The
Springer jugglers are 4th-6th graders who are interested in juggling,
plus parent/juggler volunteers. We meet every Wednesday morning in the
Multi-Use room from 7:45 AM until the start of school to warm-up,
practice, learn and take tests to get
to the next level.
The
juggling class is run by Michael Van De Vanter with lots of assistance
from Randy Strauss.
Format: 7:30am - Doors open for early bird
jugglers 7:45am - Warm-up- Please be on
time! 8:10am - Every 2nd week, milestone
testing starts at 8:10. 8:25am - Free time for those who
arrived on-time and have passed the first juggling milestone. Mr V
makes available his interesting collection of rings, plates and other
juggling props. 8:30am - Get to class on time!
Juggling
Class Rules
Have
fun!
Class
begins at 7:45 am sharp, starting with warm-up exercises.
Please join the class if you're late, but you may neither take a test
nor participate in free time that day.
Please
sign the attendance sheet when you arrive, but only for yourself.
Jugglers
are helpful to other jugglers; no other behavior is appropriate.
Juggling
props are personal; borrow them only with permission (each time).
Juggling
props are for juggling only, even if they are your own.
Work
only with balls (except during free time); the head juggler will
tell you when it is time to start working with clubs or other advanced
props.
Have
fun!
Michael
Van De Vanter The
Head Juggler
Juggling
Props
Jugglers
call their equipment props: typically balls, clubs,
and rings. It is best to start learning with balls.
A
few juggling balls are available for you to borrow during class while
getting started, but it is a good idea to get your own
juggling balls
as soon as convenient. You'll have more fun, and you'll learn faster
that way. Between classes keep them sitting in plain view at home so
that you'll be reminded to practice. Any practice you do at home will
help you learn much faster, even if only 5 minutes a day. Practicing 5
minutes twice a day, every day, will move you along faster than if you
practice the same total number of minutes in one session per week.
Really.
The
best place to buy juggling props locally is the Klutz Store
on College Avenue in Palo Alto. A set of 3 Klutz beanbag cubes
is a good and inexpensive set for learning.
You
can practice with other kinds of balls, but it
will probably take you longer to learn. Tennis balls, for example, are
more challenging than juggling balls.
Please
don't bring to class any ball that will bounce when dropped on the hard
floor in the Multi. Thanks.
The
closest local juggling group is the
Klutz Press Juggling Club. Juggle at the store in Palo Alto
on Saturday's at 3:30-5:30 pm. They have lots of props you can borrow
while you're there.
Some
interesting juggling software is available for Macintoshes and PCs; we
are especially fond of an old application called Jugglemaster,
now available as JuggleMaster
Java. For a rather more complicated piece of software,
including advanced passing patterns, see JoePass!.
