juggling

Juggling is the skill or performance art of keeping multiple objects airborne for an extended period, typically by throwing and catching them in rhythm. Juggled props include balls or beanbags, clubs, rings, pins, and sometimes fire torches or diabolos. The most common form is ball juggling, but many jugglers also perform with other props, solo or in groups, and may incorporate throws, catches, tricks, and patterns.

Juggling appears in many cultures and has a long performance tradition. In the modern era, juggling gained prominence with circuses, music halls, and street performance in the 19th and 20th centuries, and has since diversified into competitions, clubs, and contemporary circus arts. The development of pattern notation, such as siteswap, helped standardize analysis and teaching.

The three-ball cascade is the foundational pattern for three props, with balls tossed in a circular, crossing exchange between hands. With four or more objects, patterns such as fountain, shower, or asynchronous cascades arise. Siteswap notation uses digits to indicate throw heights and timing. Practice typically proceeds from one to two to three objects, focusing on throws of peak height, rhythm, and safe catch.

Training and culture: Jugglers train regularly with soft practice props to minimize injuries and gradually increase speed and height. Juggling is taught in clubs, schools, and at festivals, and is featured in circuses and contemporary performances worldwide.