Hi,
I've been searching for some good videos on the manipulation of a crysatl ball, or any ball... For Instance (if u dont know what im talking about) A ball that goes up and down the arm and around the fingers... I've been interested in this for a while, I wanted to learn this ever since i saw a guy do it at A Hank Lee Convention...

THX
-ARI-

You will find a lot of very interesting informations (and a lot of things to learn) here:

http://www.contactjuggling.org

Hope this helps !

See you soon

ok... Thank You, I was wondering the name of this... Contact Juggling,

TYVM
ARI

You can also go .com instead of .org and get another good site. There are several videos out now and a few books. I warn you though, it's not a trick and it's such a difficult form of juggling that you'll want to go back to the leisure hours of practicing the pass. It's worth it though.

Sable

I spent a lot of time learning contact juggling, first inspired by the old movie - you may recall - The Labrinth. I prefer the four inch acrylic, but can make due with the three. Anything smaller lacks the weight (in my opinion) for smooth figure eights and butterfly variations. If you want to learn, the best source I've found id "the Art of Contact Juggling" by David Pennington. He is extemely talented, yet God bless him I heard he is now sick from fighting cancer. Sells for around $22.50. I think Steven's Magic carries it. Totally beautiful art and I find it very rewarding to practice things that people can see and enjoy as well as things that they are not supposed to.

Johnny B

Wow, I feel quite stupid, but up until this very minute, I always thought that David Bowie's manipulation of that crystal ball was special effects. The Labyrinth was so full of special effects, something as impossible as what David Bowie seemed to be doing /had/ to be special effects, I thought.

I'd also never seen that kind o' juggling outside o' The Labyrinth, so I guess I never had any reason to assume that it was actually something we could all do.

I'm insanely intrigued now, though. I'm so happy it's for real. And yet so sad that it took me this long to become aware of that. *grin*

Hmm... I guess in a sense it /was/ special effects in The Labyrinth. As those weren't David Bowie's hands. They were Michael Moschen's: http://www.jugglingdb.com/news/faq.php?question=7

The only special effects were when the ball floated up out of his hands. The manipulation was real.

As John said, starting with a big ball, like a 4" is a good way to go. I started out with a 2.5 myself and it's part of why it took me so long to get it smooth. I use mostly 3" balls now. Any larger and you can't pyramid them (four rolling in the palm of your hand), but if you're only going to do just one, a four inch is very visible (I'm wanting a 4" myself). It's also much easier to manipulate a large ball because it rolls slower. Just for the heck of it, I used to try using a marble. I can do it, but it doesn't look very good.

Get a good video if you can, because it's much easier to learn with a visual aid. I figured it all out myself from working with a friend and watching Labyrinth. It took me over a year!

Sable

1 ques... how heavy is this ball?


ARI

The balls you use are Acrylic, so they're not as heavy as you might imagine, but they are a good solid weight. Roll four 3"ers in your hand for about ten minutes and you really start to feel it. If you've ever juggled silicone balls, you'll find the weight about the same for the same size.

Sable

You can order a good 3" acrylic from Dube.com. 4" is much harder to come by...

that guy michel mochion is absoutly amazing. He does up to 8 balls at once I'm pretty sure. He also does all kinds of crazy stuff with rebound balls. By far the world's leading CT juggler. I myself have a small number of moves down and use it in my act. People seem impressed with just the basics of this kind of juggling. Mind you though it is edefiantly the hardest kind of juggling out there. I myself was a juggler before a magician and it was the last and hardest kind of juggling I approached.

!Spiff

Hey,
I just got the Contact Juggling video...
These moves are pretty tough. I'm working mostly on palm circles, They are harder than I thought.


ARI

CJing is the best! I became obsessed with it the first time I saw Labyrinth, when I was nine. Im still not that accomplished, but it is an amazing thing. People think that the ball is magnetic or something. I tell them that its velcro.
yeah. nothing like rolling your balls around for a few hours. The only thing is, is that contact juggling is very hard and looks easy. Its funny to give a ball to the wise guy who says, "I can do that." and watch him fail. Palm spinning is also very cool. try that.