So ill just start by saying that with all forms of self expression there is no right or wrong. this however is my style which i am refining in which there are rights and wrongs. everything i write here has been around for along time im simply putting it down in an ordered fashion. i plan to update and add to this post as it takes form. these are simply my current thoughts take what you will from it be it everything or nothing at all
Philosophy
Shadow contact dance is a form of expression whereby the staff and dancer interact and dance around each other led by the dancer.
There is an essence to each movement this essence is what makes it beautiful, the closer to the true essence the movement the more beautiful it is. Every movement begins with a thought whereby an intention of the whole body movement is created to perform the movement, the intension is manifested through the staff beginning its motion. From the point of origin the expression of the movement is performed and the staff finishes where the imagined end of the movement is.
Each whole body movement is like a sentence with each portion of the movement acting like a single word some words having melodic tones which others are sharp and abrasive, certain words resonate well with each other creating a pleasing structure. Other words clash with others or are jarring; a good example of this is dinosaur arms which detract from any body shape.
A sequence of movements is like telling a story with a large range of variation for freedom of expression.
Principles
Continous Rhythem - for the flow of the movement to be uninterupted it must have a constant rhythem throughout the exercusion of the movement, this manifests through the staff having sequential points of contact with the body. The rhythem must be set by the person not the staff
Transitions - the dance is a form of expression and there are appropriate points to change the direction of motion, the staff should never be force instead gently guided using two points of contact such that it is controlled
Symmetry - is beauty
Music - is a integral part of the dance
Body Movement
Every motion should be a deliberate complete body movement, alot of movements can be executed with similar body movements to those of tai chi. Correct movements begin with a thought and first occur as physical movement beginning at the persons centre as all of the limbs are connected.
Chi Ball Fishtail Exercise
Purpose being to focus on movement of the hand not performing the fishtail and to get the hand doing the fishtail opperating in syncornosity with the other hand without requiring as much conscious effort.
Pulsating Chi Ball
The purpose of this exercise is to free up movement in the shoulders as the chi ball expercise can case the upper body to become locked and ridged in maintaining a uniform chi ball.when the fishtail begins coming to the opposite side of the body to the side holding the staff the free hand opens up in a big arc to reform the chi ball as the fishtail begins to transition back to the other side.
Fluidity and Speed Control
The fluidity of a movement is best achieved through being able to perform and control the speed of rotation of the staff with different weighted staffs. An appropriate speed to spin the staff is one in which the move can be performed in a controlled manner in bother directions of rotation. Determining the level of control with one staff is very difficult, however performing movements with double staffs highlights the level of control by the degree of parallelness.
Backhand Roll Exercise
Standing with shoulders and feet facing the same direction and holding the staffs on either side of the body in the same place on the sticks roll both staffs from thumb to little finger across the back of the hand. When this can be done such that they rotate in parallel repeat the exercise but rolling the staffs in the opposite direction. Once this is solid repeat the exercise but with one staff rolling across the front of the body and the other behind
Parrallel Fishtail Exercise
Practise doing a forwards fishtail and reverse fishtail in opposite hands on both sides of the body trying to keep the sticks parallel at all times.
Footwork
Fixed stances
1 - Point Stance - feet together and parrallel
2 - Rest Stance - feet shoulder width apart and parrallel
3 - Short L Stance - whereby the feet are at 90 degrees and the back leg takes the majority of the weight with the front leg slightly bent
4 - Long L Stance - being the same as the short L stance but sitting much lower and the back leg still takes most of the weight
5 - Parallel Offset Stance - most of the weight is taken on the front leg with the rear leg being in little contact with the ground
6 - Long Stance - weight on front leg and back legs foot at 45 degrees
7 - Tree - one foot on the ground the other leg making a triangle using the grounded foot as one side
8 - Lotus - need a picture
9 - Horse Riding - Very wide parallel stance
10 - RHT Stance - feet parrallel with all the weight based over one foot with the other foot making contact with the ground using only the toes, can be done with the leg infront, to the side or behind
Transitioning between stances by touching feet together rather than randomly steping (as i do in the demo video shall rectify it soon promise
)
Consciousness
When a move is properly understood rather than thinking the move, then doing it while being mentally blank finishing and returning to conscious thought, the move is experienced as it goes through all of its points. This loss of consciouness is most clearly demonstrated when trying a new move where the staff is not completely visible and not being able to correctly visualise it throughout the movement, causing the staffer to revert into a semi conscious state of trial and error without understanding. Twirling infront of a reflective surface helps with this alot.
