The instructor:
"...looks good, is encouraging, incredibly cheerful and always positive."
"...explains things clearly and tells of her past struggles of learning poi."
"...beyond competent, you really know your stuff and were able to focus on everyone."
"...patient, repeated and tried different techniques/terminology to teach each move."
"...can do everything - amazing!"
"...was able to break things down in more ways than one if needed and able to show how it should look like. Was able to provide accurate, personal criticism as well."
"My transitions flow much smoother. I got to meet new friends. I liked the positive vibe best."
"Good challenge for body/brain/fun. Want to get a better mastery of the tricks."
"You were very encouraging and everyone was at my level, so there was little intimidation."
"You are a wonderful teacher and I appreciate the positive outlook."
"Really great people, all ages, all levels of skill. Interesting to see everybody's flow toys and ideas. Also like the challenge of doing all tricks with both hands in all planes/directions - good brain food and great for my shoulders."
"I like the flow family the best!"
"Super fun! I've been wanting to take this class for years but was intimidated thinking it'd be all young hipsters. :)"
"Very interactive and easy to follow instruction. Always a bonus to learn and practice to music, too."
"I can envision myself continuing on a a long way and making this a serious hobby and I can't wait!"
"A very well structured course. I learn a lot with new things each week...it's always low stress and chill."
"You're so willing/excited to learn from your students new things they invent - very empowering for us!"
"Nice to have a routine to reinforce/remember certain transitions. Always love the stress on doing both sides (left-right)."
"She is a skilled teacher...provided a thorough foundation of poi in a very accessible way..."
"She is extremely motivational during lessons, and if you can't get a certain technique to work one way, she keeps explaining it in other ways until you're sure to get it."
"I recommend the series to anybody who wants a brain workout; I actually feel more cognitively sharp from practicing the various elements of poi."
"Marilyn's classes are terrific. Her approach is conceptual instead of piecemeal."
"After only six classes, my wife and I find that we are competent poi dancers."
"The classes taught patience, dedication, patience, and not to take myself too seriously. For that I'm grateful."
"... like a great teacher, she is always willing to go off on a tangent if it will help us learn and increase our enthusiasm."
"I feel like the classes are a great value!"
- Fall 2011 Poi 1 Class
"Awesome, way cool! Love you!"
"I feel much more comfortable with poi and I know I am learning the correct way."
"Fun and for all experience levels, I loved that you kept challenging me!"
"I loved how quickly the classes moved and all the jams at the end!"
"She was excellent at explaining different stepping stones to learn the steps."
"Great vibe and how exciting it was to learn new things. Great energy all around!"
"Great atmosphere and you really encouraged asking questions."
"The demonstrations of what not to do [is what I liked best]."
"Very impressed - you lived up to the hype."
"The one-on-one attention and the way you find different learning methods for different students [is what I liked best]."
- Spring 2011 Poi 1 Class
"[Marilyn] knew how to spin poi as well as a variety of methods to teach each skill."
"[I liked] individual attention working through techniques."
"I was happy to learn at least one trick on the first day."
"[Marilyn] had time for everybody, knew answers for every question."
"It was fun and I learned more than I thought I would."
"No clock watching in this class - class was too short!"
"Bargain for the experience. "
- September 2010 Poi 1 Class
"It's been an amazing learning experience that was really easy to stick to because the progress was evident every week."
"It made me more confident in my poi skills, and gave me something fun and exciting to learn and experience."
"Marilyn was fun and always was there to help us when we felt stuck."
"Marilyn is the best at poi that I have seen, safety conscious and able to break down moves."
"The opportunity to work one on one with specific 'trouble spots' is appreciated."
"Marilyn breaks things down any way you might need to get a move."
"Love it! It's a workout, creative & fun. And it's a really fun bunch of people."
"Marilyn is very patient and willing to spend extra time with students."
"I liked going over basics in the beginning and then throwing in little extras. Also our solo time at the end of class was fun to see everyone else's styles."
"Can't wait for more poi!"
"You assist in control and inspire new moves and help me break mental boundaries."
"Marilyn is a passionate poi instructor giving joy and shedding light on an art she loves."
"Marilyn is definitely knowledgeable, helpful and persistent. Always looking for ways to challenge the students."
"I always wanted to learn fire poi and never imagined I would have the opportunity. It's been so much fun and looks cool - so double bonus."
"Marilyn knew a lot, was super patient and gave great feedback. She was encouraging and passionate about spinning."
"It was a steal - I would have paid twice the price."
"It's been amazing. Really glad I took the class."
"Marilyn took the time to go over individually our weaknesses so we would get better."
- April 2010 Poi 1 Class
"I knew nothing when I started and am very excited and happy with the moves I am now able to do."
- K. Frymark, August 2009
"Marilyn is awesome! She told me I can do this!!! She showed me different ways to do a move if I didn't understand. She took everything seriously, but with a lot of fun."
- K. Frymark, August 2009
"The self confidence it is giving me, and also the freedom of expression is what I like best about the series."
