Equilibristics

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Equilibristics refers to a number of 'circus arts' and juggling skills characterised by balancing or maintaining a moving equilibrium or balance of opposing forces. The term applies equally to an act in which the performer's body is balanced on a prop or an act in which the performer balances a prop, or spins it.

Many different tricks and stunts fit into this category.

Technically, balancing a cane on the tip of a finger is an equilibristic stunt, but generally equilibristics is more flashy:

Couch juggling (also called foot-juggling or antipodism), where the juggler lays on his or her back, balancing an upended sofa on the soles of the feet... the couch is flipped end-for-end, and caught at the other end, gradually beginning a spin which is maintained by deft movements of the feet. This stunt can also be performed with a canoe, or other large and unwieldy objects, even rarely performed as a gymnastic stunt, using a human gymnast as the juggled object.

The traditional Scottish athletic event, the Caber Toss might be considered another form of equilibristics.

Perhaps the most well-known of the equilibristic arts is the twirling of batons, and the use of the juggling prop known as Devil Sticks.