Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Flow Mayhem. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Flow Mayhem, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

One of the questions that comes to mind when I’m feeling lost is this: Where would I be if I had known that I wanted to be a dancer much earlier in life? Of all the artistic endeavors to choose to be a part of, the dance community is most notorious for pushing the idea that “you will only succeed if you start young”. That idea haunts me when I am feeling most vulnerable. But I look at how far I have come in the world of fire dance and I realize that I have made it farther than I ever possibly imagined, despite going to my first official class at the ripe age of twenty one.

Most people would assume that it would be useless to even consider a career in any kind of dance-related field at that age. And they wouldn’t assume that without reason. It definitely has not been easy. But thankfully, Fire Dance isn’t just any kind of dance. It’s actually quite uncommon, and more importantly, its quite accessible to someone who doesn’t come from any kind of dance background. During a class that teaches how to manipulate a fire dance tool, most of the lesson has more to do with learning about specific techniques that only have to do with the dance tool itself. That can be really comforting to someone who is just starting out. It’s not about your whole body yet, those lessons come later. It’s just satisfying to grasp the concept of a move that focuses mainly on manipulating the object itself.

So I have to thank the universe and myself for pushing through the restrictive and limiting belief system that I could not be a real dancer because I was too old. I am a real dancer, and even though I am not classically trained, I learned enough to create a polished aesthetic, and I now have an act that has been featured on TV shows and at big festivals because I decided that I wanted to push myself. Do I wish I went to dance classes as a kid? Hell yes. But who knows, maybe that path would have led me away from fire dance. I have to see the cards I have been dealt as the right ones, because it’s the best way to push myself to get to the next level.

Sam, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Here’s a quick overview for those who don’t know me: My name is Sam Tobey, and I also go by the stage name ‘Flow Mayhem’. I have been fire spinning for around ten years and performing for around eight. My main tool is a medieval kung fu weapon called a rope dart, and it is my favorite thing on this planet.

I first discovered rope dart at a small festival in San Diego called Serenity Gathering. I had been attending a Hula-hoop dance class at UC Santa Barbara for a few months, but had never been exposed to actual fire dancers. I was immediately enraptured. I became obsessed and started traveling to LA to take rope dart lessons from some of the performers who had danced at the festival.

It took me about two years to get to a point where I had my own act and people really started to notice me online. In 2017, a video of me taken at Burning Man went viral and I took it as a sign to dive much deeper into the world of flow arts, both on and offline.

Between building youtube tutorials and performing at festivals, rope dart became my entire identity. I got the chance to perform at Coachella, on a TV show on Fox, and even in Europe. I built a complete online rope dart course for new students who wanted to go from total beginners to learning full choreography.

In 2025, I am so happy with how far I’ve come, and I’m also craving something more from the world of flow arts. I have some gymnastics moves I am working hard on, and some cool work opportunities on the horizon. But there is something telling me that there is more to this story than I have experienced so far. What I love most about fire dance are the people it has brought into my life. And I want to help facilitate more of those connections for other people, because I feel like the fire dance community was here for me when I needed it most. Whether it’s about organizing more gatherings or flow meet-ups, or about bringing more online awareness to the flow arts community, I know that I am still looking for the next step in this story, and I hope that I get to meet some of you along the way.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I’ve been obsessed with this idea that certain art forms contain the holy trifecta: creativity, exercise, and meditation. And honestly, fire dance? It’s like, the poster child for that. You’re out there, moving your body, creating these insane visual patterns with fire – that’s straight-up exercise and creativity colliding. But then, there’s this weird focus you get, this total presence of mind. That’s where the meditation comes in.

I needed that outlet so badly and i found it at just the right time. I was struggling with substance abuse in college, as were so many people around me. I needed something to call my own, but also something that felt alternative, and that scratched my itch for adventure and weirdness. I think so often people who go too deep into drugs are yearning to escape or yearning to find themselves. Fire dance felt like it could be both of those things for me, all while keeping me in shape and out of trouble. It was the best tonic for my continuous existential angst.

I want other people to have access to that tonic, because I just know there are so many people out there who struggle with the same story. I know that having access to this kind of art can turn lives around. There is so much passion and self-expression in fire dance, and there.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I think community is so important and I wouldn’t be anywhere without my fire dance community. Fire Dance goes way deeper than just personal zen. You get to connect with other people who are just as into this weird, beautiful thing as you are. I am sure any artist who needs answers, extra motivation, different perspectives, would benefit from reaching out more to their community.

For me it was so therapeutic to find other people who were just as into this weird counter-culture. It was also interesting to see what other people’s process was. Some people helped inspire me, and other people helped reassure me to trust my own judgement. It’s not just about making new friends, it’s about figuring out your own path by learning from others.

Part of what made it so helpful for me to get involved in community was that it helped me see myself as a super unique individual. And there is power in that realization. No two fire dancers are ever going to flow exactly the same. You find your own signature, a completely unique expression of yourself. Ironically, it’s easier to see that when we surround ourselves with others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://flowmayhem.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowmayhem/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mayhemfireflow/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FlowMayhem
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@flowmayhem

Image Credits

Dustin Engelskind