Numbers: balls
Benjamin Schoenberg
here at last is the first of four installments about numbers juggling. Hope
you like them, and do send feedback. Now that this is done, I may finally
get a chance to update that movies list. I do have all the messages people
have sent about that, and thanks.
-Ben
benj...@math.washington.edu
Juggling Nine or More Balls updated 12/6/93
---------------------------
This list is meant to include everyone who has ever juggled nine or more balls
for at least one catch per object (a "flash"). "Qualifying" is making two
catches per object. Almost everyone uses beanbags, with the only known
exceptions being Gatto, Ignatov, Popovich, and Lucas. If I give no reference,
then the information is from the juggler or someone who has seen the person
juggle. Instead of promoting competition, it is meant in a spirit of
cooperation, that as we improve our personal bests we are exploring the
boundaries of what people are capable of. I'm always happy to discuss any of
this, and please send updates!
Ben Schoenberg 3535 N.E. 94th St.
benj...@math.washington.edu Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 526-9057
NINE BALLS:
Current bests:
Anthony Gatto 200 catches in practice (_Juggler's World_ 44.2, Sum. '92,
p.24). Official run: 78 catches on BBC's "Record Breakers".
Sergei Ignatov 135 catches in practice (as read by Jack Boyce in a book at
'91 IJA fest). Also 9 large balls (_IJA Newsletter_ 2/80).
Bruce Sarafian Florida juggler who flashed 11, as of a year ago could do 35+
catches of 9, but is said to have improved on that.
Ken Burke (of the Barrage) up to 45 throws.
Matt Cantrell (Seattle) around 35 catches in practice.
Gregor Popovich in practice as seen by Alan Howard and Dick Franco: cascade to
neck catch with a high "degree of confidence" (_JW_ 37.4 p.9).
Jason Garfield can qualify it in practice.
Jimmy Shafer can qualify it in practice.
Dan Bennett has had close to, and probably more than 18 catches, judging
by the '86 IJA numbers competition (13 catches).
Haggis MacLeod is said to juggle 9.
Sean Gandini is said to, as well.
Ed Carstens 20 catches.
Bruce Tiemann (Boppo) has gotten 17 catches ("GRRRR!").
Alan Morgan is also at 17 catches ("Damn and blast it").
Steven Geddes is close to qualifying.
Cyril Bartolo 16 catches, and moving up fast.
Jim Strinka 23 throws (implies at least 14 catches) at '81 Cleveland IJA
fest (see _Juggler's World_ 34.2, Feb.? '82).
Toby Ayer 14 catches.
Rod Kimball 12 catches.
Ben Schoenberg 12 catches.
Jack Kalvan can flash it nicely, probably more.
Dana Tison same as above, considering that he was flashing it at 14!
(_Juggler's World_, 37.2, Sum. '85, p.17.)
Donnia Ray Smith 9 catches (letter to _Juggler's World_, 37.1, Spr. '85, p.14).
Rick Moll 9 catches.
Arthur Lewbel 9 catches.
Robert York 9 catches (_Juggler's World_ 34.2, Feb.? '82).
Sue Kirby mentioned in _Juggler's World_ 34.2, Feb.? '82, and by others.
A guy I used to see at Ann Arbor fests, had graying hair, worked well on 9 and
on cascading 3 sets of multiplexed balls in threes and fours.
Jugglers of the past who did 9:
Massimiliano Truzzi at one time regularly did 9 in his act (according to his
son Marcello in _Natural History_ 12/79, p.51). Bill Gnadt
mentions Truzzi's 9 in _JW_ 40.1, Spr. '88, p.23.
Bengt Magnussen reported getting qualifying runs.
Bobby May did 9 according to Bill Gnadt in _JW_ 42.1, Spr. '90, p.30,
though in the documentary by Lippe, May mentions only doing 8.
TEN BALLS:
Current bests:
Anthony Gatto "I think I've gotten it around twice before, but I catch them
pretty often now on the flash." (_JW_ 41.1, Spr. '89, p. 12).
Michael Ferguson 15 catches.
