to music played on drums and the behr. There are variations of the fire dancing; men often perform a dance that involves walking on hot coals. A large fire is created and allowed to burn down until it is a pit of glowing embers. The performers then jump in and out of the pit kicking up the embers to create showers of sparks while women perform a dance while balancing flaming tin pots on their heads. Today this ritual is often performed for tourists. Another form of fire dancing comes from the people of Polynesia. It is believed that the Maori people of New Zealand would soak a ball attached to string in fuel, light it and perform dancing rituals. "Poi" is a Maori word meaning “ball on a string" making the Maori people the originators of the flow equipment still popular today. See Poi (performance art). Modern developments Since the mid-1990s, fire performance has grown in popularity. This growth has occurred both for hobby and professional practitioners. Fire skills are performed at raves, nightclubs, beach parties, and music festivals. One such festival that is especially popular with fire performers is Burning Man. Fire performance has become increasingly popular as entertainment at corporate events, street festivals, celebration events and as a precursor to firework displays. Types Fire performance has become more popular through the availability of a wider variety of fire equipment and teaching methods. Traditional fire shows: Traditional shows often incorporate Polynesian costuming and other cultural elements. Many conform to the guidelines or are inspired by the annual World Fireknife Competition and Samoa Festival. Modern fire shows: These shows vary greatly from performances choreographed to music to street style shows with varying levels of audience interaction and participation. Modern fire shows can use a very wide range of fire skills and props. Fire theatre: Such shows are theatrical shows which include fire and fire performance as elements of staged dramatic presentations. Often the fire performance is a small element of the larger show. These shows tend to use more elaborate props and costuming and can focus less on technical skill. Fire fetish show: Such shows are recognizable by more overt sexuality in the performance and often extremely risqué costuming, nudity, and implied or actual sexual contact between performers, and are often seen as a fusion between exotic dancing or burlesque with fire dancing. Thus, fire fetish refers to a