Kiddo Cultural Awareness
This beautiful (and I mean beautiful) soul, Dr. Kate Riegle van West has been creating a fantastic series of instructional Poi videos for kiddos. If you want to diversify your children's perspective, open up their cultural knowledge, zen them out, and get their little hand-eye coordination crankin', then follow @spinpoi on IG and FB because she is releasing some major goodness tomorrow afternoon.
You can also check out her incredible research and more at SpinPoi.com. You can find a DIY video for making your own poi, and all you need are socks, rice/beans, and rubber bands!
The cool undercurrent about this (that bears a bit of a spotlight) is that Kate was my first friend in grad school. We both graduated with the same Interdisciplinary Art MFA degree from Columbia College Chicago. I am a photographer, professor, and blogger... and she is now a leading PhD who is forging a map of the incredible health benefits of Poi. Art degrees manifest in a multitude of diverse professional paths. So follow your heart's beat, and loosen your grip.
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When BBC News asks you to do an interview, and you frantically pile everything into the corner of your bedroom in an attempt to make it look like you have some kind of presentable office, only to find out it's a phone call. Stay tuned, they liked the story and a live video interview will be happening soon.
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