It’s a Flagging Revival: Flagging in Nelson Park

Curious: Come Out and Learn

A new Flagging group has started and it’s called Flagging Vancouver. On September 10 ^th a small group met up in Nelson Park to Flag Dance. It was once popular, and many clubs had their regular fan and flag dancers.  Some events still have the occasional flag dancer, but it takes a bit of space, on stage or atop a speaker or platform is where dancers usually dazzle.  Flagging in Nelson Park offers plenty of space and  a fun environment.

Davie Village Post met up with Pup Figaro, Flagging Vancouver’s organizer, to get more info on the revival of flagging in Vancouver.

Figaro started flagging about a year ago, after visiting Folsom Weekend in San Francisco. Originally from San Francisco, Figaro was aware of Flag in the Park, a large regular flagging event held in a park.

Feeling inspired, Figaro started Flagging Vancouver to get others involved, and to some, it’s a welcome revival of a great way to relax and have fun.

Making his own flags, Figaro will select a suitable material, usually silk, and tie dye the silk and sew in weights along two partial sides of each flag. Light weight shiny material also works well and looks amazing when dancing. Silk friendly dyes such as acid dyes can be found at shops like OPUS.

Flagging in Nelson Park v2

Figaro will be hosting his second event on Sunday, October 1 ^st , in Nelson Park , Thurlow at Nelson.

Check out the Vancouver Flagging Facebook event page here , or just show up at 1 PM. Figaro promises that the event will be fun, pretty, a great way to relieve stress, and a good way to get some physical activity.

The art of flagging dance , often called flag spinning , flag dancing , or rag spinning , but more commonly referred to as flagging , is the undulation, spinning and waving of flags in a rhythmic fashion to music. Practitioners of this form of performance art and dance are usually referred to as “flaggers” and “flag dancers”,

Flag Dancing developed out of fan dancing, which was popular in the leather scene and circuit parties of the 1970’s. Flagger groups started forming across the US and Canada.

There is something exciting about watching the fast paced spinning of flags, and it can put you into a trance, if only for a moment.

Want to keep in the loop, get involved with the fun, join the Flagging Vancouver Facebook page .