My name is Sierra Nash and I go by the name nashedpoiiitato. I'm in the Seattle area and received my first set of poi as a gift in December 2019. 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 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 as a gift - the original Helix Pois from UltraPoi! Right after I was gifted this set, COVID hit and I had all of lockdown to feed this addiction. I was poiing 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 all flow artists in the Seattle area by organizing flow events at Gasworks Park. The events I organized at GasWorks Park is where my love for fire spinning grew.

My first prop was poi- I consider my poi an extension of my body. As much as poi has my heart, I have so much fun seeing what I can do with all the props; double staff, dragon staff, rope dart, dapo stars, meteor poi, etc. I absolutely love object manipulation, no matter the object! I would say my specialties are tosses and footwork.

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 flow has a wide range of variety. Sometimes it comes out elegantly and lyrical, other times it comes with intense flair- in more of a hip hop style. I like to toss my poi as much as possible (juggling without the juggling) and I love moving my feet to the beat. I can honestly say I am inspired by most artists once I see them in their flow state. I draw mainly from poi artists, but I have most definitely applied concepts from rope dart flow, double hoops, and basically all other props. Translating ideas between props is incredible. There is just so much to admire about someone getting lost in the flow state- no matter the prop; from passion, to expression, and specific moves yet adding their own style to it. There is something really magical about witnessing someone become fully encaptivated 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 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.

I love to teach poi and have created an abundance of educational videos to give back to the community that has given me so much; #poiiitatorials , #TOTorials , POInters, and many more. I also take pride in the companies I represent in the flow community; prop companies, fire safe clothing companies, etc. I teach donation based workshops at the Seattle Flow Arts Collective, private zoom lessons, I perform at music and art festivals (as well as weddings and other events), I have choreographed poi and staff routines for performances, and I teach workshops at flow festivals as well.

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. 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 things it provides for our mind, body, and soul. The most important take from poiing for me is how much it can heal the mind, and lift the weight of the world off our souls 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.