Congratulations to Gina McGrath, and Eric “RollCall” Shibuya for being chosen as FAI’s Instructors of the month!
Gina McGrath:
What is a short bio on your awesomeness?
I’m from Cincinnati, Ohio where I first got into flow arts through going to music festivals and meeting Nocturnal Arts. almost four years ago, I moved to Asheville, North Carolina where my world broke open. I traveled the world and experienced an array of fire communities; all of which I’m tremendously grateful as well as inspired by. Now I’m back in Asheville where I nanny and manage a group of instructional flow artists(GoFlow). We host multiple weekly events and workshops in the Asheville. We’re hoping to move further into a place of instruction locally in the coming months through integration with local educational systems,
What Are Some Interesting Statistics or Unique Talents That You Have?
In my early years I practiced classical upright bass as well as cello. I am a visual artist as well (my medium is predominantly graphite and watercolor paper).
How Did You Come Into Flow Arts?
I came into the flow arts community by beginning to hoop through a want for a deeper connection with my little sister.
What Props Do You Use And What Props Are Your Favorite?
Hoop- 6 yr
Poi- 5 yr
Double Staff- 4 yr
Fans- 4 yr
Contact Staff- 1.5 yr
Where Have You Taught and Performed And Where Will You Be Teaching?
Flame Festival, Lafayette GA : Instructor, Organizer
Leaf Festival, Asheville NC : Stage Manager, Flow Zone Instructor
Fahrenheit, Schukyll PA : Instructor
Mountain Flow Festival, Asheville NC : Instructor
Kinnection Campout : Workshop Coordinator, Performance
Transformus : Conclave Co-lead, Performance
Foreways Project: Kinnections Tour, NYC-Philly-Baltimore-DC
Flashepoint, Stuart VA : Director, Instructor, Performance
For more follow Gina on Facebook and Instagram, and be sure to check out her website GoFlow.
Eric “RollCall” Shibuya:
What is a short bio on your awesomeness?
Born: Oahu, Hawaii
Professor of Strategic Studies, Command and Staff College, Marine Corps University 1999
Fulbright Fellow to Australia
Author of Demobilizing Irregular Forces (Polity, 2012)
What Are Some Interesting Statistics or Unique Talents That You Have?
3rd Place, “Apollo Nite” Competition, Colorado State University
One of many guest editors for Juggler’s World 1997 (50th Anniversary) issue
Have juggled at many unusual or just different locations, to include:
Kahoolawe, Hawaii
Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands
Port Vila, Vanuatu
The Rocks, Sydney, Australia
Nairobi, Kenya
Pristina, Kosovo
How Did You Come Into Flow Arts?
Learned to juggle at 13. Got better in college, getting up to 5 balls. Took a nearly 25 year break from any improvement, but now back. Working on 6 and 7 balls, 5 and 6 rings, 4 and 5 clubs.
What Props Do You Use And What Props Are Your Favorite?
I used to use nearly all the traditional juggling props. Balls, clubs, rings, diabolo, devil stick, cigar boxes, bounce juggling. Now I’m pretty exclusively a toss juggler (balls, clubs, rings). I love to pass clubs.
Current favorite to teach is balls for solo work and clubs for passing.
Current favorite to play with is rings. Trying to find my flow under a five-ring cascade. And always, fire. Working on 4 torches and 7 torch passing.
Where Have You Taught And Where Will You Be Teaching?
Have taught at:
Feb: Groundhog Day Juggling Festival (Atlanta): Siteswap Workshop
April: Fire and Flow Arts (FFlArts), (Orange, VA): Intro to Juggling Class
June: Fahrenheit Flow Festival (Pennsylvania): Siteswap Workshop
October: Flashepoint (Stuart, VA): Intro to juggling, club passing, and siteswap workshop
Will be teaching at:
April 2017, FLAME, Georgia, workshops: club passing, intro juggling, numbers juggling, siteswaps
April/May 2017 FFlArts, Orange, Virginia, workshops: intro juggling, intro club passing
Anything Else You Would Like To Mention?
I’ve been away from much of the juggling/flow community and only returned in the last 4 years or so. It’s been like coming home, and I have needed that return. More than performing, I am a teacher at my core, so being able to spread knowledge and skills is what I love to do most of all, and I am thrilled to be back in the Flow Arts Community again. it is good to be home.
For more follow Eric on Facebook and on Instagram.
Both Eric and Gina offer lessons via Skype if asked. 🙂
Photo Credits:
Thomas Merritt
Ken Crampton
Caza Blanca
Christopher Greene