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CharlesBRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Posted:
Nix wrote this in another thread

quote:
charlie,

why is your staff casualtity (humm) rate so high? Ive never managed to bend an ally pole, not even the 5/8" one I have. Is it doing cartwheels and stuff? cos if it is Im gonna stay away. Used to use staeel staffs but they bent all the time (or were way too heavy, or both) and Ive found for contact a strait staff is much easier.

I thought this tread was going to be about making 3 section staffs, oh well. If there are any suggestions (preferably with lightweight, non-leathal material) that'd be nice, or I could start a new thread I suppose...
Then I wrote this...
quote:
:Frowns at the person who called Charles CHARLIE!!!!:

:but then shrugs and gets over it like all well adjusted adults:

Nixie... I wish I could do cartwheels and stuff, and at some point hope to get of my but-tocks and learn it.

I guess the main reason most of staffs get bent is I tend to practice by busking on concrete in the middle of town, and love doing high throws and super-fast moves like my two handed figure-8 and BTB pinwheels.

I tend to do a round-robin type show from anywhere between 2-4 hours, and its almost inevitable that there will be several drops from the high throws and the fast moves which usually bend the aluminium. Probably doing it for that long at a time also heats it up and makes it more liekly to bend, I don't know about that side of it though.

Does that help?

--------------------
Charles (AKA INFERNO)
newdolbel@hotmail.com
Then Nix wrote this...
quote:
yo,

yeah, Though I still have a few questions...

1: why do fast figure eight with two hands when it looks nicer (and you can go as fast) when you do a kinda three beat weave thing witha staff? (I like the look of the arms tangling and untangling before the auidence can figure out whats going on.)

2: Sorry Mr C but its a scottish thing, Charles just dosnt sound right, I automatically turn it into charlie, just be thankfull I dont call ya 'chuckles'. (not a question I know but thease things always look better in three's)

3: how does the busking go? Im just starting with it and id like to know if you do one man shows, or with musicians, do you do a lot of banter? do you make good money? maybe another thread....

yes, another thread!

Love

N
As already hinted by Nix, I thought this would be good time to start a new thread.

So I'll continue on now...

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CharlesBRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Posted:
So, continuing on...

"1: why do fast figure eight with two hands when it looks nicer (and you can go as fast) when you do a kinda three beat weave thing with a staff? (I like the look of the arms tangling and untangling before the auidence can figure out whats going on.)"

Nix - "Looks nicer" is a pretty seriously subjective comment, so I won't rise the bait on that one. I may not have described the move properly. I do half a figure 8, starting on my right hand side, when it is on my left side and turned halfway I let it go for a halfspin and grab it with my left hand. Then repeat from left to right. There's never more than one hand touching the staff at once. I've found this technique to be the fastest by a large margin out of all my moves (although the BTB pinwheel is getting closer just lately) and is a perfect move for busking to non-firey audiences.

"3: how does the busking go? Im just starting with it and id like to know if you do one man shows, or with musicians, do you do a lot of banter? do you make good money? maybe another thread...."

Well, here's the other thread! I seldom do busking for the money, as sometimes I actually spend more on fuel than I make, and sometimes I make a lot.

Busking for me is the ultimate form of practice for my paid gigs. Not only am I practicing my technical skills, but also my crowd control/any new routines I want to try out/jokes/heckler skills/and of course, I hand out lots of business cards to interested parties and meet lots of other firedancers.

Does that answer your question or have I skirted around the whole issue?

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TomSILVER Member
member
135 posts
Location: England

Posted:
Is this a Charles only thread?
TheBovrilMonkeySILVER Member
Liquid Cow
2,629 posts
Location: High Wycombe, England

Posted:
Not any more

But there's no sense crying over every mistake. You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.

[Nx?]BRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,749 posts
Location: Europe,Scotland,Both

Posted:
actually, I did start a new thread, but inna social board. with some more specific questions.

