Contact Juggling

Contact juggling is the artful manipulation of an inanimate orb such as the fushigi for the purpose of making the object appear to defy certain laws of physics.

The craft is done by staying in contact with the object at all times but making it seem as though the object moves with a mind of its own.  The gravity ball is utilized with many technical tricks as the juggler shifts the orb in ways to baffle viewers.

How do you Contact Juggle?

There are three main ways to contact juggle which are broken down into categories.

1. Palm Spinning is where the juggler moves one or more gravity balls around the palm of his or her hand making it look as effortless as possible.
2. Body Rolling is where the performer moves and balances one, or multiple fushigi balls, to different parts of their body in unconventional ways.
3. Isolation Juggling is where the goal of the performer is to make the orb seem as if it is defying physics and floating in the air by remaining in one place as they move their hands and body around it.

There is no definitive right or wrong way per say to contact juggle as it is an art, and like most art, unconventionality and uniqueness is what drives it.

The craft has been around for centuries but only until recently was it unassigned to a defined label.  It is very unique in the world of juggling and is somewhat ironic that it even has juggling in its label as it is nothing like the conventional toss that we are all used to seeing in performances.

I hope with the utilization of this Toy Skills section you will have the means to get a better understanding of the art, what people are doing with it, and how you can be a part if you so choose to do.