- K. Frymark, August 2009
"Love the class, instructor was awesome. I was able to make significant progress in 6 weeks. Will certainly take it again."
"Marilyn is a marvelous and enthusiastic teacher that shares her joy with you as you learn. She really creates a safe learning environment."
"Great teacher! Fun class! Unique!"
"I like the self-to-self comparisons and not saying 'I can't.' "
"Loved it, can't wait for the next class!"
- Milwaukee Recreation Department Students, Fall 2009
"I always looked forward to my lessons! Marilyn's upbeat attitude and energy always got me in a dancing mood even after a bad day."
- R. Burlingame, July 2009
"Definitely (worth what I paid)! Sometimes I felt like I should be paying more."
- R. Burlingame, July 2009
"Marilyn is great at breaking poi moves down into basic drills, anyone can learn. I've always had a problem with bilateral coordination on my left side, Marilyn's poi classes helped me more than any other exercise I have tried."
- R. Burlingame, July 2009
"I never thought I'd want to learn fire dancing, but after seeing Marilyn and others doing it - I had to learn! Taking classes with Marilyn has definitely made my life much more interesting."
- R. Burlingame, July 2009
"I like that Marilyn "forced" me to dance with the poi - I love dancing, but have always been shy. You Are spHERE cracked me out my shell."
- R. Burlingame, July 2009
"Wow I can't even believe how much I feel so confident with my poi performance now - and with things I never thought I would ever be able to do! I just kept a positive mindset and Marilyn's expertise helped it happen."
- KT Freund, June 2009
"Not only was it a great workout, but it was a pick-me-up in the middle of my busy weeks. Poi class was 100% for my body, spirit and mind - and it helped all three!"
- KT Freund, June 2009
"I have never met a more competent instructor. Marilyn not only knows her "stuff," but she is well-trained in safety and encouragement as well! She always coaxes me to go the extra mile, and I'm a better performer for it."
- KT Freund, June 2009
"I always feel I am getting 50% more than what I expect. I am amazed at how much Marilyn can encourage me to do in just a short hour!"
- KT Freund, June 2009
"I really appreciate your patience and ability to find new ways to break down the movements untll something makes sense in my body. Thank you."
- A. Giordano, June 2009
"Marilyn's classes took my poi skills from knowing 2 moves to performance confidence in less than 2 months. I had tried to learn from videos before and I learned more in 1 lesson from Marilyn than from weeks of practicing from videos!"
- KT Freund, June 2009
"...looks good, is encouraging, incredibly cheerful and always positive."
"...explains things clearly and tells of her past struggles of learning poi."
"...beyond competent, you really know your stuff and were able to focus on everyone."
"...patient, repeated and tried different techniques/terminology to teach each move."
"...can do everything - amazing!"
"...was able to break things down in more ways than one if needed and able to show how it should look like. Was able to provide accurate, personal criticism as well."
"My transitions flow much smoother. I got to meet new friends. I liked the positive vibe best."
"Good challenge for body/brain/fun. Want to get a better mastery of the tricks."
"You were very encouraging and everyone was at my level, so there was little intimidation."
"You are a wonderful teacher and I appreciate the positive outlook."
"Really great people, all ages, all levels of skill. Interesting to see everybody's flow toys and ideas. Also like the challenge of doing all tricks with both hands in all planes/directions - good brain food and great for my shoulders."
"I like the flow family the best!"
"Super fun! I've been wanting to take this class for years but was intimidated thinking it'd be all young hipsters. :)"
"Very interactive and easy to follow instruction. Always a bonus to learn and practice to music, too."
"I can envision myself continuing on a a long way and making this a serious hobby and I can't wait!"
"A very well structured course. I learn a lot with new things each week...it's always low stress and chill."
"You're so willing/excited to learn from your students new things they invent - very empowering for us!"
"Nice to have a routine to reinforce/remember certain transitions. Always love the stress on doing both sides (left-right)."
"She is a skilled teacher...provided a thorough foundation of poi in a very accessible way..."
"She is extremely motivational during lessons, and if you can't get a certain technique to work one way, she keeps explaining it in other ways until you're sure to get it."
"I recommend the series to anybody who wants a brain workout; I actually feel more cognitively sharp from practicing the various elements of poi."
"Marilyn's classes are terrific. Her approach is conceptual instead of piecemeal."
"After only six classes, my wife and I find that we are competent poi dancers."
"The classes taught patience, dedication, patience, and not to take myself too seriously. For that I'm grateful."
"... like a great teacher, she is always willing to go off on a tangent if it will help us learn and increase our enthusiasm."
"I feel like the classes are a great value!"
- Fall 2011 Poi 1 Class
"Awesome, way cool! Love you!"
"I feel much more comfortable with poi and I know I am learning the correct way."
"Fun and for all experience levels, I loved that you kept challenging me!"
"I loved how quickly the classes moved and all the jams at the end!"
"She was excellent at explaining different stepping stones to learn the steps."