Bruce Sarafian seemed to have a good pattern in '92, and has probably gone
past flashing it.
Albert Lucas 10 catches (with racquetballs). See _Guinness_, or _Juggler's
World_ 37.3, Fall '85, p. 21. Claims more "on a good day".JW?
Dan Bennett 10 catches. (Was in _Guinness_.)
Alan Morgan 10 catches.
Jason Garfield 10 catches.
Ken Burke 10 catches.
Jugglers of the past who did 10:
Jenny Jaeger Said by Karl-Heinz Zeithen in "4000 yrs." to have performed
with 10 for a year, according to _JW_ article from Feb.? '82.
Enrico Rastelli "was known to have thrown up ten for one rotation on an
occasion in Russia." (_JW_ 38.4, Win. '86-'87, back cover).
Bengt Magnussen 10 catches (on three occasions).
Dick Richton "...it is said, did ten balls" according to Art Jennings in
_Juggler's World_ 39.4, Winter '87-'88, p.3.
ELEVEN BALLS:
Bruce Sarafian 11 catches (several occasions, including on videotape). See
the latest _Guinness Book of World Records_. He is also
trying 6 in one hand, and is making some good attempts at 12.
MORE INFO WANTED:
Frank LeDent is said to have juggled 11 in an article by ???Weeks in Max
Holden's '47 book "The Ma?? of Juggling". (I have a poor
photocopy of an article from _JW_ 34.2, Feb.? '82.)
Michael Rudenko (Ukraine) placed an ad in _Kaskade_ No. 29 (3/93) p.48 looking
for work as a circus instructor. "I work with up to 12 balls"
probably means rolling or spinning, but who knows?
Alan Morgan
benj...@pythagoras.math.washington.edu (Benjamin Schoenberg) writes:
>Martin Frost and ?
> let me know on this one.
I know he has done 10 clubs with Jim Hugunin (hmmm, I probably misspelled
Jim's last name there) and Owen Morse. Martin himself will have to comment
on others.
>MORE INFO WANTED:
>
>Alan Morgan has seen 16 rings "flashed" (might have been 16 catches).
This was by Owen Morse and Bob Mendolson (again, spelling is optional
on the last name).
Alan
----
I am C Frog. But you can | This is your .sig:
call me "C" cause we're | This is your .sig on Boppo: 7 7 7 1 7 1
friends. | Any questions?
-------
CFROG THINK BONGO SHOULD GO PLAY WITH GASOLINE AND LIT MATCH
Alan Morgan
benj...@pythagoras.math.washington.edu (Benjamin Schoenberg) writes:
>SEVEN CLUBS:
>
> Current bests:
>
>Anthony Gatto 230 catches in the '91 IJA Numbers competition, and 2 minutes
> in practice (_JW_ 44.2, Sum. '92, p.24). Renegade clubs.
> Also see the "To Be the Best" video for 7 torch juggling.
Bzzt. Sorry, there is no 7 torch juggling in TBtB (unless I have the
expurgated version). Check out the Baltimore convention tape for that.
>Albert Lucas is listed in _Guinness_ for 7 clubs in 1985, and showed a
> good pattern in the '84 IJA Numbers comp. Raynolds clubs.
Not that I remember. I have the tape of this (at least I think it is 84,
it is a <cough> bootleg) but his pattern was far from good and he was
unable to make 14 throws (although one run, that looked to be about 14
throws, was not counted for some reason).
What about Ken Falk? In the 86 (?) convention he competed against
Anthony, succeeding at 6 clubs and making a decent attempt at 7.
>EIGHT CLUBS:
>
> Current Bests:
>
>Anthony Gatto: 12 catches on the "To Be the Best" video. _Guinness_ has him
> listed for "8 clubs". In practice, he is also throwing 9 (13
> throws, _JW_ 40.3,Fa.'88,p.32) and 10 (_JW_ 44.2,Su.'92,p.23).
I *heard* that the same Qian brother who does 7 racquets also has flashed
8.
Very cool list. Thanks Ben.
