ContactJuggling.org

Learning to liquid took me longer than learning to contact juggle; I've put way more time into it weekly, started before contact and I'm nowhere NEAR good enough to make people go "whoaholyshit!" like I can with contact juggling...

that was just a joke. back than, both takes a huge amount of time to master. it is not that you just master a trick but you master a motion

I had played around with trying to work on my movement and footwork for a long time working from my own initiative, and i found it very very difficult to make any progress (by comparison, i generally find my best breakthroughs in contact come from sitting by myself, and thinking carefully through what body motions are possible, and how to work on that with the ball). However, when I was able to get some good advice, and actually have someone stand there, analyse where i was going wrong, and give my tips and pointers, then I was able to make big leaps, and give me a basis to go away and learn on my own.

I'm not sure whether this is to do with the way Dance is learned by comparison to contact (it's very difficult to objectively assess your own footwork, without a wall of mirrors), or the quality of the teaching, or a little of both, but i definitely think i would still be struggling to understand even the basics of gliding, sliding and popping if I hadn't had someone to show me where to start.

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Yup, good foundations make for big structures...

Mmmm... mixing Dance with ball...

It's going up a level. I found an upwards learning curve in my trough...

I think the problem has been that it's been a relatively new thing on the contact scene, and not so deeply explored. Because of this, it became very trial and error, with the same moves being attempted (or 'yoinked' ) by everyone.

I think this is about to change, though. I found some rules. the building blocks of the style, as it were. it feels like it will now be a lot easier to develop my own style of Isolationism, so that I stand out more from the others, and not have the ball look superfluous to my dancing, nor my dancing look out of place with the contact. It took a while, but it's getting there!

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I didn't read all the thread, so forgive me if this was already addressed. People CJ for all various kinds of reason. Some of them see CJ more as a Juggling Performance (Examples may include Michale Mochen). Some contact juggle as a body movement performance (Examples may include dancing). Some CJ as a Mysticism Performance (Examples may include magical performances). I am sure there are many other reasons folks CJ that I have missed, but my point is this:

Are any of these reasons wrong or any less valid to the individual performance?

I wouldn't think so. Those who are pop lockers and combine CJ into their dance, good for them. They are appealing to a crowd in a specific way. I honestly enjoy watching it, but it's not something I do. And I can't see myself going much further than smoothing out very basic patterns and isos for my performances as it is not the main staple.

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This thread is awesome. I remember way back when that first post was made; its seemed surprising at the time that anyone would actually be concerned about the tiny group of people back then that were exploring this territory; now it is pretty common.

Agreed with Ed, there is still much to explore. But mass respect to people like Matt Hennem, ElsieDee, Ed, Colin, Metra, Okotanpe, Komei Aoki and the others who are doing the research; the fusion is amazing.

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i thought i'd poke my head in and leave my opinion...

I believe it is your body language and motion that enhances peoples focus on your ball. This can include but is not limited to mime, dance, martial arts whatever...your movement around the ball if done correctly creates the 'sentient ball' effect that makes people so wowzers about CJ. Most people, myself included are more impressed by fluidity of motion and theatrics than sheer technique and calculated rolling.

CJ to me is a creative exploration of the sense of touch, of kinesthetics. Putting borders around a form of art saying it can only performed in a certain way is stifling the creative evolution of said art...thats wack man

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Ed, Colin, come back - we miss you guys

Having already danced my nuts off tonight, this thread makes me wanna dance all the way home

I only re-read this thread because for some reason I had a mental block and couldn't remember Coleman's name, and I knew he'd posted in this thread. But 8 pages later I'm enjoying some serious nostalgia...

Consider me re inspired. Thanks, ncfiala

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