Object manipulation
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Object_manipulation".

Object manipulation is a form of dexterity play or performance, in which one or more performing artists physically interact with props including balls, hoops, rings, poi, staff and clubs. Object manipulation can be considered an advanced combinatorial form of sports, dance, and games.

A separate subculture exists around fire dancing, which is essentially object manipulation where specially designed props are soaked in fuel and lit on fire.

Types of object manipulation

Juggling and tossing

Involves an orderly tossing, exchange of hands, and/or bounding of various objects:

• Juggling
  • Toss juggling
  • Contact juggling
• Chinlone
• Club manipulation
• Hacky Sack

Spinning and twirling

Rotation of an object (or significant parts of) often as a component of dance:

• Contact Staff
• Glowsticking
• Hooping
  • Hula hooping
• Twirling
  • Baton Twirling
  • Colorguard and winter guard
• Poi swinging
• Rhythmic gymnastics
• Sphereplay
• Freestyle nunchaku

Dexterity

Showcasing manual dexterity, sometimes with the use of small props, typically in illusionary ways:

• Dice stacking
• Hat manipulation
• Illusions
• Isolation
• Pen spinning
• Prestidigitation—"quick fingers", a.k.a. Magic manipulation
• Shuffling
• Card-Throwing
• Knife Throwing
• Chip Tricks

Complex object

Highlighting the mechanics of an object, or interplay between a set of objects:

• Devil sticks
• Diabolo
• Plate spinning

Other

• Multi-ball Contact
• Body Rolling

See also

• Michael Moschen
• Burning Man, an annual event that attracts object manipulators
• Modern juggling culture