The Edible Dormouse
still visible?) was talking about N ball jugglers where N tends to
infinity and mentioned that:
Haggis Macleod is said to do 9.
Said by whom? I've only ever seen him try 7 on stage or inthe gym and if
he'd ever gotten anywhere with 9 I'm *sure* he'd have let the whole world
know by now! From what I recall his 7 isn't too brilliant. I've seen him do
runs of 10 seconds or so in the gym.
Does anyone know any fatcs about HM and numbers? Like I say, the best I've
seen from him is 7 balls and 5 clubs with back crosses. I remember him
working on 7 clubs (well, 7 fish to be precise) a year and a bit ago.
Ken
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
<Kendrick Zetie> ze...@minerva.cis.yale.edu and ze...@vax.ox.ac.uk
The expressions opined above are those of an atomic physicist, juggler and
motorcyclist. They are nothing to do with any institution. Nor is he.
Andrew John Conway
about Enrico Rastelli. Information is taken from a letter Bobby
May wrote to Billy Grace in 1964, describing Rastelli's act as
he had seen it in the 1920s. The letter was published in Jugglers'
World, June 1984.
Rastelli juggled six sticks 'for some time'. The then juggled six
sticks with a seventh balanced on his head. He threw one stick to
his wife and juggled three in one hand and two in the other, while
still balancing one on his head. He finished by catching one
stick into a balance on top of another. Then, without a stick
on his head, he juggled five sticks in cascade, "double shower"
[perhaps reverse cascade?] and shower patterns. He then juggled
four sticks in one hand.
He juggled six plates while bouncing a ball on his head spinning
a hoop on one leg and jumping over a skipping rope swung by two
assistants. [There is a film of him doing thios trick.] He also
juggled eight plates. There is no mention of large ball numbers.
There are a number of other tricks described which are not
relevant to the numbers thread, but I can't resist quoting one -
a single hand stand while spinning a pole with his feet and
bounce juggling two balls off a drum.
Andrew
con...@cup.portal.com
.sig still giggling over the photo from a JW of the same period
of the young Albert Lucas in glitter shorts meeting Liberace.
Benjamin Schoenberg
____________________________
This list is meant to include everyone who has ever juggled seven or more clubs
for at least one catch per object (a "flash"). "Qualifying" is making two
catches per object. If I give no reference, then the information is from the
juggler or someone who has seen the person juggle. Instead of promoting
competition, it is meant in a spirit of cooperation, that as we improve our
personal bests we are exploring the boundaries of what people are capable of.
I'm always happy to discuss any of this, and please send updates!
Ben Schoenberg 3535 N.E. 94th St.
benj...@math.washington.edu Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 526-9057
SEVEN CLUBS:
Current bests:
Anthony Gatto 230 catches in the '91 IJA Numbers competition, and 2 minutes
in practice (_JW_ 44.2, Sum. '92, p.24). Renegade clubs.
Also see the "To Be the Best" video for 7 torch juggling.
Jack Bremlov is listed in _Guinness_ for 7 clubs "currently" (in the '87
edition), and has performed it publicly (_JW_ 34.2, Feb.?'82).
Sorin Munteaunu is also in _Guinness_ for 7 clubs in 1975, and has performed
it publicly (same _Juggler's World_ reference).
Quian Brothers troupe includes a performer with 7 badminton rackets. (Is
this Chen Xiao Wen? See _JW_ 37.2, Sum. '85, p.9.)
Yevgeni Bilyauer does 7 in practice, according to Popovich (_Juggler's World_
37.4, WIn. '86, p.10) and Michiel Hesseling (_JW_ 40.4, p.11).
Albert Petrovski is listed in _Guinness_ for 7 clubs in 1963.
Albert Lucas is listed in _Guinness_ for 7 clubs in 1985, and showed a
good pattern in the '84 IJA Numbers comp. Raynolds clubs.
Bruce Tiemann 28 throws (not to mention longer runs that weren't being
counted. Renegade numbers clubs.
Jason Garfield has qualified it in practice. Jugglebug American clubs.
