Hello everyone!

I am currently working on my first five ball routine. I have been able to juggle five balls for quite some time but I havn't feelt ready to create an actual routine to performe with. That time has changed and now I am practising every day. I am wondering which tricks and bits everybody else (who does a five ball routine) do? I am not thinking about patterlines and that kind of stuff. Merely technic.

I have thought something like:

From three to four to five balls
Under the leg (building tension)
Tennis
Half shower
Martin
Reverse cascade
Five ball split
Vesuvius
A catch on the neck, flicking up in the air continuing five balls
Finishing with some kind of catch-ém-all-in-one-hand-thingie

What do you think? Do you know something else that is posible pooling off? Or something that is funny to do with five balls?

/Ark

From five cascade to the reverse cascade is attractive, or cascade to shower is also impressive, but you have to realize that unless you are at a juggling convention no one will have the slightest idea what you are doing. In order to entertain an audience with these skills you need to take them by the hand and tell them what is going on. Very few jugglers can pull of a 12 minute Vegas flash act, and there is only one Anthony Gatto.
Lots of luck
Al Angello

Juggleral: You are absolutly right. All tricks ina juggling routine has to be properly introduced or else the audience will never notice. The shower-pattern will take a while. Know how to do it with four balls, but not with five. Will stick to the Half Shower for now. But a beautiful shower - that would be great.

Thanks for your answer.

/Ark

I think that there is very little demand for technical juggling, so always keep the joke, and the gimmick tricks in your act. Lots of jugglers say "I practice 5 balls just to strengthen my 3 ball tricks". Save your 5 ball tricks for the big finish. You know as well as I do that 5 is a quantum leap, so be sure to make the audience aware of your years of practice first.
Keep your eyes in the skies
Al Angello

Have you ever seen Jason Garfield's act with 5? He gets a spectator on stage to put the fifth ball on his foot, while he's doing 4. After some goofing around (droping on purpose and stuff) he kicks up into five. I do a similar thing with four.
Also multiplexing (Throwing multiple balls at once from one hand) can add a different looking pattern that any spectator that's awake would notice.
Good Luck
RedheadJuggler

Readheadjuggler: I have been thinking about kick-ups. But it is really difficult kicking up from four to five. But it is a good idea. I am currently practising a neck catch and a neck-kick-up to five. Perhaps it is a bit easier when I get that down. =)

/Ark

Redheaded juggler:-
The video I saw of Garfield had him juggling five then kicking up into six, then collecting them and having the spectator catch the last ball in a net. It's a very funny routine (and he gets very upset if people copy it).

Arkadia:-
If you can do the tricks you listed before, a kick up shouldn't be too difficult for you. I find it much easier then juggling five from a neck catch.
The way I learnt it was to practise juggling four in a five ball pattern with a gap, then after a couple of times around kicking the ball up in the gap, when I had the pattern steady. Also spend time getting the kick up good so you can kick it straight to your hand without looking.
Stick some multiplexs in your routine as redhead suggests. They are relatively easy and look good to non-jugglers.
Phil (the other redheaded juggler)
-"I practise seven just to strengthen my five ball tricks"

Philipblackmore: I can't do all of the tricks solid, but I am closing in. I have always had a problem with kick-ups - with balls aswell as with clubs. But it should't be that tough. And I guess it is worth the effort.

I have some problems with the vesuvius aswell - but soon the weather gets better and summer comes. The posibility to practise outdoors should fix that.

/Ark

For those of you who can do 5 balls:

how long did it take to transition from 3/4 balls to 5? and also, what did you do to work up to it?

the 3 ball flash with the clap is one thing that I've been told. also there is some 4 ball pattern where you do a 3 flash and pass the other ball etc, but I just get confused after the 6th throw when I start to do this one. is snake a helpful pattern to learn?

also, does anyone know of any good sites for different club tricks?

Hi,

I learnt the snake after I learnt to do 5 balls I do not think it's a good intermediate trick. A fairly easy intermediate trick with 4 balls (don't know it's name) goes right, left, left, right, right, left, left, etc (might well be 552 in siteswap) I didn't get 5 balls until I dedicated some time each day to it and then it took about 6 months. This was after learning 3 in one night and 4 in one week.

One of the best sites for all things juggling is http://www.jugglingdb.com there are loads of videos on everything you care to name and it also gives you access to the newsgroup rec.juggling where you can ask more specific questions and get some of the best jugglers in the world replying.

Nigel

Hi, I actually disagree with Nigel, sorry Nig, about using the snake. I learnt this first and got it down nice and solid before I moved onto 5. I also spent time just flashing 5 balls. As this got solid I tried to increase the number of throws I did.

I managed to get 5 ball cascade in just over a month. Although I did dedicate at least an hour a day to just 5 balls. I think it was doing this that actually clinched it.

I would definately agree that rec.juggling is the place to check out. Although I haven't been there for a while since I spend most of my time playing with cuffs and escaping from strait jackets these days.

Ark,

How's the 5 ball routine going?

Ros

Roslyn: The routine is progressing - slowly. I have to get it down in three weeks so now I am practising every day - intensivly. I'll be there, eventually. I still have problems with the vesuvius but the reverse cascade, half shower and tennis are going great. Martin and five ball split works just fine. The problem is the changes from one pattern to the next. that's what I am working at most of the time. And the neck catch with neck-kick-up... Bah, it never ends! =)

Jessicashurts: The only way to get there is - well I'm sorry to say this - practise and drop that darn five balls. There really are no ways around. You can work on different patterns that perhaps helps you with your five ball progress, but I would say that the time spent on dropping the balls are the time needed. I agree totally with Roslyn about getting the five ball flash down. A solid flash and work from that. Get solid on both hands - a start from the left and a start from the right. Most people say that it takes about 6 months getting it down. If you practise very often and long sessions you could get it quicker. Pretty obvious when you think about it.

/Ark

I'm glad that the 5 ball routine is moving in the right direction. I wish you luck with your show in 3 weeks. Please let us know how it goes.

Ros

Thanks for your tips, everyone. and also, g'luck with your show arkadia.

Jessicashurtz: another tip - start practising tricks as soon as possible. It takes forever getting them down but your five ball routine improves much faster and it is more fun practising.