Fire breathing is also known as Dragon's Breath.
Ancient Egyptian texts refer to the practice of fire eating, though the practice is commonly associated with the Renaissance and Polynesian cultures. It's still practiced today at parties, carnivals, fairs and sideshows by experienced performers. Fire eating is usually just one of several tricks used in a single show. Most fire eaters don't wear protective gear when performing these tricks; they rely on their skill and knowledge of the flame.
Fire Eating
The basis of working with fire is the fire eating trick. This trick involves placing the lit end of a torch into the mouth for a short period of time and removing it while still lit. Fire eaters even put out the torch with their mouths using this trick. To make it safe, the fire eaters exhale their breath as they put the torch in their mouth. This pushes the flames away from their skin. They also utilize a special pose to avoid burning themselves with the flames.
Fire Dancing
Dancing with fire is not itself a fire-eating trick, but it's a trick that forms a central part of a fire-eating performance. The fire eater serves double duty as dancer and will twirl or swing around a lit torch, usually while dancing to a drum beat. This requires pre-planning, coordination, balance and practice with unlit torches before using lit torches. Fire dancing creates unique patterns in the air when performed at night. It is also used to build tension between tricks and keep the audience entertained.
Fire Breathing
In this advanced trick fire breathers actually create a ball or column of fire from their mouths. It's meant to look like a mythical dragon's fire breath. The trick requires holding combustible fuel in the mouth and blowing it into the air. The fire breather ignites the fuel with a lit torch to create the fire breath. This stunt is dangerous and can lead to extensive burns on the face and arms if not performed correctly.
Fire Contact
Fire eaters use fire contact to entertain the audience, extinguish flames and even to transfer flames between torches. The fire eater will press the lit torch against his skin, sometimes for an extended period of time, and pull it away without burning himself. This trick involves pressing the actual torch against the skin, effectively putting out the fire on one side. The torch is also moved around on the skin and never allowed to stay in one place for long. If not performed correctly, this trick can cause severe burns.
Fire Extinguishing
Knowing put out the fire is an important part of fire eating. Some artists put out the flames using small tricks incorporated into their show. The lit torch is put out by placing it in the mouth and quickly closing the mouth to extinguish the flame. It is also pinched out by hand. The artist can also simply blow out the flame with a strong breath. Another extinguishing method is to shake the torch suddenly and fast enough to literally pull the fuel source away from the flame. This last method requires precaution and practice with an experienced tutor.
