ContactJuggling.org

Saulie · Joined: 24 Aug 2024 Posts: 177 Location: Norfolk, VA

I know. Nice topic name aye?

So I have been researching juggling clubs (as in people club, not smack youself with a stick club) in my area. Both that are listed are non exsistant.

There was a magic / juggling shop a few miles from where I live that is also non exsistant.

But, I made a few calls to the towns and cities around me and made a contact. Apparantly there is a Magic / Juggling warehouse near me that is one of those "by appointment only" places (which I personally hate). But they seemed excited when I told them that I was an 'Experienced Contact Juggler'.

Apparantly the owner of the shop is a juggler and would love to talk juggling with me. So I was told that I will get a call back tomorrow to set up an appointment.

They also work with performances of jugglers / magicans, etc for parties, events, faires, etc. So in 6 months I may get back into performing. But I dont want to get in over my head with a 2 hour event, when I am used to just giving 20-30 minute CJing/Dancing shows. So I supose that we will see about that.

But anyway...
once I find a Juggling Club around here. I would love to teach a CJing workshop. I have worked with 10+ people at one time, but it by no means was a workshop. Just 30 minutes or so and a lot of balls and 1 on 1

I have taught and worked with many people on Cjing. I have a very 'hands on' approach with my teaching. Its not just theroy, its practice and lots of it.

I was just wondering how everyone else teaches workshops and lessons. I would love to expand on the ways that I know.

saulie
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Contact juggling is a disease, to which there is no cure. It is a poem of which each movement is a word. If you CJ with your heart, your body will follow.

Saulie@contactjuggling.org

Dizz · Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2024 3:37 am Post subject:

I would love to do that. As it is, I practice when my kids are doing stuff and inevitably the surrounding children come and ask me how.... so I teach.
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Look!_This_Chånges! · Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2024 5:04 pm Post subject:

The best workshops focus on techniques, not on moves.

One of the most useful and fun workshops I've attended is Drew's Musicality workshop.

Doesn't focus on a single prop, but it is something that translates to every prop you can think of.
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Saulie · Joined: 24 Aug 2024 Posts: 177 Location: Norfolk, VA

interesting. thanks.
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Contact juggling is a disease, to which there is no cure. It is a poem of which each movement is a word. If you CJ with your heart, your body will follow.

Saulie@contactjuggling.org

he4rty · Joined: 08 Nov 2024 Posts: 35 Location: England

cause the club I go to is mainly kids we have just revamped the workshops, each person gets a chart young or old and on it we have broken all the basics down to the bare minimum, so for contact Juggling, step one would be to move arms in basic butterfly path, do this 10 times and you get a sticker, the list continues from this to holds throws until you are doing a basic butterfly for ten repetitions. Once you've got all the stickers you get a bronze certificate, to get Gold or double gold you have to repeat it all again but the reps become higher for each bit.

PorcuBrine · Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2024 6:16 pm Post subject:

There are better ways of getting people into contact which aren't quite as taxing as the butterfly.
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Saulie · Joined: 24 Aug 2024 Posts: 177 Location: Norfolk, VA

Ummm... I think I will stray away from a manditory moves and stickers... But thanks for the advice.
_________________
Contact juggling is a disease, to which there is no cure. It is a poem of which each movement is a word. If you CJ with your heart, your body will follow.

Saulie@contactjuggling.org

he4rty · Joined: 08 Nov 2024 Posts: 35 Location: England

Yeah I mean this is more club orientated than one off workshop, the reason of the stickers was to give a sense of achievement without dishing out certificates all the time, and the butterfly was just an example, we have done loads of sheets from the one ball juggling challenge to routines, you just pick one and away you go to a certain degree.

Saulie · Joined: 24 Aug 2024 Posts: 177 Location: Norfolk, VA

It is a great idea though for long term classes. I am just doing a 30min to 2hr class/workshop.
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Contact juggling is a disease, to which there is no cure. It is a poem of which each movement is a word. If you CJ with your heart, your body will follow.