I know the figure eight your talkin about, tis very fast. more like a passing figure eight. do you pass into the hand on the side of the body the staff is or the opposite? can make quite a diffrence in feel at least.



N

This is a post by tom, all spelling is deleberate
-><- Kallisti

CharlesBRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Posted:
Oops, didn't see that one Nix, I was looking inthe technical section here and staff moves...

And yeah, for my fast figure 8, the left hand grabs the staff before it passes to the right and then the right hand grabs it, etc etc.

I'm pretty proud of the speed i can get up to, I can consistently put out my double wicker, (3 feet of wick on each end) from a fresh dunk in between 10-20 seconds. And the crowd absolutely loves it.

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[Nx?]BRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,749 posts
Location: Europe,Scotland,Both

Posted:
I like to go backwards with that move, learen it early and still love it.

Fist time I went busking, I made a huge hoo ha and did a burnoff, caught the staff launched strait into a speed move and put the staff out, bout 2 seconds from burnoff to to burnout. I was so supprised the staff came over and cracked me on the noggin. I looked up at the auidence, smiled and said "Finnished!".

Its a problem for me putting out my staff too early, normally I do some speed moves at the start and go into contact as it burns down a bit, as this forces me to slow down, the disvantage is of course by then the staff has warmed up enough to burn me. hummm. maybe a little ceramic divider between heads and staff would be a good idea, expensive though.

N

This is a post by tom, all spelling is deleberate
-><- Kallisti

CharlesBRONZE Member
Corporate Circus Arts Entertainer
3,989 posts
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Posted:
I had a similar problem for a while, but the problme has also helped to develop my stage style which involves a lot of silly slow-motion poses that people seem to think is cool (go figure).

It also helped with my audience interaction, when busking, I'll tend to talk at least as much as I firedance, which means each burn lasts a lot longer.

The extra upshot of this is that I ended up using a lot less fuel per hour, going from about 10-20 litres a night to rarely over 10 anymore. Admittedly, a thread on here a long long time ago made me realise that there was no need for me to use that much fuel to keep evryone entertainer, and it ended up giving me cheaper overheads as well.

HoP Posting Guidelines
* Is it the Truth?
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* Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?

GlåssDIAMOND Member
The Ministry of Manipulation
2,523 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom

Posted:
Charlie Chuckles and nixie wicksie
I like that.

Tom form kent.
Is that as in the bespectecled legendary contact staffer and all round poi dude Liquid Tom from kent way?

ps ur staff bends cos you using wrong aliminum. Did you ever get a spec for good ali. or should I get out my metalogy oflight alloys texts and spec it for ya.
Wood is good. cool people use wood staffs.
or stick a stick down the centre.

Be cool dudes
Drew
TomSILVER Member
member
135 posts
Location: England

Posted:
Hmm.. Legendary? Not that I know of.. Contact Staff? I'm working at it.. Bespectecled? Nope..

Sorry to disappoint you..

Tom
GlåssDIAMOND Member
The Ministry of Manipulation
2,523 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom

Posted:
ah well,

I've got another dude called tom from kent to meet then.
Small world.
You comming to clapham on sunday?

be cool
Glass
TomSILVER Member
member
135 posts
Location: England

Posted:
I'm living the coventry side of my life right now (because that means I get to be with my girlfriend ) then I am off to Wales, then a lil island just of Ibiza for a month , followed by Greece.. maybe make it to Kent/London in late September..

Tom
[Nx?]BRONZE Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,749 posts
Location: Europe,Scotland,Both

Posted:
agree with glass about the alloy type, and the wood. Gonna get myself a bo (6" wooden martial arts staff) and flash the ends. Thease things are scary to play with cos they are soooo heavy but for contact they just stick to you and maintain their momentum superbly. Really dont wanna hit yourself with them tho...

good fr begginers

N

This is a post by tom, all spelling is deleberate
-><- Kallisti


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