ContactJuggling.org

Done well they rule.

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"Like I told your Captain, that orphange attacked me. It was self-defense."

Ok, here we go, picture the scene:
*wibbly wobbly effect* a large playing field in the centre of a small market town. Two bouncy castles, a teepee and three small marquees all set up for a free family event. Advertised activities- bouncy castle, face painting, messy play/banner making, story telling and... Juggling.
We were expecting about 100 people over 3 hours, in the event a spot count on one occasion showed 200 heads...
I demonstrated toss juggling (three ball cascade/reverse cascade/shower and various multiball starts (2 or 3 in one hand), flower stick (ticktack/helicopter/toss spins/ spins around control stick), contact (single ball isolations, handerflies, arm rolls and head stalls), multiball contact, staff spinning (single beats, double spins, fig 8., rotor front and back, pinwheel and some shoulder/neck wraps) and some basic poi. I also taught a bit of poi and staff spinning and some of the basics of toss and cj (thumb hold and claw iso). The kids were from age 2 to 12ish and all of them were interested in what I was doing, the older kids were interested in "how" and the younger ones just watching in awe! One kid recognised my practice cj balls as such and asked me lots of questions about how to get started so I pointed him at briney's tutorials.
All the hours I've spent practicing in public meant I had no performance anxiety and playing with my own kids helped with engaging and talking to the younger children. One especially gratifying experience was a couple of older kids, who had been talking about joining the rioting if it came to a town near us, getting really into juggling and talking about getting some props! Admittedly they liked staff spinning best but it's a start.
Pretty good experience overall, I did lose one stage ball but considering I had taken:
Four poi sets, five contact stage balls, seven 75mm acrylics, two 95mm acrylics, five Sil-X implosions, three thuds, three pyramid bean bags, one diabolo, one staff and one flower stick and the event was aimed at disadvantaged families I think that's pretty good!
Next time I would need another helper to corall the younger kids but it did improve my spinning control!
Probably tl;dr but I wanted to share!

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"There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes."

Hello to Jason Isaacs

Nice one Soveda.


I was at Lincoln Castle medieval merriment weekend with the living history group I’m part off.
Well with m group I have to say I had a pretty awful time,
but the fantastic Mr fox called me into the arena when he was showing off weapons to the
public and went through medieval self-defence for the crowd using my jester.
(Great fun and I learnt a lot).
I found my self also working along side a professional jester and puppeteer.
I have to say I learnt so much about working the audience from them both and when they found out I don’t do this professionally
they gave me there cards saying get in touch.
I have to say while really annoyed with my supposed friends I’m kind of thrilled. Is this a new chapter in my life.

We will see.

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"Like I told your Captain, that orphange attacked me. It was self-defense."

Not really busking, but this week I was at cadet summer camp and performed some CJ; for the camp talent show representing my division.
This was my first real time of performing in front of an audience: there were around 150 people watching, most of them cadets around my age.
I had a routine planned but at soon as I got on stage I forgot it and just ended up improvising. I was incredibly nervous but managed not to have very many noticeable mistakes.
I ended up coming third in the competition behind 2 really good acts and I am thrilled that I did it: lots of people came up to me afterwards saying it was good (some even said I should have won - at which I was very flattered) and asking how I did it, cadets and staff.
I only got one comment about being good with "balls", which was surprising given the audience was mostly teenagers.
I was on a high for the rest of the week.

As usual, I loved their reactions to the thumbhold and only a couple of them later found out how it was done. I'm keeping the rest in the dark - more fun that way!

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Curiosity saved the rat

Had 2 gigs in libraries this week as the juggler in a literacy scheme using circus as the sweetener.

It was very strange getting to be loud in a library setting but I had a lot of fun. I had a weird moment in the second gig where we were running short and needed some filler so I went back in front of the crowd and asked what prop they wanted me to use again.
I thought it would be the diabolo (with which I rock of course) as that had gone down well earlier, but the loud cheer went up for the CJ which surprised me as I felt that part went pretty weakly before (a week+ away using stage balls, silicones and multiballing).

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Nihil est...In vita priore ego imperator romanus fui

Had my first people experience today, i took my little sister to the "cité de l'espace" which is basically a space themed park, nothing big and fancy, mainly science and nice fake rockets.
Anyways i brought my CJ set with me, stage balls, and my transformed tennis ball (as i was afraid i wouldn't be allowed with any other juggling props) to kill time. Chained transfers, armrolls, walking halfpipe and alike tricks with the stage ball and basic palmspinning playing with patterns with my smaller ones (2 red and 2 black).

