Boy, oh Voi! How to make veil poi.

At Bahaia's 2011 Cabaret Dance Camp (belly dance camp), I had the privilege to be mesmerized by Zafirah's voi work.  What is voi? Basically, it's poi with a veil attached.  You can do single or double poi in your performance, and I swear it's one heck of a workout too!

Video from Amy Massicotte's Youtube Channel.  This is Zafirah and her amazing voi work.

Making the voi is pretty simple, and reasonably inexpensive.  The cost runs about $20 for all the poi materials, with shipping and handling figured into the cost.  This doesn't include the cost of the veil either.  I referenced the videos below as my "how to" guide.

Part 1: Discusses materials required for poi handle making.

Part 2: Assembling the parts of your poi handle, plus voi demo!

I used the discount code "dyed4you" at the site Home of Poi (http://www.homeofpoi.com/) to get 15% off my purchase, along with a trip to Lowes for some of the more common items (foam pipe cover, rod coupling nuts, key rings, and duct tape).

List of items required:
Site: http://dyed4you.com/blog/2010/11/making-a-voi-weight/

• 35×84 or other size veil, preferably 5mm weight
• matching silk bag (or one to cover).
• keyrings
• needle and thread to match silk bag
• duct tape
• rod coupling nut (5/8″-11 x 2-1/8″) - Lowes or Home Depot
• foam pipe cover
• *length of ball chain (I use about 17″)
• *pro handle (I prefer single loop)
• *2 quicklinks (per voi)
• *2 type A couplings
• wire cutters (to cut chain)
• pliers (to secure couplings to chain)

Honestly, it was very simple to make, minus the cat interference and the heavy duty stitches in the poi.  Otherwise, assembly was a breeze.

Handle assembled, bag not sewn yet.  The rod coupling nut is in the cut foam, and heavily duct taped before placing into fabric bag for extra protection.

All finished!  I made sure to add extra stitches to really secure the key ring onto the poi body.

Now, how to use this thing?!  Well, practice, practice, and more practice is definitely the first step.  Make sure you are holding the handle loosely around your fingers, and not in a fist!  This will limit your moves significantly.  You can always attend a workshop with an experienced dancer, watch Youtube videos, or pick up a video such as Michelle Joyce's "Poi Spinning for Beginners."   Also, there are cheaper alternative you can use to practice before you commit to voi, such as a tennis ball in a stocking, with a little duct tape to keep it in place and the opposite end looped off for ease of holding.  Which ever you select, have fun!  It's definitely a neat prop to get to know, plus it looks great.  I love the arm workout too. 

~Cala

One of my fuzzy helpers.