Viktor Filipovich 14 catches (what did I do with that reference?!) See also
_Juggler's World_ 41.4, Win. '90, p.8. Handmade clubs.
Stephan Gruss does 7 in practice (_Kaskade_ 29, 3/93, p.28). European
clubs.
Dana Tison 11 catches in the '87 IJA Numbers competition, but has worked
on it since then. American clubs.
Ken Burke 13 throws.
Jack Kalvan more than a flash. Todd Smith American clubs.
Anatoly Myakhostupov is working well on it, and is mentioned in _Juggler's
World_ 41.4, Win. '90, p.8. Handmade clubs.
Haggis McLeod is said to juggle 7.
Jay Gilligan 7 catches (on video). Renegade clubs.
Demetrius Alcerese is mentioned in _Juggler's World_ 34.2, Feb.? '82.
Kit Summers same as above.
Jeff Taveggia juggles 7 in practice, according to Kit Summers (_Juggler's
World_ 39.4, Win. '87-'88, p.6.
Mitica Virjoaga (Romania) juggled 7 in practice (_Circus Techniques_ by Hovey
Burgess, p.46, reprinted in '89).
Steven Geddes (Australian) is working well on it.
Scott Sorensen showed a good pattern at Fargo II ('93 IJA fest).
Claudio (Switzerland) was working on it at Leeds ('93 European fest).
Jugglers of the past who did 7 clubs:
John Breen 35 throws in practice. He died in 1912 aged 21. Clubs were
all wood then, and very heavy! (_JW_ 37.4, Win.'86 back cover)
EIGHT CLUBS:
Current Bests:
Anthony Gatto: 12 catches on the "To Be the Best" video. _Guinness_ has him
listed for "8 clubs". In practice, he is also throwing 9 (13
throws, _JW_ 40.3,Fa.'88,p.32) and 10 (_JW_ 44.2,Su.'92,p.23).
Jugglers of the past who did 8:
Enrico Rastelli juggled 8 sticks (_Juggler's World_ 38.4, Win. '86-'87, back
cover). "He used wooden sticks, evenly balanced with one end
designated as the handle."
Historical reference: The Talmud (Jewish scholarly commentary) reports that
1900 years ago Shimon ben Gamaliel juggled 8 torches
(_Kaskade_ 30, 6/93, p.24).
Benjamin Schoenberg
---------------------------
This list is meant to include everyone who has ever juggled 9 or more rings for
at least one catch per object (a "flash"). "Qualifying" is making two catches
per object. If no reference is given, then the information is from the
juggler. Instead of promoting competition, it is meant in a spirit of
cooperation, that as we improve our personal bests, we are exploring the
boundaries of what people are capable of. I'm always happy to discuss any of
this, and please send updates!
Ben Schoenberg 3535 N.E. 94th St.
benj...@math.washington.edu Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 526-9057
NINE RINGS:
Current Bests:
Sergei Ignatov 140 throws (_IJA Newletter_, Feb. '80, p.2).
Anthony Gatto 43 catches in the '91 IJA Numbers competition.
Alberto Sforzi (Italy) see 10 and 11 rings below.
Albert Petrovski did 9 with a ball bouncing on his head (what did I do with
that reference?), but is know for his 11 (see below).
Albert Lucas 24 throws in the '84 IJA Numbers competition, and has worked
a lot on rings since then (see below).
David Lee Had some good attempts at 9 in the '84 IJA Numbers
competition, and has worked on 10 since then (see below).
Quian Brothers troupe includes a performer with 9 rings. (Also see 10
rings.) Is this Chen Xiao Wen? (See _JW_ 37.2, Sum. '85, p.9).
Yevgeni Pimonienko has performed 9 rings (_Kaskade_ 29, March '93, p.20).
David Gaona performs with 9 (_Juggler's World_ 41.2, Sum. '89, p.25).
Yevgeni Bilyauer flashes nine in performance (_Juggler's World_ Oct. '81).
mentioned in _Juggler's World_ 40.4, Win. '88-'89, p.11.
Sean Blue flashed 9 in the '92 IJA Juniors competition.
