My niece, Maya Brolutti, has battled three different autoimmune disorders from the time she was quite young–even younger than her 21 years right now. Twice this year she has danced fire poi at family gatherings. Most recently, she spun fire for our Christmas Eve festivities.
I took her in a back bedroom, turned on my recorder, and asked her what learning fire poi has meant to her and her healing journey.
This video is a rough cut, as digital stories often are, but it catches the immediacy of her thinking, which I love.
This video is an interview with Maya Brolutti, Fire Dancer.
This young lady must have spent a great deal of time practicing in order to become confident enough to swing fire around her body and face like this. Just watching the flames spin round and round is memorizing and very beautiful.
Ive always believed the healing benefits in art therapy. Art comes in many forms and it looks like this is her art.