It all went really well, rarely dropped anything, so many smiles and fascinated kids look, question from parents and other nice stuff. Really good day overall, can't wait to smoothen my tricks, put up a routine and a costume and go on the street with some acrylics.
Got a deal with my mum i'm getting a set four 75mm and one 95mm as pay for a week of babysitting so it's time to get serious

I LOVE MY MUM!

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http://www.maxim-spraypaint.com

I was out busking today (FINALLY!!) and I wear really reflective sunglasses. There basically the equivalent of a double sided mirror, I can see just fine but all the audience see's is themselves. Adds a really nice effect to the performance and affect to the ball, I think. I had some teenagers (15-17 yrs old) walk over and the usual question came up:

Teen 1: How are you doing that?

Teen 2: It's a trick. His sun glasses are so reflective he's controlling it with his eyes behind them. Hey! Take off your sunglasses.

Me: Ok.
and I continue to perform

Teen 2: Wait! How the hell you doin' that?

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Contact Juggling at work, starting to annoy my co-workers every time I drop it ^^;

http://www.youtube.com/user/shadowbuster
rabitjuggling.com

I think it's been said on the board before but if you wear shades it's more distancing from potential punters. Making eye contact helps to attract people and get them to actually stop.

Disclaimer: repeating what I have read, not personal experience!

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"There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes."

Hello to Jason Isaacs

Agreed.

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http://www.gravitydefiance.net

So far busking this weekend has gone amazingly well. I have had very few F-ball comments, and am making good money considering I am only out for like 3-4 hours

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"I don't have a glass ball, so I used a meatball. Made a big mess. Lot of sauce on my arms."
http://www.youtube.com/user/UnusVolatiliAngelus - My Videos
"It takes many years before a tree has a shadow"

All these stories make me smile.

Ok, so I will contribute what little I have. I recently (within the past year) gained the confidence to go out into "public", and by "public" I mean a rather remote park due to my boyfriend and his avid love of outside poi. I do enjoy the younger kids watching, we have had them sit and watch for 30 plus minutes in between their little spurts of energy. The adults and skater kids half heartedly watch. We did have one person come up to us. She happened to be one of my managers at work, walks right past me and asks my boyfriend what he is doing.

I am convinced fushigi has ruined (some) interest in this art, but the fact that I was invisible could also be because her and I don't get along to well. My paranoia is sticking with the fushigi reason though.

Voila, all done.

Actually ran into another contact juggler one of the last times I was out in public. I'm nowhere good enough to perform, but I practice in the open grassy spots around my college. Kid on a bike came up and asked if I contact juggled...made me happy. We hung out and talked shop for a bit, and then a "normal" person came up and started talking to us. He'd seen the fushigi commercials, and asked if there were little gyros or magnets, but was very impressed and complimentary once he realized it was a skill game and not a gimmick (helped when we showed him the cue balls I have and then did what few tricks we could with those).

Well, last weekend was the first time I'd count as "performing" I's practiced in line at Red Robin or the movie theater before, but people feel like they're not supposed to stare in those places.

But last weekend I was at the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Technically it was for a singing gig (I'm part of a madrigal group) but I brought around one of my more scruffy acrylics as well (to clarify, it is scruffy to me, my friends have trouble telling the difference b/w that and my others). I had time inbetween sets, and when I got to our next location early, I pulled out my acrylic and started playing. It was in a very good, open spot that wasn't technically a "performer" spot (and there were no other acts around anyways). I was in full costume for my real gig, so I guess I looked like I was supposed to be there. There are performers all over renfest that just wander, and people are encouraged to stop and stare. In no time I'd gathered a nice little circle, mostly of little kids, but the adults were watching too. It was easily the coolest thing ever; I really enjoyed interacting with the kids, and didn't mind letting them hold my ball, since it was the messy one. I couldn't make tips, unfortunately (paid performers can't take tips, it's in the rules).

And only a small group of preteens were obnoxious about the f-ball.

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I used to love wearing rings. Then I got into contact juggling, and got tired of taking them on and off, so the rings moved to a necklace. Now I'm trying to learn chestrolls. D: The things I give up for CJ.

They better be paying you mad money then. Over here, many fests will pay your travel cost (or at least comp you in and feed you) and then you'll busk all weekend.

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http://www.gravitydefiance.net

They actually do. Our group is larger and works cheap, but that's because we're not doing it for a living. The other (with less people) acts get more than compensated for not having tips, they can still sell CDs/merch, and technically we can all accept food tips. Our group mostly does it because we all love RenFest and getting in free + two comp tickets we can use at another time or give to people.

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I used to love wearing rings. Then I got into contact juggling, and got tired of taking them on and off, so the rings moved to a necklace. Now I'm trying to learn chestrolls. D: The things I give up for CJ.