Gregory Popovich flash pulldown at European fest (_Juggler's World_ 37.4,
Win. '86, p.9).
Jason Garfield flash pulldown in practice.
Odesia flash pulldown in practice on video of '91 Tbilisi fest.
Dick Franco showed a good pattern in the '84 IJA numbers competition.
Sean Gandini "juggles nine rings" (_Juggler's World_ 44.2, Sum.'92,
p.8).
Dana Tison 15 catches in the '87 IJA Numbers competition.
Benni Fornasari 9 rings in practice (_Juggler's World_ 45.2, Sum. '93, p.16).
Bob Bramson did 9 hoops (18 inch diameter?) in practice (_Kaskade_ 23,
9/91, p.25).
Mark Nizer at least 9 catches in practice.
Bill Gnadt "did 9" (_Juggler's World_ 40.1, Spr. '88, p.22, or _Juggler's
World_ 42.1, Spr. '90, p.30).
Donnia Ray Smith 9 catches (letter to _Juggler's World_ 37.1, Spr.'85, p.14).
Bruce Tiemann (Boppo) 9 catches in practice.
Jugglers of the past who did 9:
Chiesa Brothers (Sergio and Vinicio) included a 9 ring solo juggle (_Juggler's
World_ 39.2, Sum. '87, p.6).
Alexander Kiss did 9, according to Sergei Ignatov (_Juggler's World_ 42.4,
Win. '90-'91, p.22).
TEN RINGS:
Current Bests:
Sergei Ignatov 10 is "not dificult for him" (_IJA Newsletter_, Feb. '80).
Alberto Sforzi was performing 10 daily (_Juggler's World_ 41.4, Spr. '89,
p.33).
Anthony Gatto 19 catches on the "To Be the Best" video.
Quian Brothers troupe includes a performer with 10 rings (_Kaskade_ 30, 6/93,
p.7).
Francis Brunn qualified 10 (see the article by Marcello Truzzi in _Natural
History_, Dec. '79, p.52). Performed it with Ringling Bros.
circus when he came to America from Germany in the late '40s.
I lost the reference, but I think it was in a profile that
mentioned his neighbor, Gregory Hines.
Albert Lucas qualified 10 (same _Natural History_ page above).
David Lee reports "10 rings for two passes" (_Juggler's World_ 38.4,
Win. '86-'87, p.8).
Someone with the Moscow circus in '92 (according to someone on rec.juggling.
Sorry, more details?)
Jugglers of the past who did 10:
Freddy Zay (Germany) did 10 rings on a unicycle in the '30s and '40s
(_Juggler's World_ 34.2, Feb.? '82).
ELEVEN RINGS:
Sergei Ignatov has performed 11 off and on, including a qualifying run
followed by a pulldown! (_Juggler's World_ 34.2, Feb.? '82)
Albert Petrovski performed with 11 (mentioned in _Circus Techniques_, by
Hovey Burgess, p.46, reprinted in '89).
Anthony Gatto flashes 11 on "To Be the Best", and has come "close to a
juggle" in practice (_Juggler's World_ 44.2, Sum. '92, p.24).
Alberto Sforzi performs daily with 11 (_JW_ 41.1, Spr. '89, p.33), and was
said by Nino Frediani to do so on a unicycle! (JW 42.1, p.23.)
TWELVE RINGS:
Anthony Gatto flashed 12 on June 22nd, 1993 at the Wintergarten in Berlin.
Photos in _Kaskade_ 31, 9/93, p.28, and _JW_ 45.3, Fa.'93,p.8.
Albert Lucas flashed 12 (in _Guinness_). See photo in _Juggler's World_
36.3, Fall '84, p.19, and then send me a copy!
Historical reference: _Circus Techniques_ by Hovey Burgess (reprinted '89)
mentions on page 46 an account of a woman juggling 12 rings in
ancient Greece (_The Banquet_ by Xenophon, translated by O.J.
Todd, Cambridge : Harvard University Press, 1922).
