Bravo Juggling presents: Stick Heroes / 2012. 02.
Devil Stix Dave loves fire performance and the flow arts with all heart and soul. He says that his mission is to spread joy around the world through fire performance, object manipulation& the flow arts.
Name: Devil Stix Dave Hirshman
Age: 29
Nationality: USA
Place of living: Reno, NV USA
Your job: West Coast Juggling
How many years have you been juggling with devilsticks: 13 years
Number of devilsticks you have: 100s (to many to count)
Your juggling achievements (prize / performance / trick that you are proud of / etc.):
I won first as a professional in the 2nd International Devil Sticks competition in Las Vegas Nevada on July 17 2010.
I am proud of my ninja roll move that I came up with.
This is a performance that I am very proud of.
Other juggling equipments you play with:
I also play with astrojax, ball juggling, staff spinning, contact staff, rope dart, contact sphere juggling, meteor, nunchaku, flow wand, buugeng, & hat juggling.
Are you member of any team/group/club/association:
I am a member of Controlled Burn, and am the leader of the West Coast Juggling performance troupe.
Where did you learn playing with devilsticks?
My friend Sara introduced me to the joys of the stick world in Reno NV by teaching me the basics and i taught myself almost everything else I know with a little help from youtube & juggletube.
Which trick did you find the most difficult to learn?
The conveyer belt.
What are you practicing at the moments?
I am working on learning the matrix & I am working on many new leg moves using my hacky sack skills.
Do you have tricks that you invented?
To many to name but I believe we are all connected so the second a trick comes into existence by me or anyone else it is then accessible by all. For all we know there is a mind blowing zen stick master out there creating all of these amazing moves in secret somewhere & were just taping into that when we are in the flow.
What are your favorite tricks?
Neck, leg and ground rolls.
What are the most difficult tricks you can do?
Neck, leg and ground rolls... :)
What is the most difficult trick that you would like to learn?
Combining everything I know into one fluid none stop routine.
In what style do you play and what other styles do you like?
I am a pure flow artist I have great respect for the technical side of performance but I like to flow into and out of every performance & play experience.
Do you play with firesticks as well?
Yes, I have been playing with fire sticks since 2001 and have invented my own version of a fire flower stick that you can buy from my website.
What do you do on a normal day, how many hours do you practice?
I like to play & practice about 1 to 3 hours a day.
How and where do you practice?
I like to practice 1-3 hours a day and I either practice in my living room or at a local dance studio.
Do you perform with devilsticks?
Yes, as often as I can. I perform with my local fire troupe Controlled Burn and I do solo and duet fire performances.
Do you teach juggling?
Yes, I teach workshops at juggling events, school’s, festivals and circus centers.
I have been featured as a teacher at the following events:
April 2011 – Play Immersion (Austin, TX)
May 2011 – Fire Drums (Navarro, CA)
July 2011 – Compression Fire Arts Festival (Reno, Nevada)
September 2011 – The Lake Tahoe Flow Arts Festival (Lake Tahoe, CA)
Why do you like devilsticks?
I love the flow arts and object manipulation because they are a great introduction to fitness, juggling, dance, and geometry (devil sticks being one toy/tool in the flow arts).
What are your strong/weak points?
I am good with one baton and I need improvement with two.
How is juggling life in the USA? Are devil sticks popular?
Juggling is a very small part of the USA. Devil sticks are not very popular with main stream Americans but they have a strong following of underground enthusiasts.
How do you imagine yourself when you are old? Will you still juggle?
I hope to be a healthy old man teaching devil stix.
Can you imagine not juggling devilsticks any more?
No, I will spin them to my grave.
What is the advice you have for beginner/advanced devilstick players?
I tell everyone the more you play the more in-tune you become. Peace Love & Flower Stix!