April 18th~International Juggler's Day

International Juggler's Day is on April 18th.

HOW TO JUGGLE

Warm up by tossing a ball from hand to hand, across your body, about eye high, until you've done ten good tosses in a row.

Say "toss" and "catch" each time you do it.

Now put two balls in your favored hand, and toss one of them from hand to hand until you've done ten good repetitions.

Now pick up three balls, put two in your favored hand, and begin step one.

When you can do a step five times, you are ready to go on.

Toss a ball from the hand with two balls to the hand with one ball, and just before it reaches that hand, drop the ball in the receiving hand next to your foot, catch the first ball, and stop.

(Toss, drop-catch, stop. Say it out loud.)

Repeat step 1, but this time, instead of just dropping it, toss the second ball under the first ball, so that it lands in front of your other foot.

Start the same way: Toss the first ball.

Just before you catch it, toss the second ball back.

Just before you catch it, drop the third ball, and stop. (Toss, toss-catch, drop-catch, stop.)

Repeat the last step, but this time toss the third ball under the second ball, so that it lands in front of the opposite foot.

Start the same way: Toss the first ball.

Just before you catch it, toss the second ball back.

Just before you catch it, toss the third ball back.

Just before you catch it, drop the fourth ball, and stop. (Toss, toss-catch, toss-catch, drop-catch, stop.)

Repeat the last step, but this time toss the fourth ball under the third ball, so that it lands in front of the opposite foot.

Start the same way: Toss the first ball.

Just before you catch it, toss the second ball back.

Just before you catch it, toss the third ball back.

Just before you catch it, toss the fourth ball back.

Just before you catch it, drop the fifth ball and stop. (Toss, toss-catch, toss-catch, toss-catch, drop-catch, stop.)

Now you can continue adding a new drop-catch and toss-catch with each additional step, or you can just forget to do the next drop, and don't stop: just toss, toss-catch, toss-catch, toss-catch, toss-catch, . . . and now you're doing the Cascade.

And now you are a juggler.

Some Hints
Toss across your body, eye high. Watch the top of the arc.

Keep your hands at about waist level. Don't reach up -- wait for the ball.

If you find yourself walking forward, try standing facing a wall.

If you get stuck, go back a step or two, or try it again tomorrow.

If you get tired of picking up all those drops, try juggling while kneeling, or while standing over a couch or bed.

Better than balls are beanbags, or tennis balls half-filled with sand or rice.

Three soft tangerines are good. (Beanbags are best.)