Flow arts is a relatively unknown branch of the Circus. Almost every big city in the Netherlands has its own gathering of people who train together. However, most of these gatherings now have a winter break, except for the one in Amsterdam. What makes this gathering so special?
Every Tuesday evening around sunset, a group of people in Amsterdam gathers to practice Flow arts. The atmosphere is friendly, and everyone seems to know each other well. This week’s gathering is at Green tribe, an ecological park in Amsterdam West. It’s a good location if you ask Flow artist Floris Kerkhof: ‘We have a tent here and good lighting. There’s plenty of space to dance, and we can play music.’ Having a tent is particularly nice because in winter, it can often rain a lot or be very cold. Flow arts can be either practiced with led light or fire, rain is the biggest enemy of a so-called ‘flow jam’.
After the first people arrive, someone shouts: ‘Quick, let’s start burning, guys, it’s going to pour rain later this evening.’ A large campfire is built in the open space next to the tent. The first people grab their props and dip them in lamp oil. Psychedelic trance music starts playing, and people begin to dance.
Miroslav Zach is one of the organizers of this Jam. For him, Flow arts is almost like a form of meditation: ‘You become one with the fire, it’s a special experience.’ What makes this jam so strong in Amsterdam is that there are so many active fire spinners who like to come together regardless of the weather. The community is like a family. Miroslav says, ‘I organize it, but really, the organization is mostly carried by the community. Many people who come to this jam were not born in the Netherlands; this community is their family.
On the dance floor, different people dance with objects, tricks are exchanged, and some stand watching what is happening in the middle. The circus form is also called object manipulation or prop dance. Sometimes it seems like the dancer isn’t in charge, but the fire is. The most well-known forms of flow arts are juggling, hoop dance, poi, and fans. Elements of yoga, acrobatics, various forms of dance, martial arts, and the circus are combined in Flow arts. Even at the jam in Amsterdam, no one dances the same; everyone has their own unique style. Like Floris, who’s juggling with big fire clubs.
Floris has been into Flow arts for 10 years. He’s a loyal attendee of the jam and sees it becoming increasingly popular: ‘When this jam started, maybe five people came inconsistently, now there’s a whole community that always shows up. There are also many more festivals where flow arts are practiced, such as the Phoenix Fire Convention in Germany, which now attracts far more people than it did 10 years ago’.
And yes, unfortunately, at nine o’clock the first cold winter drops fall. A few People move to the tent to find shelter. But there are still some who don’t care about the rain. They keep going.
Miroslav sees a colorful future for the jam in Amsterdam. He says, ‘if the community is so strongly engaged with each other many beautiful things can come from it. We are thinking of starting an organization and taking the jam to another level.’ But the basis of this jam would always remain as a safe space where everyone in the community feels welcome and the vibe is positive. Floris sees himself still being involved in the Flow arts community. He’s never quite sure what exactly he wants to do, but he says it will come. ‘Go with the flow!’
