Short answer: yes, absolutely! 🙌 No matter your current skill level, you can join all our retreats. Whether you picked up your first poi last week or you’ve been spinning fire for years — there’s a place for you.
We offer beginner, intermediate and advanced options for all props and techniques, and all workshops are designed to welcome absolute beginners. That said: to get the most out of your week, it really helps to know the basics of the props you want to learn. In this article we tell you exactly what to practise — with our favourite free video tutorials for every prop. 🎬
🌱 All levels welcome · 🎯 How to prepare · 🌀 Poi · ⭕ Hoop · 🔮 Contact staff · 🥢 Staff spinning · 💛 Can’t do it yet?
🌱 ALL LEVELS WELCOME
Every retreat is a mix of complete newbies, curious beginners, experienced spinners and professional performers — and that’s exactly what makes it so special. ✨
- 👶 Absolute beginners are welcome in every workshop. Our teachers love teaching the very first steps.
- 📶 Workshops are split into levels where it makes sense — for poi, for example, we split the group into beginner, intermediate and advanced.
- 🤝 You’re never on your own: there’s always someone happy to show you a move during the jams, between workshops or at the pool.
- 🎪 Don’t have props? You can rent most practice props at the retreat — just note it in the retreat form.
So no, you don’t need to be “good enough” to come. You just need to want to learn — and to have fun. 🔥
🎯 HOW TO PREPARE (A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY)
You don’t need to arrive with a list of tricks. But if you know the basics, you’ll understand the workshops faster, and you’ll go home with so much more. A few tips:
- ⏱️ 10–15 minutes a day is better than one long session a week.
- 🔁 Practise both directions and both sides — your teachers will thank you!
- 📱 Film yourself now and then. You’ll spot things you can’t feel.
- 🧦 Start soft: sock poi or a light hoop are much more forgiving while you learn.
- 💛 Be patient. Dropping your prop is part of the process — everybody does it.
Below you’ll find the basic moves we recommend for each prop, plus our favourite free tutorials. 👇
🌀 POI BEGINNERS
To get the most out of the retreat, please familiarise yourself with these basic poi moves:
- 3-beat weaves (forward & backward)
- Windmill & watermill
- Hip-reels & turns
- Butterfly (same-time & split-time)
- Buzzsaw
Don’t worry if you can’t do all of these yet — we will teach them! If you’d like to prepare, we highly recommend PoiTutorials.com, made by our own teacher Vojta.
⭕ HOOP BEGINNERS
To benefit most from the hoop workshops, please learn these basic moves:
- Waist-hooping in both directions
- Moving your hoop up and down your body
- Shoulder-hooping in both directions
💡 Tip: a slightly bigger and heavier hoop makes waist-hooping much easier when you start. You can find lots of great free tutorials from HOOPLOVERS:
🔮 CONTACT STAFF BEGINNERS
To make the most of the contact staff workshops, please learn these basic moves:
- Neck wrap
- Halo
- Conveyor belt
- Parts of an arm roll or “Steve”
💡 Tip: contact staff is all about slow, smooth movement — practise in front of a mirror and take your time. You can find many free tutorials from PHILOCRICUS:
⚠️ Please note: we don’t have contact staffs to rent, so bring your own.
🥢 STAFF SPINNING BEGINNERS
To benefit most from the staff spinning workshops, please learn these basic moves:
- Forward and backward figure 8
- Turning with the figure 8
- The rotor (front spinning)
- The windmill
💡 Tip: practise slowly with both hands and switch your grip often — that’s where the magic of staff spinning starts. You can find many free tutorials from Michelle Christa Smith:
💛 WHAT IF I CAN'T DO IT YET?
Then you’re exactly the kind of person we made these retreats for! 😊 Everything on this page is a recommendation, not a requirement. Plenty of our attendees arrive with zero experience and leave with a whole new passion — and a flow family from all over the world.