Benjamin Schoenberg
________________________________________________________
This list is meant to include all juggling teams that have ever passed at least
5.5 balls or rings or 5 clubs per person for at least one catch per object per
person (a "flash"). "Qualifying" is two catches per object per person. If no
reference is given, then the information is from one of the jugglers, or
someone who has seen the team juggle. Instead of promoting competition, it is
meant in a spirit of cooperation, that as we improve our personal bests, we are
exploring the boundaries of what people are capable of. I am always happy to
discuss any of this, and please send updates!
Ben Schoenberg 3535 N.E. 94th St.
benj...@math.washington.edu Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 526-9057
-DUOS-
CLUBS:
------
TEN CLUBS:
Viktor Filipovich and Anatoly Myakhostupov
performed 10 clubs from about '81 to '92 with Russian
circuses. They stood about 30 feet apart at the finale, going
from separate 5 club patterns directly into passing 10. Then
one would collect all 10, and usually drop so we could see
them pass 10 again (many references). Handmade clubs.
The Afanassievs troupe from the former Soviet Union performed 10 club passing
by two members. (_Juggler's World_ 38.4, Win. '86-'87, p.9,
or _Kaskade_ 28, 12/92, p.13.
Sorin Munteaunu and his father
are pictured in _Juggler's World_ 34.2, Feb.? '82 performing
10 club passing. Thin looking clubs.
Alex Karvounis and Nick Karvounis (Doubble Troubble)
performed 22 catches plus a collect in the '91 IJA Teams
competition. Also 44 catches in the '88 IJA Numbers
competition. American clubs.
Barry Friedman and Frank Olivier
52 catches in the '88 IJA Numbers competition.
Owen Morse and Jon Wee (The Passing Zone)
48 catches in the '90 IJA Numbers competition. American
clubs.
Barry Friedman and Dan Holzman (The Raspyni Brothers)
pass 10 in practice. (_Juggler's World_ 40.3, Fall '88, p.8.)
American clubs.
Jack Kalvan and Rick Rubenstein (Clockwork)
pass 10 in practice. Todd Smith American clubs.
David Cousins and Steve McMenamin
used to work on 10. American clubs.
Craig Barnes and Robert Lind
were working on 10. (_Juggler's World_ 37.2, Sum. '85, p.17.)
Martin Frost and ?
let me know on this one.
BALLS:
______
ELEVEN BALLS:
Jack Boyce and Allen Knutson
360 catches in practice. 160 catches in the '91 IJA Numbers
competition.
Allen Knutson and Dave Morton
?
Morten Hansen and Allen Knutson
96 catches in the '93 IJA Numbers competition.
Barry Friedman and Frank Olivier
56 catches in the '88 IJA Numbers competition.
Johnnie Scarcello and Andrew Senske
? '89 IJA Numbers competition.
Allen Knutson and Jimmy Shafer
have passed 11 in practice.
12 BALLS:
Allen Knutson and Dave Morton
128 catches in practice. 68 catches in the '90 IJA Numbers
competition.
Johnnie Scarcello and Andrew Senske
64 catches in the '89 IJA Numbers competition.
13 BALLS:
Jimmy Shafer told Allen Knutson about having passed 13 in a one count,
which Allen can believe, having passed 11 with him.
RINGS:
______
ELEVEN RINGS:
Johnnie Scarcello and Andrew Senske
68 catches in the '89 IJA Numbers competition.
Bob Mendelson and Owen Morse
48 catches in the '90 IJA Numbers competition.
Barrett Felker and Jim Strinka
a one count in practice. (_Juggler's World_ 37.2, Sum. '85,
p.18.)
FOURTEEN RINGS:
Jay Gilligan and Fritz Grobe
passed 14 and finished with a pulldown at the '93 Bloomington
(Indiana) fest.
MORE INFO WANTED:
Alan Morgan has seen 16 rings "flashed" (might have been 16 catches).
-TRIOS-
RINGS:
______
EIGHTEEN RINGS:
Quian Brothers
troupe performs a three person line feed with 18 rings.
(_Kaskade_ 30, 6/93, p.7.)