Hat manipulation is a form of

juggling Juggling is a physical skill, performed by a juggler, involving the manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment, art or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling. Juggling can be the manipulation of one object ...

in which the manipulator performs feats of skill and dexterity using a brimmed hat such as a

bowler hat The bowler hat, also known as a billycock, bob hat, bombín (Spanish) or derby (United States), is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown, originally created by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler in 1849. It has traditionally been worn ...

or a

top hat A top hat (also called a high hat, a cylinder hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat for men traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditional ...

as a

prop A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinc ...

. Tricks can range from rolling a hat up and down the various parts of the body to throwing and catching the hat in amusing ways. Hat manipulation is often comedic in nature. Part of the appeal of the art is in the necessary equipment; all that is needed is a good, heavy, brimmed hat, which can be found at many juggling stores. Famous manufacturers of manipulation specific hats are Nils Poll and Dubé. Hat manipulation is also frequently combined with traditional forms of juggling in order to create more varied acts. Technically, hat manipulation is a form of

object manipulation Object manipulation is a form of dexterity play or performance in which one or more people physically interact with one or more objects. Many object manipulation skills are recognised circus skills. Other object manipulation skills are linked to ...

where the hat is the skill toy.

Types of tricks

The types of tricks performed during hat manipulation fall into seven major categories. These are: * Tumbles: Tricks where the hat rotates end over end (possibly over the body). * Twiddles: Tricks in which a hat rotates quickly through the fingers. * Spins: Tricks where the hat spins around its central axis, much like showing off with a basketball. * Rolls: Tricks involving the hat spinning on its brim like a wheel. * Throws: Tricks where a hat is thrown into the air. * Comedy: Gags with the hat intended to make the audience laugh. * Multi-hat juggling: Juggling 3 or more hats along the lines of normal juggling.

References

External links

TricksWithHats.org
{{Circus skills Object manipulation Circus skills

Types of tricks

See also

References

External links