Juggling – Presence
In the present, time grows.
History of juggling
Object manipulation is used as a broader term than juggling and assumes that just about any object can be juggled or » manipulated ». Some of the more common juggling objects are balls, clubs, and rings. There are different techniques of manipulating these objects, for instance, contact juggling, where the balls are moved around the body, » in contact», instead of being tossed.
Juggling has evolved in many different directions and has developed cultural independence from the circus to such an extent that some jugglers claim that juggling isn’t circus but a separate art form. Performances are frequently based on nothing but object manipulation. Jugglers have found inspiration in such diverse fields as mathematics, music and other more visual or graphic working methods, and a notation system for movement patterns has been developed within the world of juggling.
Excerpt from "Inside a Circus Heart"
I manage to catch, throw and pick them up in an unplanned way with perfect timing. As if I am in tune with the whole universe!
There are weeks when nothing works at all. When I suggest the wrong things at the wrong time and place. It is as if I am moving to a backbeat I push myself to regain control Oh so anxious to do the right thing, I do everything wrong. Finally, I am as tense as a spring. As tense as a spring. The same as when I try to juggle. I struggle and the balls flow in all possible directions, but not to my hand. The floor attracts them. I must get better at catching, I must catch the balls! The juggler tells me :
Catching is not primary, throwing is.
Throwing?
I love watching the artists just before they throw themselves out in the air, or before they perform a difficult trick. It is as if time bends. A concentration that is so intense that it opens up outwards and makes the air vibrate. As if just when they are about to do something that’s on the edge, there is no space for being something other than themselves. Fully. The jugglers don’t risk their lives, only dropping balls. But you can see that specific concentration anyway. Focus without frowning.
The juggler says :
When I juggle , it is as if I leave all that has been and all that will be and I walk into the room of » now » . The strange thing is that after a while in the » now-room » , I feel like I’m in all times at once . In the very moment that I throw, I have the time to analyse the last throw and prepare the next one. Problems and obstacles aren’t hindering, but harmonise with the present . In the present, time grows .