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BACKHANDED JUGGLING EXOTICA
by Lou Carroll

Through the ages, there have been many types of exotic jugglers, mostly those using "unusual" objects. Good jugglers can do some type of exotic juggling, and in this respect, it is common enough. Actually, juggling in itself is quite an exotic art. In this article, I am going to discuss exotic juggling--or at least my particular brand of it!

For some long-forgotten reason, I once experimented with using the back of the hand in cascade juggling and surprised myself with the ease that this ability came to me. My way of doing this is to use alternate catches, on either hand. Though not perfected, I sometimes can do one complete circuiit on the back of the hands. Have to do a lot more practice on it. though.

Oddly, I never gave much thought to this method because I wasn't aware that it was so unusual. As I had mentioned in a note to the Newsletter over a year ago, I never knew another real juggler in almost fifty years of performing until I had the good fortune to meet Larry Forsberg, late of New Haven, Conn. and now residing in San Francisco. From then on, it was "Open Sesame!"

I first realized then that what I do is rare, because when showed Larry this routine, he flipped with joy. Later on, at the Columbia '78 mini-convention--my first group participation, I further realized how unusual this variation is. Carlo, author of ''The Juggling Book," discovered me there and remained with me throughout the gathering. I believe the word "astounded" would best describe his emotions at the time.

My elation was further heightened when Lew Bell and other fine jugglers came over to catch my exhibition. Unquestionably, this was the big ego trip of my life. Needless to say, I always get a big hand wherever I perform.

Other jugglers have since attempted to develop some backhand maneuvers. I'm glad to say that some are getting a bit of it.

Roger Reed, the Diablo Wizard from New York City and Craig Barnes of San Francisco have mastered some phases of backhanded juggling independently. There may be others. Barnes has been described to me as being able to "roll 'em out of their socks" with his version.

As I stated above, my back-handed routine (in the three ball cascade) consists of performing this on an alternate hand basis. Another way that I can do the cascade is to run through consecutive one-hand back-hand turns.

I can't predict how well anyone else can master any of these moves. I've seen excellent performers frustrated in attempting them. I suppose one must practice to develop back-hand prehensiIity, although it comes easy to me.

Using this ability, I have been able to develop a single-ball routine that is a real grabber. I start by rolling the ball from the palm to the back of the hand and return it, I do this quite rapidly, several times and then proceed to toss the ball pretty well up in the air, snaring it on the back of my hand. I repeat this toss over my other shoulder, under my left arm, and then under each leg in succession. The catches are all identical. As an added fillip, I toss the ball to someone in the audience and have them toss it to me, whereupon I catch it in the proscribed manner. This whole maneuver gets a fine reaction from the crowd. Next come the two-ball back-hand tosses, which are an extension of the one-ball gyrations.

Once, on the spur of the moment when we were performing in the New Haven, Conn., Cirkus Smirkus '78, Larry Forsberg and I worked out an unusual routine that went over big with the crowd. While juggling, he'd flip a ball to me and I'd catch it backhanded. Then I'd toss the ball back to him and he'd continue juggling without a break in continuity. He'd continue flipping the ball to me from over his shoulders, under his legs, bouncing off an arm, off his head, etc. It was a crowd pleaser.

IN MEMORIAM

Harry Otto lived for show business. The clowning juggler and magician had gotten his start as an aerialist in a circus before this century began. Later he was featured on vaudeville circuits performing his "Two Distinct Acts" as he advertised them. In 1953 he performed on the TV show "You Asked For It." Juggling, magic, show business all remained a major part of his life right up to the final curtain. .

Harry Otto Grasselle died on August 21 at age 98. But, it was a young Harry Otto back in 1976, still performing

his full Chinese Magic Act at the Midwest Magic Jubilee. He was 95 then and totally blind in his right eye. He said he couldn't see daylight in his left, yet he remained the total optimist. In 1978, he was elected to the Magic Museum in Hollywood.

Time seems to have its way with all of us. The artists only real defense is to create so as to be remembered by posterity. Harry Otto made good use of his time while he could. He'll be remembered for the balancing stunts he originated over 70 years ago and passed along to his protege Bobby Smith, the juggler.

He'll be remembered as a great performer--The International Comique featuring the Human Pool Table as part of his act, juggling balls and catching them in pool pockets attached at his shoulders and waist. Harry Otto will be remembered for a long, long time.

---Dennis Soldati