Equilibristics

Equilibristics is a blanket term for a number of circus skills which involve balancing or maintaining equilibrium. The term applies equally to acts in which the performer balances on a prop, and acts in which the performer balances or spins a prop.

Many different tricks and stunts fit into this category.

Some well-known examples of equilibristics include juggling, baton twirling, unicycle riding, stilt walking, tightrope walking, the manipulation of devil sticks, and some acrobatics.

Couch juggling (also called foot-juggling, antipodism or Risley) is a stunt in which one lies on one's back, balancing an upended sofa on the soles of one's feet. The couch is flipped end-for-end and caught at the other end, beginning a spin which is maintained by deft movements of the feet. This stunt can also be performed with a canoe, or any other large and unwieldy object. It can even be performed as a gymnastic stunt, using a human gymnast as the juggled object.

• See an example of antipodism with balls: http://www.dumpert.nl/mediabase/1707341/27d94cc7/1_meisje,_7_ballen.html
• With acrobats: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCyD0y9AFZY

The caber toss (a traditional Scottish athletic event) might be considered another form of equilibristics.

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