UltraPoi Sponsor Code "nashedpoiiitato" to Save

My name is Sierra Nash and I go by the name nashedpoiiitato. My journey into flow arts began in the music festival scene. I was so intrigued by all the spinning lights and my curiosity led me to love them! I was asking people if I could try their poi out until I finally got my first pair of Helix Poi as a gift in December 2019.

Right after I was given this set, COVID hit and I used all my time during lockdown to feed this addiction. I was spinning poi for hours every day, even before I ate breakfast. I was always strapped with my Helix Poi everywhere I went and could barely ever set them down.

My love and curiosity only grew exponentially as I dove in deep, head first, into all aspects of poi that I possibly could! I would gather flow artists in the Seattle area by organizing flow events at Gasworks Park, this is also where my love for fire spinning grew.

My passion for spinning poi has led to performing and instructing across the world. I offer private poi lessons online and host a Patreon community, as well as instruct at various flow festivals and circus conventions globally.

My first teaching opportunity was my own nashedpoiiitato event at Seattle Flow Arts Collective in 2023. Since then, I have had the opportunity to instruct workshops at Northwest Flow Fest 2023, European Juggling Convention 2023, and Symmetry Music & Arts Festival 2024. I have performed for Dancefestopia Music Festival 2021-2022, NWFF Instructor Gala 2023, EJC's Open Stage Fire Gala 2023, and Symmetry Music & Arts Festival 2024.

I am deeply infatuated with all things flow arts. The physics, the community, the movement meditation, and the endless possibilities! I love sharing this passion with others through teaching, performing, choreographing, and geeking out over patterns and mechanics.

My main prop is poi - I consider poi an extension of my body. As much as poi has my heart, I also have so much fun manipulating many other props; such as double staff, dragon staff, rope dart, dapo stars, kendama, hoops, etc. I absolutely love object manipulation, no matter the object!

I would say my specialties are tosses, and rhythm. I enjoy making my poi airborne as much as possible, as well as moving in synchrony to the beat.

• Dancefestopia 2021-2022: Performed with fire poi for the first time at a music festival!

• Symmetry Festival 2024: Performed for the festival. Taught a Beginner Poi Workshop.

• nashedpoiiitato Patreon (2024-present): Hosts an online poi community with exclusive content including private performances, tutorials, and drills.

I love to get outside to flow as much as possible. There is something so centering about having zero filter in your expression when you are surrounded by nature. The beach, the forest, a big grass field, in the mountains, you name it! I find trees, rivers, animals, sunshine, and all aspects of life in its truest form to be inspiring. I feel like I’m in my truest form when I am poiing so it’s incredibly grounding to feel like such a part of the beauty I’m surrounded by.

My expression comes out in a lot of different ways when I flow. I feel the energy moving through me differently depending on how I’m feeling, what my environment is, and what music or thoughts I’m dancing to. I enjoy tossing my poi as much as possible, as I like to call it “juggling without the juggling,” and I can’t help but to dance with my poi spinning on the beat.

I took dance lessons for a couple years when I was a little girl. I performed Jazz, Lyrical, and Hip Hop in elementary school. This foundation was vital at the early stages of my flow journey because it gave me a lot of footwork to work with when I could only do the 3 Beat Weave. I have found as I’ve gone further down my flow arts journey that spinning poi brings out my dance background and allows me to be more comfortable. I am most confident dancing when I have my poi.

I can honestly say I am inspired by seeing other artists in their flow state. I do draw inspiration mainly from poi artists directly, but I most definitely apply concepts from all props I’ve seen in action. Translating ideas between props is incredible- specific strategies in the way the artist manipulates the prop, and the way the artist moves around the prop, too. There is something really magical about witnessing somebody become fully captivated with their own flow; and plenty to take inspiration from.

I am passionate about the selflessness of the community. It truly feels like most people want to see others succeed and will give them tips, tools, and leverage to help get them there. I was gifted my first set of fire poi, and many more props since then. People are extremely selfless with their resources and as a newbie, I feel like the community has welcomed me with open arms and applauded my journey from the sidelines.

The circus community gathers a lot of very special people, but truly not that many in the grand scheme of the world and all of its communities. In such a niche community, the culture is extremely welcoming, supportive, and loving. We are excited to share our knowledge with one another and to geek out over discovering new patterns together. We want to see each other grow and we support and encourage each other to reach goals. It is not hard to feel protective over the preciousness of the flow arts community once you are fortunate enough to be a part of it. It feels like artists understand how remarkable it is for someone to find an interest in flow arts and we cherish all who have.

Being a part of the flow community has not just touched my life, it has taken my life over! My love for poi was just the beginning, and that love provides an endless amount of fuel. But I would not be as confident and successful in my art as I am without the connections I’ve made through it. Accepting the love I have for this art and watering it with ideas has allowed me to become a great teacher, choreographer, and performer.

The flow community has all the potential to not only entertain, but to help people as well. Flow helps you get out of your head. It helps you move and meditate. You always have a dance partner when it comes to prop manipulation. You learn a lot about yourself and get in tune with your body. Flowing can be medicinal, it can be fun, and it can unite people. Everyone can learn something from someone else. I think my favorite thing about flow is how it projects the unique ways we all think.

I love introducing people to prop manipulation and movement meditation because of all the healthy benefits it provides for our mind, body, and soul. For me, the most important take from spinning poi is how much it can challenge, yet heal, the mind and lift the weight of the world off of us for a bit. Helping and encouraging others to begin their journey is inexplicably rewarding because of the potential for them to experience even a fraction of what I have- thanks to poi alone.

I prioritize giving back to the community that has given me so much through creating an abundance of educational videos that are easily accessible on my social media; #poiiitatorials , Tater #TOTorials , POInters, and many more. I teach poi at every opportunity given which has led me to hosting donation based workshops in Seattle, teaching private online lessons, building a poi Patreon community, and traveling to instruct workshops at music, flow, and circus festivals around the world. I also take pride in the various companies I have been given the opportunity to represent in the flow community, such as various prop companies and fire-safe clothing companies.