The Rural We: Sahar Zellou
Over the years, The Rural We has introduced readers to artists and performers of all kinds, but Sahar Zellou is the first fire dancer we’ve met. She’s always learning to use new props in her fire dancing routines and has added fire eating to her skill set. The daughter of an artist, Zellou says she was introduced to a lot of wacky, eccentric things as a child, but she also developed an interest in health and self care when she was a teenager. She has studied plant medicine and makes and sell herbal remedies. As for her “day job,” she’s a massage therapist with her own practice and alos works at Kripalu.
I was born in Boston, but have lived in the Berkshires most of my life and recently moved to Pittsfield from Great Barrington. When I was a teenager I lived on a farm, and that introduced me to natural medicine. Eventually I did three herbal apprenticeships and when I was 25 went to Mildred Elley [technical school] for massage therapy training. That rooted me further into the wellness world.
In my early 20s, I met flow artists—that’s what fire spinners and performance artists who use props are called. The fire artistry was mesmerizing and I started learning about it. There is a flow community, although it kind of spread out in the area, and I picked some skills up at festivals, but I’m mostly self taught. I started with LEDs, then worked my way up to fire. There’s a lot to learn — like how not to burn yourself! I spin a fan with five wicks. That’s like holding a campfire in your hands. I still get nervous if I end up hitting myself with it. But you learn safety procedures, what to do and not to do. I’ve learned fire eating, and am learning to do fire breathing and the fire hoop. It’s so fun. There’s such a vast world of people who do this, and I find it fascinating how people express themselves through this art. I’ve performed at a lot of parties, and will be performing at a wedding this summer.
I also have an animal obsession. I have two dogs, a cat, a python, king snake, baby milk snake, praying mantis and a tarantula that I’ve had about 15 years. Soon I’ll be getting a boa constructor at a reptile expo. Before I got the tarantula, I had arachnophobia, and I initially got her to help me work through it.
My day job is as a massage therapist, and herbalist on the side. On May 8 I’m going to be doing a talk at The Plant Connector in North Adams. The topic is “Ordinary Weed, Extraordinary Benefits.” I’m trying to get myself out there to talk with people who to want to nerd out about healthful plants.
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