Planning more Juggling Conventions. I've been involved in the planning
of every Israeli juggling convention since 1996. The last few conventions in
Israel have drawn more than 500 jugglers each including visitors from out of
the country. Here's information about the upcoming Israeli Juggling
Convention.
I perform at all sorts of parties (Birthdays, Bar Mitzvahs, Weddings, Purim,
etc.). I do shows with a variety of styles based on the venue; they vary
between choreographed technical routines to music and spoken routines with
comedy and visual stunts. The technical routines have showcased up to 8
balls, 5 torches, 5 clubs, 2 diabolos, and 7 club passing back-to-back with
a partner. I also have high-tech glowing equipment that provide nice special
effects to my shows. The comedy routine I do includes stunts with eggs,
apples, watermelons, kazoos, magic, and audience participation.
I have a ton of experience from performing for 6 years in an ancient Roman-themed restaurant for a total of about
200 shows per year. My show there included from three to five balls (if
jugglers are present, up to seven), apples and an onion, three (and
sometimes four) torches (see photo, below), a kazoo, and a watermelon.
I have a number of juggling goals for the year that you probably aren't
interested in. But if you are, click here. You can
also visit my 1996 goals page or my 1995 goals page. Without having to click, though, I
will tell you here that I've successfully worked with nine balls. Here's a list of the elite few jugglers who are known to
juggle nine.
As a compulsive list keeper, I've made a page of tricks
I can do with 5 clubs. Fortunately this page is being updated more
frequently than the goals page.
I wrote my goals page at the beginning of the year but I often work on other
tricks as my interests change. Here are the tricks I'm currently working on
(as of Feb 1, 2002):
Balls:777711 with first 1 behind the back; other
siteswaps with 1s behind the back: 95551, 75751, 8888111, etc.; other
siteswaps with 1 or 2 high throws and some pattern beneath: 88441; 5 ball
foot catches and kickups; 5 ball backcrosses; 7 ball endurance.
Clubs:5 club backcrosses; 4 and 5 club siteswaps; 5551
with solid backcrosses; 3 clubs solid over the shoulder with right hand and
behind the back with left hand.
Rings:5 ring breakdowns & pulldowns; 6 rings.
Diabolo:not much recently. Occasional double suicides and
genocides.
Click here to see what I had been working on at
other times.
Now you're probably wondering how I came to be such an amazing juggler.
Aside from practicing tirelessly for the past few years, I would like to
take this opportunity to plug Beard Juggling Equipment. I'm a huge fan of their DX balls
and their
Radical Fish clubs which I have at least a dozen
of. Their products are very comfortable and entirely catchable. I couldn't
be happier with my props.
The balls I use for all numbers are made by my friend
Charlie. I also have 9 silicone balls, and a couple Mr. Babache diabolos and
a couple Renegade diabolos (with diabo-glo glow-tubes). In addition, I have
some beautiful Aerotech strobe Glo-balls and a Dube knife.
I'm also pretty decent with a yo-yo - as a matter of fact, many people have
told me that my yo-yo is more interesting to watch than my juggling. I
originally used Hummingbird, but also have a No-Jive 3-in-1 Mandala and a
great Henry's Viper which puts all other yo-yos to shame. I use
the Terminator Technics for fixed-axle work, including a bit of 2-handed. I
have an assortment of other yo-yos that I don't really use much like: Silver
Bullet, Da Bomb, Tigersnake, and others.
I buy most of my props from Butterfingers in Bristol, UK.
As you can see from my extensive
video collection, I find videos to be an inspiration to my juggling.
Luckily, many jugglers on the Internet have livened up their pages with
videos for the world to enjoy for only the price of download time.
For the benefit of the juggling world, I've spent countless hours making a
page listing all
of the online juggling videos I could find. I have given each video a
description, rating, and provided other relevant information. It's been a
rather enjoyable project and it seems that jugglers find it a valuable
resource. Since I moved it to the Interactive Juggling Database it's been the most popular
section of that site.
This section used to be about the Juggling Information Service (JIS) which for many years
was the most important juggling site around. Unfortunately, it wasn't
maintained, and although an excellent resource for a lot of things
(articles, tutorials, history, etc.), much of the content is no longer
relevant. Once I even indexed the whole thing.
Many jugglers complained and complained about the JIS but for a long time
nobody did anything about it. For years I thought about making some sort of
interactive juggling database but I didn't have the time or skills to do it
properly. A couple years ago I met Colin E. on ICQ and we came up with some
concepts and he converted my online juggling videos page to what soon became the Interactive Juggling
Database. It has grown a lot and quickly become the best juggling
site on the Internet. The IJDb also includes up-to-date juggling club
listings, juggling festivals, lists of juggling vendors, excellent articles,
rec.juggling news and archive, a members section, chat, and more. Check it
out and even contribute something yourself!
Juggling Tattoos - Compilation
of photos of tattoos that depict juggling.
Here are some of the most important juggling sites on the Internet:
The Interactive
Juggling Database - starts where the JIS left off. Includes my Online
Juggling Video Database, articles, club listings, events, links, and more.
Damp Rabbit -
Bob Mendelsohn has digitized many vaudeville videos of interest.
luke's juggling stuff on the net - clever parodies, great
satire, excellent convention photos, and a growing collection of amazing
videos.
Vova and Olga -
Come of the best online videos (and frequenly updated) including world
record numbers passing, other passing tricks, lots of 5 club steals, and
solo juggling by two great jugglers. I was fortunate to get to know them at
the 2003 Israeli juggling convention.
Isaac Orr's Home
Page - this really fun guy to pass with has compiled some really
technical stuff about passing as well as a great resource on juggling
simulators.
Raphael
Harris - a good friend and juggling partner, he's one of Israel's most
experienced jugglers.
Here are some other recommended juggling links:
Juggle
Saver - A classy animated juggling screen saver and simulator: worth
registering!
ICQ Juggling Group - A list of jugglers using the coolest
free chat program (and it's made in Israel). Click
here to see if I'm online.
Alan Plotkin - sells the best juggling videos around. I
had them all at one point but then he made more which I still need to get.
SiteSwap software for
the Palm Pilot - Pretty good site swap software and much more
interesting than another Palm Pilot juggling software: JugIcon. Recently JMPalm
was released as a beta version of JuggleMaster.
League Against Poi (LAP) - Some people think that this
site is a joke, but I take my hatred of poi seriously.
Here are some beautiful and inspirational juggling photos I've come
across:
Anthony Gatto - Doing seven clubs and bouncing a ball on
his head; 10 Rings, a pole balancing on his head, and a ring on his right
leg spinning... Simply breathtaking!
Several times people have told me that my page is boring - gray and very
few graphics/animations. The purpose of this page is to supply interesting
content for jugglers and I hope that I've done a good job of it. Email me to reassure me that I did a
decent job. Otherwise.
If you have Netscape, you may have to click
here for something more lively.
