LT security guard Doreen Voorhees was nervous when she first attempted to try what is now one of her favorite activities. After a learning period consisting of grueling drills and many hours of practice, Voorhees was finally ready. With blistered hands from her unwavering commitment to these practice drills, Voorhees lit the fuel-soaked ropes aflame. She performs Poi, a type a performance art where the performer literally swings ropes of fire.

“It was nerve-racking at first. I had flames right by my face and body, and one wrong move would not have been good,” Voorhees said.

Poi, which first originated in New Zealand, involves swinging tethered weights in rhythmical patterns. Voorhees practices Fire Poi, in which the tethers are replaced with ropes that have been soaked in fuel and lit on fire.

Voorhees first began developing her talent about five years ago after a friend performed Poi for her, Voorhees said. This friend taught her to practice by swinging tennis balls in long baseball socks. Soon, Voorhees replaced the socks with flaming wicks.

“Doreen’s tenacity and dedication impresses me. She’s always practicing new tricks and new styles and has a lot of endurance,” Voorhees’s friend Allison Lloyd said. “She spins way past the time that I’m too tired to spin anymore. She is also very enthusiastic and I love to see her excitement about the art.”

Of course, playing with fire does not come without dangers. Though the flammable liquid used to ignite the ropes tends to burn quickly in order to help prevent severe burns, injuries can still occur.

“If you’re not careful you can really hurt yourself. I’ve known people to get third degree burns,” Voorhees said. “I always wear a hat because without it my hair would burn, but I have hit myself in the back of the head and singed myself before.

Voorhees attends events in Chicago where many people with an interest in Poi can perform together. Often times these events consist of a drumline and many different types of Poi dancers. In the future, she hopes to host one of these events closer to home, Voorhees said. She wants to provide a free show for people to see without having to travel to the city or a circus.

Prior to becoming an LT security guard at the beginning of this semester, Voorhees worked in hospice care. She occasionally continues to care for senior citizens that are chronically or terminally ill.

“I’ve learned so much from [the senior citizens that I help to care for],” Voorhees said. “They have such stories and such lives that they’ve lived and I have a lot of respect for them. When I go into somebody’s house, it’s hard for that person. They think that I’m going to take away their independence, but really I’m trying to help them continue their independence.”