LumenAscent is the Bay Area's newest fire performance troupe. Our mission is to explore and combine modern dance and fire spinning as an artistic doorway to evolution, integrating that which is outside with what is inside.

LumenAscent was founded by Ian Smith and Katy Pomelov. Their story goes something like this: Ian had just moved to the Bay Area for fire dance and modern dance after graduating from Wesleyan University in 2005. Katy was taking dance classes and performing with the Temple of Poi in San Francisco. "As soon as we saw each other spin we knew we had to work together... There was nobody else using modern dance and fire dance together." They spent the next year and a half creating a 25 minute show. "We have both worked with other fire troupes that could throw a show together in an hour; we wanted to be different. We made our choreography the most arduous, intricate, and beautiful fire dance we could imagine. It took us six months meeting every day just to get the first seven minutes done."

Both Ian and Katy perform with several other top Bay Area fire troupes like Fire Pixie Entertainment and Copper Lantern Fire Theater. They are core members of the Lucid Dream Lounge Performance group. They have performed throughout the United States including Hawaii, Utah, Florida, and Iowa. Ian also does fire performance for the band Think13. Ian's modern dance credits include working with Kim Epifano and Epiphany Productions and he currently dances with In Step Dance Theater directed by Joy Newhart.

Classes

Our classes are taught by Ian. He is originally self-taught, which means he has made every learning mistake imaginable so you will not have to. Ian's focus is integrating object manipulation (like fire spinning, or contact juggling) with dance. Ian studied modern dance at Wesleyan University with Lisa Race among others. He received a scholarship to attend the American Dance Festival in 2005 and since moving to the Bay Area in 2006 he has danced professionally with Kim Epifano and Epiphany Productions and currently dances with In Step Dance Theater. Ian has taught fire spinning workshops all over the United States. For a time he was training to be the president of the Temple of Poi in San Francisco, until artistic differences convinced him to concentrate his efforts on merging the body with the poi.

Ian's fire dancing class is unlike anything else you will find in the area. If this is your first time spinning poi Ian will take you through a unique series of exercises to develop a conceptual understanding so you can eventually teach yourself. If you are in intermediate/advanced student, in addition to learning new tricks to push your boundaries, you will be encouraged to develop what you already know. He will also focus on how your body reacts to the prop and vice versa as an invitation to realize your own style of liberated dance.

Classes are currently being merged with the Spinagogue, an Oakland bases partnership of some of the most talented instructors on the west coast. Currently planned is a weekend intensive at the Vulcan in Oakland on March 21-23 teaching most spinning disciplines. You can catch the Spinagogue instructors at Fire Drums on May 1-4, at Wild Fire in Connecticut on June 5-8, or at Burning Man at the Object Manipulation Concentration Camp (OMCC).

For information about classes contact us.

Shows

Right now we offer custom shows. Whether you have something specific in mind or give us free reign to create a unique performance that will never be seen again, we will craft a scene that won't be soon forgotten.