Saulie@contactjuggling.org

su2po · Joined: 22 Oct 2024 Posts: 119 Location: ireland

[quote="Look!_This_Chånges!"]The best workshops focus on techniques, not on moves.

One of the most useful and fun workshops I've attended is Drew's Musicality workshop.

Doesn't focus on a single prop, but it is something that translates to every prop you can think of.[/quote]i did that work shop too, i loved it, i was playing with the ideas for months after, i still am really.

when i do a work shop i tend to teach a trick and then show them the variations of that trick without expecting them to pick it all up straight away, i also make sure they know how much practice is involvedso they're not disapointed at how much they pick up. i would give them the basics and show them where they can go from it. its then up to them how much they practice or where they take it. i hope this helps good luck with the workshops
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Cannonballjames · Joined: 08 Nov 2024 Posts: 43 Location: Branson MO

well, at this point, my teaching has been limited to about 5-10 minutes with individuals or small groups infront of a ren faire booth or in my store... and that's basically hand positioning, cradles, basic hand flip, maybe a simple arm drag or isolation... basically easy stuff to show them they can do it and make them want to buy something to learn more... I'm hoping that it will take off in Branson, an if enough people get into it to warrant it, I want to start doing lessons and stuff, maybe have guest appearances now and then.

hmm... Techniques, not moves... makes me think of Jeet Kune Do gone CJ... awesome... have to figure out how to apply this effectively.
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seán_ · Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2024 2:27 am Post subject:

Hi

I've never done a CJ workshop as such but have given plenty for other props.
I mainly do comunity based stuff not directly aimed at jugglers so this is going to be coloured by this.

I like working in circles, easy to see everybody and easy for everybody to check out what everyone else is doing so form a circle.

Explain who I am and why I am here. If its a single prop workshop I might do a bit of showing off here with some crowd pleaser's but with attainable moves that will be coming up in the workshop.

A game or a warm up (depending on age and attitude) hopefully something fun that will get over any self conciousness and also get them used to trusting me and following my instruction. These activities don't need to be directly related to what I am going to be covering but the opportunity is there to make it so (say body positioning and movement).

Introduce the prop, if applicable mention any safety concerns to keep yourself covered (had a kid nearly put there eye out with a juggling scarf last week ) often this is just a 'don't leave it lying around for somebody to trip on/don't throw it at anybody/warn somebody if you have put them in danger/ don't poke your eye out' type deal.

Demo the first move/moves in manageable steps. If I'm going to be keeping the group in a circle I'll now hand out the prop (because they would be faffing about with it during my demo otherwise).
For a CJ ball I think I'd do palm to palm then palm it to the next person untill all the balls have gone around (maybe more than once possibly changing from palms to a exploration of grips and paths.
Go through the steps again with everybody having a go. If the move(s) lend themselves to motion or require space get people to find a space.

If it was a big group or I'm multipropping after the first demo I number them up to split them into groups and send the groups to different parts of the space where I have already put the prop.
Work the room.
With kids I rotate between props fairly quickly and under control.
I have standard techniques that work fro most people with most props but occasionally need to pull out something different when it isn't clicking for somebody. Hopefully each section contains something that everyone can manage up to something that might prove a bit challenging.

Pretty much rinse and repeat for each progression but the group dynamic and what the next progression is dictates whether you need to circle up or just be visable.

For 30 mins to an hour I do a solid session. For longer than that I put in breaks (away from props to give myself a break as well). I possibly pick out one or two or all to show what they've picked up or stumbled upon. either just before or after break/ end of session. (usually best not to do this in the dark, might be a good idea to get everyone to try a stumbled upon move)

Lots of encouragement throughout. recap at the end of the session, point them in the way of where to get further information, props etc. Possibly really pull out the stops with best moves at the end to finish on a high.

That's pretty much my standard way. Generally comes out ok for me and the groups I work with seem to do ok out of it.

Seán
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