Ehrlich "Firechill" Ocampo has traveled and been invited to numerous events in Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, USA and France – where he recently represented his art and his country in the 37th Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris. He is also included in Cirque du Soleil's database of talent as a Fire Performer and Levitation Wand Dancer.
I started dancing when I was about 15 years old in high school. I was a cheerleader *gasp* oh yes I was. It really helped me become athletic and got me started into acrobatics, gymnastics and dance.
Then I got into poi around 2010 when I saw fire dancers in the beaches of the Philippines. I looked for classes in Manila and also watched tutorials online.
The wand showed itself to me when I was shopping and I saw Prisna's video and my mind was just blown away! I simply wanted to try it. I actually tried the wand around 2011 but it wasn't until 2013 when I learned the long-string technique from Iain Culp during Philippine Flow Festival that I really got into it and my exploration exploded into what it is today.
There were a lot of hoopers in Manila, so I also tried it around 2013. I never realized that it was as fun as they say it was. I hooped for fun but it wasn't until 2015 that I said I would train with it seriously.
It allows me to share a part of myself to others. And when they appreciate that, you feel appreciated as well. It allows me to share my gift to others, allowing me to fulfill a purpose. It allows me to be myself and be somebody else at the same time.
It really helped me find my people and my place, specially when I was just starting out with the wand (and nobody else seemed to do it much here in the Philippines). Our levistick group is a great place to share your progress, collaborate with ideas, gain encouragement and exchange knowledge (either you receive or give advice).
In general, I've seen how the flow arts has changed so many individual lives. I can say that the flow community makes an impact by changing one life at a time. By just continue doing it, being myself and allowing people to see how much I enjoy doing it, I believe they will be enamored to try flow arts and see how it feels. As a community leader in Manila, we try to spread flow arts by practicing it, organizing free events and shows and generally just making it more accessible to the general public.
My main props are poi, hoop and the levitation wand. I probably spent around 3 years with only poi, spent more than 3 years with the leviwand and just more than a year with the hoop. My strongest would be the leviwand because even though I spent the same years as with the poi, I concentrated on training it and spent more hours with it.
I'd like to practice most in a dance studio with mirrors and proper flooring for floor works, turns, and acrobatics. But personally, I like practicing in nature – forest, mountain, beach, etc.
My personal success here is that have I not listened to my own true flow, I wouldn't have found it and I wouldn't be "Firechill" – distinct with his dynamic style of performing. With it, I feel like I also contribute some of my waves to the ocean of flow.
Are you a part of a flow troupe? Are there any local flow gatherings near you? Do you organize any of these events?
Yes, I am one of the heads of Flow Collective here in Manila, Philippines. I have also championed our initiative "Flow Art Show" which gives flow artists here a platform to show their art in a theater type of show. As I mentioned earlier, we organize free events, jams and even busking sessions to have a place for the flow community to convene, as well as for the public to have access to the flow arts.
Are you one of the community members that helps to organize any of these events?
1. To be the best example of a flow arts practitioner. I train hard, try to learn from the best and be the best flow artist I can be so others can open their eyes to the possibilities of the art and push themselves as well.
2. Organizing events such as flow art shows, jams, gatherings, classes, and workshops to bring the community together and to welcome interested parties as well. We aim to support the growing community in the Philippines, to spread awareness about flow arts and to make it more accessible to the public. I've spearheaded Flow Art Show and the Flow Collective here in Manila, Philippines.
What has 2016 been like for you in terms of going to festivals, retreats, workshops, events, burns, etc? What does the rest of 2016 have in store for you?
So I have been to Cirque de Demain in Paris, France this January 2016, introducing the art of the levitation wand to the circus world.
We've performed "EIN SOF: A Flow Art Show" for FringeMNL last February 2016, and a rerun last May 2016.
For the coming months, I will be doing Fire Festival Korea this August, and a festival in Malaysia (c/o Psycusix) which they are still organizing. These on top of various jams, events, flow arts program and shows to be put up by Flow Collective.