Fire Dancer
Photography: Jill Orschell
Question: What do yoga, fire dancing and Thai massage all have in common? Answer: Lauren Lockey.
Only 29 years old, Lockey’s life already reads like an adventure travel guide. She has lived all over the U.S., from Oregon to Maine, and has spent time in New Zealand and Thailand learning her trade.
It all began with a fateful knee injury she sustained while studying modern dance in Burlington, Vermont. “I hurt my knee, and there was this yoga studio down the street from my dorm. I thought it might help, so I went in and started taking classes,” reflects Lockey. Not much later, Lockey traveled to Thailand where she took a three-month class to become a certified yoga instructor.
Thailand, it turned out, had more to offer than just yoga. There she became intrigued with the art of fire dancing. “There was this guy teaching it, and I just started practicing basic poi moves,” she says. Fire dancing involves poi, a ball made from flax seed wrapped in leaves in the Thai tradition, attached to the end of a string. The ball is lit on fire, and the dancer choreographs movement into a routine.
“I love fire — I’m a fire sign — and I love dance, so it’s a way to incorporate that kind of movement,” explains Lockey.
Fire dancing is largely a form of entertainment. Lockey has performed at various functions since moving to Park City three years ago. She would like more opportunities, though, to perform. “I perform at parties. I think everyone is attracted to fire; it’s mesmerizing and meditative. To see someone dancing with it is a whole new experience for people here,” she says.
Her passion for fire dancing acknowledged, yoga is still Lockey’s foundation. She first came to Park City on a family ski trip. At that time, yoga was just taking off, she says, and she inquired about teaching classes here. She was in the right place at the right time. Lockey now teaches, on average, 20 classes per week at various locations around town.
“People here are so athletic,” offers Lockey. “But people become more aware anyway. There are so many ways we can move our bodies. It’s such an exploration.”
Lockey offers private yoga classes as well as Thai massage. She learned the technique in Thailand, too. Thai massage focuses on constant pressure and release and relying on body weight to work on power points in the body.
With her impressive resume, Lockey dreams of one day owning her own yoga studio, preferably one that is ‘green.’ “My vision when I started teaching was to facilitate more environmental awareness.” she says. “And if we begin to connect with our own bodies and our own spirits and become aware of the power we all hold, then we’ll also have the power to manifest a healthy community, a healthy earth.”
For more information, view www.yogaandfiredancing.com.
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