Moving Doubles Patterns
'Learn to do figure of eights in both directions in every place that your hands can physically reach to sctartch yourself'
'stick your right foot out occasionally - if in doubt, jump a bit and grin'
- A wise fairy of the fluffy variety
Static Points and Transient Points
A static point is a relationship between parts of the body primarily the arms where the body shape is asthetically pleasing if the body is still and teh staff is only moving about it stationary center of rotation. Transient points exist on the paths between static points that the staff must travel through to connect the two points. Static Points can be linked together in patterns.
Static points without crossing the bodys centerline using a closed grip are shown for the arm marked with an x
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..................1.....3
.................O.2
..............------x....4
..................|.5
..................|.6....7
................./\
.............../...\
Note that no under the leg position is marked as to get the staff low enough to do a beat there requires the back to arch in a unasthetic position. Also it should be noted that each position can be done with the palm facing up or down each generating a different body shape.
Balenced Base Closed Grip Movements
When using only one staff the movement performed with each arm can only be seen seperately hence what can appear to be a developed controlled movement in actuality isnt. To test for this a simple one beat rotation (ie each end only traces a circle) should be done with a staff in each hand in parallel and mirrored for all of the static points shown above with the static points being chosen in mirrored and non symetric combinations.
Fishtail Family
The fishtail family finds its origin in baton twirling, and is usually performed on the back of the hand or wrist region, this movement is what is commonly referred to as fishtails. The fishtail movement causes the staff to move in a path such that it traces out a circle with each end of the staff resulting in two separate circles. The staff stays in contact with the part of the body that the fishtail is being performed on such that if it was performed perfectly it would be stationary relative to the body part.
Due to the dimensions of batons fishtails can be performed in front of or to the side of the body with minimal arm movements, the same is also true of short staffs. Performing fishtails with a long staff can be achieved with minimal arm movement on the side of the body however to do it in front of the body requires a much larger arm movement. For this reason when first learning fishtails it is recommended that they are first learnt on the side of the body. All of the movements can be performed in both the forwards and backwards direction, the forwards direction is where the staff is rotating away from you and backwards is where the staff is rotating towards you.
Vertical Fishtails
To learn both forwards and backwards vertical fishtails it is necessary to understand where the staff is going to be moving and how to keep the rhythm of the movement. The first step is to get a feel for the path that the staff is going to be moving. To do this first hold the staff in front of your body with both hands with your palms facing in the same direction roughly shoulder width apart. Then slowly guide the staff such that the right end of the staff creates a circle on the right hand side of your body and the left end of the staff creates a circle on the left hand side of your body. After becoming comfortable with this movement continue the motion of the staff, keep your upper body stationary and rotate your feet ninety degrees so that you doing the motion on the side of your body. These are the paths of the staff for all vertical fishtails.
Two Handed Fishtails
Resting the staff on the back of both hands spaced two hand widths apart move the staff through the fishtail movement, the second hand acts to stop the staff falling off.
One Beat Fishtails
Once you have a feel for the path that the staff is going to travel the next step is to learn the hand movement, starting with your palm facing down towards the ground trace out an infinity system in front of your body. When your palm is facing directly down to the ground this is when the staff is parallel to the ground. This is where you begin to transfer the staff from one side of your body to the other. If you try to transfer the staff to the other side of your body when the staff is not parallel to the ground it will slide off your hand this effect is most noticeable on forwards fishtails. To get the feel of how to move your hand relative to the staff start by passing the staff from back of one hand to the back of the other hand. Once this is occurring in a slow controlled manner when the staff comes over the hand that you want to learn the fishtail on turn one hundred and eighty degrees and carry the staff round on the back of your hand. Pass the staff from the back of the hand to the back of the other hand again until you are ready to turn back the opposite way with the staff on the same hand. This method can be used to learn both forwards and backwards fishtails. For example to learn backwards fishtails on your right hand the staff will be rotating anticlockwise in front of you, when the staff rolls over the back of your right hand your will turn clockwise one hundred and eighty degrees stepping either your left or right leg and carry the staff around on the back of your right hand. The staff will now be rotating clockwise in front of you, when the staff rolls over the back of your right hand you will step anti clockwise one hundred and eighty degrees and carry the staff back.