"Great vibe and how exciting it was to learn new things. Great energy all around!"
"Great atmosphere and you really encouraged asking questions."
"The demonstrations of what not to do [is what I liked best]."
"Very impressed - you lived up to the hype."
"The one-on-one attention and the way you find different learning methods for different students [is what I liked best]."
- Spring 2011 Poi 1 Class
"[Marilyn] knew how to spin poi as well as a variety of methods to teach each skill."
"[I liked] individual attention working through techniques."
"I was happy to learn at least one trick on the first day."
"[Marilyn] had time for everybody, knew answers for every question."
"It was fun and I learned more than I thought I would."
"No clock watching in this class - class was too short!"
"Bargain for the experience. "
- September 2010 Poi 1 Class
"It's been an amazing learning experience that was really easy to stick to because the progress was evident every week."
"It made me more confident in my poi skills, and gave me something fun and exciting to learn and experience."
"Marilyn was fun and always was there to help us when we felt stuck."
"Marilyn is the best at poi that I have seen, safety conscious and able to break down moves."
"The opportunity to work one on one with specific 'trouble spots' is appreciated."
"Marilyn breaks things down any way you might need to get a move."
"Love it! It's a workout, creative & fun. And it's a really fun bunch of people."
"Marilyn is very patient and willing to spend extra time with students."
"I liked going over basics in the beginning and then throwing in little extras. Also our solo time at the end of class was fun to see everyone else's styles."
"Can't wait for more poi!"
"You assist in control and inspire new moves and help me break mental boundaries."
"Marilyn is a passionate poi instructor giving joy and shedding light on an art she loves."
"Marilyn is definitely knowledgeable, helpful and persistent. Always looking for ways to challenge the students."
"I always wanted to learn fire poi and never imagined I would have the opportunity. It's been so much fun and looks cool - so double bonus."
"Marilyn knew a lot, was super patient and gave great feedback. She was encouraging and passionate about spinning."
"It was a steal - I would have paid twice the price."
"It's been amazing. Really glad I took the class."
"Marilyn took the time to go over individually our weaknesses so we would get better."
- April 2010 Poi 1 Class
"I knew nothing when I started and am very excited and happy with the moves I am now able to do."
- K. Frymark, August 2009
"Marilyn is awesome! She told me I can do this!!! She showed me different ways to do a move if I didn't understand. She took everything seriously, but with a lot of fun."
- K. Frymark, August 2009
"The self confidence it is giving me, and also the freedom of expression is what I like best about the series."
- K. Frymark, August 2009
"Love the class, instructor was awesome. I was able to make significant progress in 6 weeks. Will certainly take it again."
"Marilyn is a marvelous and enthusiastic teacher that shares her joy with you as you learn. She really creates a safe learning environment."
"Great teacher! Fun class! Unique!"
"I like the self-to-self comparisons and not saying 'I can't.' "
"Loved it, can't wait for the next class!"
- Milwaukee Recreation Department Students, Fall 2009
"I always looked forward to my lessons! Marilyn's upbeat attitude and energy always got me in a dancing mood even after a bad day."
- R. Burlingame, July 2009
"Definitely (worth what I paid)! Sometimes I felt like I should be paying more."
- R. Burlingame, July 2009
"Marilyn is great at breaking poi moves down into basic drills, anyone can learn. I've always had a problem with bilateral coordination on my left side, Marilyn's poi classes helped me more than any other exercise I have tried."
- R. Burlingame, July 2009
"I never thought I'd want to learn fire dancing, but after seeing Marilyn and others doing it - I had to learn! Taking classes with Marilyn has definitely made my life much more interesting."
- R. Burlingame, July 2009
"I like that Marilyn "forced" me to dance with the poi - I love dancing, but have always been shy. You Are spHERE cracked me out my shell."
- R. Burlingame, July 2009
"Wow I can't even believe how much I feel so confident with my poi performance now - and with things I never thought I would ever be able to do! I just kept a positive mindset and Marilyn's expertise helped it happen."
- KT Freund, June 2009
"Not only was it a great workout, but it was a pick-me-up in the middle of my busy weeks. Poi class was 100% for my body, spirit and mind - and it helped all three!"
- KT Freund, June 2009
"I have never met a more competent instructor. Marilyn not only knows her "stuff," but she is well-trained in safety and encouragement as well! She always coaxes me to go the extra mile, and I'm a better performer for it."
- KT Freund, June 2009
"I always feel I am getting 50% more than what I expect. I am amazed at how much Marilyn can encourage me to do in just a short hour!"
- KT Freund, June 2009
"I really appreciate your patience and ability to find new ways to break down the movements untll something makes sense in my body. Thank you."
- A. Giordano, June 2009
"Marilyn's classes took my poi skills from knowing 2 moves to performance confidence in less than 2 months. I had tried to learn from videos before and I learned more in 1 lesson from Marilyn than from weeks of practicing from videos!"
- KT Freund, June 2009
