FREE FIRE SHOW IN WEST PHILLY
WILL BE A CELEBRATION OF SUMMER
OUTDOORS ON THE ROTUNDA'S FRONT PLAZA!
Poet-Tree En Motion Presents its Seasonal Arts Showcase Aug. 29 with a Focus on Fire Arts, Music and Dancing
WEST PHILADELPHIA – The community is invited to a free fire arts performance at the Poet-tree En Motion multidisciplinary arts showcase. Located at The Rotunda in West Philly, the event will run from 8-10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29. The seasonal showcase has usually been held on Wednesdays for the past 19 years, so please note the change in day.
Live DJ’ed beats will set the mood for thrilling fire performances by Ambra Renee and Bryce Adams of B.A.D. Blaze plus special guests Reese Crawley and Katerina Hackett. Poet-tree En Motion artistic director Gabrielle de Burke (aka Plum Dragoness) will MC the event and also fire perform. A dance party will continue to the end of the event.
For millennia, humans have celebrated the light and joy of summer with fire festivities. Poet-tree En Motion continues that tradition.
De Burke has also hosted various types of art and artists from the Philadelphia region in her arts showcase for the past 19 years. The name of the event puts a focus on poetry and spoken word, but de Burke offers a more encompassing definition of poetry and how that relates to her events.
“Poetry in motion is a lot of different things,” de Burke says. “It’s not just stuck on a page. It’s not just stuck on a stage. It’s moving in time. All of the artists are expressing poetry but just in different forms. I want the event to be an expression of the many different ways in which poetry is present in our lives whether it’s music, dance, art or visual performance.”
Poet-tree En Motion is supported by grants from the University of Pennsylvania. Donations will be collected at the door to benefit the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania to honor, support and preserve the Native Indigenous culture of the original stewards of the land we are gathering on. Tips for individual artists are welcome and encouraged.
For information about Poet-tree En Motion, email de Burke at plumdragoness@gmail.com and join the Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/116980678334215
ABOUT POET-TREE EN MOTION:
Poet-tree En Motion works to inspire both artist and audience to connect and work together toward cultivating the arts community in Philadelphia, welcoming artists of all kinds to experience performances local to the neighborhood.
FOR LISTINGS: FREE FIRE SHOW! Come out to the Poet-tree en Motion seasonal arts showcase from 8–10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29 at The Rotunda in West Philly for an evening of mesmerizing fire performances, DJ’ed music, art, and community! The Rotunda is located at 4014 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19104. The event is free and open to the public. For information about The Rotunda, log on to www.TheRotunda.org. For information about Poet-tree En Motion, go to
https://www.facebook.com/groups/116980678334215 and email artistic director Gabrielle de Burke at plumdragoness@gmail.com.
ARTIST BIOS:
PLUM DRAGONESS (GABRIELLE DE BURKE)
Native to West Philadelphia, Plum Dragoness (aka Gabrielle de Burke) is a multi-talented thespian, dancer, martial artist, instructor, poetess, and writer who has been involved with performing arts since childhood. She is known for her poetic style, vocal performance, fire dance, flow arts, and choreographic flair throughout Philadelphia and abroad.
She has toured as a solo artist, founding member/core performer/assistant artistic director of Archedream for HumanKind among many others. She has independently released two albums of original work with the project Plum Dragoness and the Elements, known for its fusion of multimedia, live world-beat musical infusions, spoken-word vocals, and lyrical poetry. She has also helped bring together the all-female performance group trio The Femme-Mynistiques, who released their debut EP “Here She Comes…” in the summer of 2016.
Since 2007, Plum Dragoness has been a resident performance artist, as well as host and organizer for the successful performing arts series Poet-tree En Motion. This has allowed her the opportunity to share her own creative performances (including collaborative projects she initiated) and work created by many unique artists within the West Philadelphia community and beyond.
Her work as a healing arts practitioner and instructor continues to intersect with her work as an
interdisciplinary performance artist through the incorporation of internal and martial arts forms in
combination with dance, poetry, and theater presentation. She has been teaching in the Philadelphia area and abroad since 2000.
Instagram: @plumdragoness @dragonspiritarts @authentic.eccentrics
B.A.D. BLAZE FIRE PERFORMERS and GUESTS:
AMBRA RENEE: Ambra Renee is a dynamic multidisciplinary performance artist known for her playful, powerful presence onstage. Creator of the hilariously absurd roller-skating act Esther Rollz, she blends comedy, character work, and physicality in dazzling ways. A skilled fire spinner, and trained in heels and burlesque, Ambra’s work spans the sacred, the sensual, and the downright silly — always inviting her audience into a world of bold movement and unexpected joy.
Follow the sparkle, follow the flame — Ambra Renee where the magic rolls in.
BRYCE ADAMS: Bryce is a masterful fire spinner specializing in intricate poi tricks. He lights up the night with hypnotic displays of skill and rhythm. Beyond the flames, Bruce is a professional Parkour and free-running athlete who has competed on the world stage in World Chase Tag, pushing the limits of speed, agility, and creativity. Off the course, Bryce shares his passion by teaching Parkour to kids and young adults, inspiring the next generation to move with confidence, discipline, and freedom. Whether leaping across rooftops or spinning fire under the stars, Bryce brings energy, precision, and heart to everything he does.
REESE CRAWLEY: Reese Crawley has had the honor of performing at several Poet-tree En
Motion gatherings. Each event brings a new and enlightening air to the streets of West Philadelphia and he looks forward to lighting up the night once again.
KATERINA HACKETT: Katerina is a 35-year-old fire spinner who has enjoyed dabbling in the flame for over a decade. She enjoys using multiple props for her craft. Whether spinning in the desert or in the City of Brotherly Love, her passion for fire has yet to fizzle.