Once you have the feel for how to take the fishtail movement from one side of your body to the other you can do the method outlined above without the back hand to back hand passing in between turning from one side to the other. Once this motion has been made solid it can the same motion can be done but keeping your feet still. It is recommended that you work on increasing the number of beats you can get consistently rather than trying to go straight for continuous fishtails as this will help you to focus on good technique rather than lots of fishtails with poor technique. It is very important to get this solidly in both the forwards and backwards direction as this is fundamental to the rest of the movements outlined in this section.
Variations
Two beat fishtail - has a sneaky thumb reach under
Three beat fishtail - Moseph style requires a video
Elbow Fishtail
Forwards Elbow Fishtail Closed Arm
roll over back of hand draw hand into a tight closed horizontal elbow, then turn 180 degrees with arm. And back move arm in an arc shape so do a small throw type movement where the staff only just stays in contact with the arm
Forwards Elbow Fishtail Open Arm
Backwards Elbow Fishtail Closed Arm
Backwards Elbow Fishtail Open Arm
Shoulder Fishtail
Back of the Neck Fishtail (its do able ive seen it, its just stupidly hard)
Foot Fishtails - the secret is in the transition to the foot
Inverted Fishtails - staff is in position 5 with the fingers facing the person
Horizontal Fishtails
Vertical Fishtail Transitions
Transitions to Other Body Parts
Hand Fishtail to Elbow Roll
Fishtail to Opposite Direction Fishtail
Forwards Fishtail to Backwards Fishtail Roll
fishtailing to the side of you when staff comes infront of your body, bring opposite hand over the top so you end up back hand to back hand as the staff rolls onto opposite hand
Backwards Fishtail to Forwards Fishtail Roll
as fishtail comes behind your body place opposite hand on top back hand to backhand bring the staff up towards your head in the vertical plane behind your body then bring your hands down to your side to open behind you in a forwards fishtail
Fishtail to Angel Roll
as doing a reverse fishtail as you cross your body half way across go back to the direction you originally came from instead of finishing the movement
Transition on the same body part
Fishtail to Opposite Direction Fishtail
forward fishtail (rh) when its behind you turn right into backwards fishtail
Fishtail to propeller
forward fishtail rh propeller in front and to the right of you back into forwards fishtail
forward fishtail rh propeller in front of you into backwards
- same in reverse
Fishtail Carry
forwards fishtail carry – spin 360 with the staff on the back of your hand
backwards fishtail carry – spin 360 with the staff on the back of your hand
Fishtail fountain
backwards fishtail fountain
backwards inverted fishtail fountain
Fishtail to Horizontal Stall
– horizontal stall to fishtail in opposite direction
Fishtail pop
Throw it for ½ a spin in between changing sides
Doubles Dual figure 8s - starting with arms crossed with a stick in each hand the arm on top does opens upwards and does a forwards figure 8 and finished back in the crossed arm possition. the bottom arm opens down and does a backwards figure 8. the sticks should remain parallel all the way through the motion
Body snakes - video required
Tripples
Tripples opens up new areas in old concepts, it is a way to refine precision of singles and doubles movements
Concepts
Static Shapes - tripples opens itself to beauty in relationships
triaxis - three staffs are held in one hand such that all staffs are perpendicular
static framed triangle - three staffs are held in two hands such that there are two staffs being held by each hand such that a triangle is formed by the sticks
Dynamic Shapes - the flow between the transitions of static shapes
dynamic framed triangle - two staffs are held in one hand at an angle of approximately 60 degrees with the third staff ballenced on them held staffs
triaxis transition - starting with a triaxis in the left hand the triaxis is swung towards the person and one stick is released into a steve the remaining cross is wrapped across the front of the waist and transfered to the other hand as the steve is completed such that a triaxis is formed on the opposite hand. this movement requires control of the intention of the placement of the outcome of the steve as the finishing hand is holding a cross it is necessary for the staff to finish in the correct place
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