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Fire Dancers, Breathers, and Eaters: What Is the Difference?

Updated: Oct 26, 2023

Entertainment and media is one thing that most people in the world cannot live without. New technologies that support entertainment are emerging on a daily basis and most fun lovers are embracing them. Today, smartphones are an everyday business and they come with the best entertainment you can wish for each day. The good news is that, there are diverse kinds of entertainment that you can opt for whether at home, in the business world or while partying in your favorite night club.

Have you ever heard of fire performance? Probably, you have been to a show where performers use their fire handling skills to entertain guests. Fire dancing, breathing and eating are common types of entertainment in many nations. These are mind blowing forms of entertainment that you will fall in love with anytime. This is a kind of entertainment that has a deep history that dates back to the ancient times. Fire dancers, breathers and eaters are a major attraction in many corporate events, picnics and private parties in America.

Everything to Know About Fire Dancers, Breathers and Eaters

If you have never attended one of the groundbreaking fire-eating, dancing or breathing shows, you may not know how these forms of entertainment differ. In essence, these acts sound almost similar but they slightly differ. To get a glimpse of what each act entails, you have to look at each event at a time. Understanding each of these terms will also make it easy for you, if you are an event manager, to hire the best entertainers in the market. Here we go:


1. Fire dancers

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A fire dancer is a performer who manipulates fire in his or her artistic performance. This is a dancer who handles a flaming prop such as a poi, a hula hoop or a Bo staff. Fire dancers will use equipment made with one or more wicks designed in a way that they can sustain large flames to create an amazing visual effect that will leave audiences in awe.

Performance skills and artistic abilities that make fire dancers stand out include juggling, poi spinning, baton twirling, and many other forms of objects that can help in fire manipulation performance.

Fire dancing is quite amazing and a distinctive performance that can be rhythmic, energetic, lively or intimate. It all depends on the environment the fire dancer is performing in, the music genre, props used and the approach the dancer uses to showcase fire dancing skills.

You cannot become an extraordinary fire dancer in a single day. It demands lot of sacrifice and extensive practice. You have to practice without fire in order to perfect your stunts and dance moves as it can be dangerous at the same time when using a live flame.

It is wise to seek the help of professional fire dancers. In addition, always keep fire safety rules in your fingertips. Don’t be carried away by the splendor of fire dancing and the art in general.


2. Fire Breathers

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A fire breather is a performer who fills fuel into his or her mouth and vaporizes it with a flame in front of his or her face and successfully blows fireballs to the amusement of the audience.

Fire breathing is one of the dangerous performances of manipulating fire in the art. However, with proper training, technique and correct use of fuel, one can easily perfect the art and reduce injuries or death.

The basic components used by fire breathers are a flame source and fuel. The fuels used to cause a plume or ball of fire should be safe combustibles with the lowest temperature to ignite when directed to a fire source. Fire breathers use paraffin for its safer flash point or highly purified lamp oil.

Fuels that fire breathers should shun include alcohol, petrochemicals or spirit-based fuels. Ethanol and methanol should not be used to spark flames during fire breathing as they are easily absorbed into the blood stream and can lead to intoxication.

Other low flash point fuels to avoid include butane, naphtha and propane as they can cause combustion and damage performer’s mouth and lungs. Fire breathers also must avoid gasoline as it contains sulfurated components that can lead to serious injuries during performance.

Besides death and injuries, there are many health issues associated with fire breathing especially when using the wrong fuel.  Fire breathers can suffer from dry cough, diarrhea, acute respiratory distress, headaches, fuel poisoning, dental problems, as well as fire breather’s pneumonia. Exposure to petrochemicals can lead to cancer of throat or mouth.

Fire breathing is an attention-grabbing spectacle, but professionals should indulge in this fiery art. It is also used in live band shows and comedy shows worldwide, and to excel as a fire breather, a lot of practice and training is necessary.


3. Fire Eaters

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Fire eaters are entertainers who place blazing torches into their mouths and then extinguish them. Fire eating is a lovely art that also involves fire fleshing whereby; trails of fire are deposited on the entertainer’s skin setting it ablaze.

A lot of physics is employed in fire eating as it relies on quick extinguishing of fire in the mouth or skin and on the short-term cooling effects of water vapors or performer’s saliva in the mouth.

Fire eaters were highly regarded by Hindus as their performance depicted spiritual fulfilment. Today, they act as sideshow acts and part and parcel of the entertainment sector. Fire eating is not an easy activity and the best fire performers are those who use the most difficult skills.

Common skills used by fire eaters include vapor trick where fuel vapors are held in the mouth during and before the fires has been extinguished. Transfer is the other collective trick where a flame is moved from one area to another, by using one’s body or another surface. Extinguishes is the trademark of fire eaters and it involves methods of extinguishing fire flames using diverse methods. Fire eating tricks vary from one region to another as well as their names.

During a fire eating performance, an entertainer has to endure constant blisters on his or her tongue, throat and lips. It can also lead to fire eater’s pneumonia, which is a condition caused by accidental ingestion of fuel or using wrong fire eating skills. Fire eating is an expertise that can be passed from one interest artist to a beginner eager to learn. But it is wise to seek help from professionals.

Have you ever watched a fire dancer, breather or eater do his or her tricks? It is an eye-catching spectacle. We are a widely known event entertainment firm and we will offer you the best fire eating, breathing and dancing services for your event. We operate on a daily basis and you can contact our able customer care desk and book our services. Our fire dancers, eaters and breathers are experienced and will leave your guests at your corporate party, special event or festival in awe. We always maintain safety in our performances and you will love every experience. Contact us today and make your party unforgettable.

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