poi performance artist to
home designs, many of which operate Today, Barnett and Harrison
entertain guests at her birthday party in
sustainably off the grid on Keewaydin teach their flow arts, together and
2007.
Island, Barnett’s passion for becoming separately, at workshops like the one
Mesmerized by the woman’s
skillful at poi has rewarded her in ways Barnett has scheduled for February 13.
grace and skill at twirling balls of fire
she never anticipated. As a creative They perform both alone and together
suspended from strings tethered to her
tool that helps Barnett focus her mind, at public and private events, and get
poi practice also allows her to tone together for some fun at local beaches
Below: Leandra Harrison
her body and to shut out the gazillion with members of their Meet-up group.
things she regularly multi-tasks. It also With poi in hand and a big smile on
helps her focus her attention on only her lips, Barnett declares, “We perform
the moment she holds in her hands. for ourselves and the setting sun, which
“Within five minutes, I am having fun frequently rewards us with the same
and grinning from ear-to-ear,” Barnett beautiful afterglow that we feel inside.”
exults. “In 10 minutes, I’m totally im-
mersed in a meditation of movement, Contact Marie Barnett, BLAZEnaples, at
and in 30 minutes, I’m finished, totally 239-961-4100. Visit
BLAZEnaples.com.
relaxed and rejuvenated.” Contact Leandra Harrison, Pure Magic
By the time Barnett met Leandra Hoops, at 239-777-5157. Visit
Harrison, a fellow flow artist who hula
Leandrah.etsy.com. Visit Facebook:
hoops regularly on Naples and Bonita NaplesHoolaHoopers.
natural awakenings February 2010
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