I started working on staff last year as part of my transition from “I only do cane.” to “Learn all the props!”. It’s been slow going. Fire cane is, after all, my first love and my most practiced prop. After yesterdays (OMG I love this prop) meteor session, I had a strong desire to get back to my staff practice. And it felt good. Today’s practice gave me a solid glimpse into the flow to come with this deceptively simple prop. (A staff’s just a big baton. Right?) I didn’t do anything particularly fancy. Just the usual spins, conveyors, angel rolls, etc. And my technique is still in the mess…
What I did differently this time was to start rolling the staff along its center of balance. That center is not just the balance point, it’s a dynamic balance that is intimately connected to the prop’s momentum. While it is a rather ponderous prop, the staff (especially contact staff) has that same feel to it. And that’s how I found one of my favorite points of play while spinning staff today.
