It was about four years ago that I first heard about Ben Beever. A friend of mine was visiting the Manchester juggling club and he came back with reports of a juggler who had only been juggling a couple of years, but was already making considerable progress with nine balls. At juggling conventions it is hard to miss Ben Beever, not because he tries to get noticed or is in any way an exhibitionist, but because of the huge number of balls he juggles and the height they require. News of his achievements, 12 ball flash, long runs with 9, and phenomenal tricks with 7, have spread quickly. At the Manchester juggling convention I had the opportunity to find out a little bit more about Ben…

Colin E.: When did you first gain an interest in juggling?

Ben Beever: As far as I can remember, my interest in juggling probably started from the very first time I saw juggling which was on the television program Playschool (UK), it seemed like magic. It looked like the kind of thing that I just wouldn’t be able to do. You don’t have a lot of confidence when you are that young.

Colin: When did you start learning to juggle?

Ben: I must have been about thirteen when I first threw some balls into the air. I don’t know exactly what it was that first sparked me off. At some point someone gave me some more juggling balls and I remember doing a pretty poor four ball fountain in an English class when I was fourteen, for a class project. Then I lost interest for quite a few years until I saw an episode of Tomorrows World (UK T.V) in 1994. They were talking about a new discovery in juggling that enabled you to work out any juggling pattern, which is obviously a bit of an overstatement. The program featured Mike Day performing the five ball symmetric pattern (6x,4). Although at the time I doubt I realised it was a five ball pattern, however I though it was absolutely incredible and the coolest thing I had ever seen. I could already do the basics with four and was now determined to learn more.

Colin: When did you first realise that you had a talent for juggling?

Ben: It was when I went to my first juggling convention, the British in Nottingham, four years ago. I was doing all these siteswap patterns and someone came up to me and said something like, ‘Wow man, that’s really cool’. People were saying that had never seen siteswaps with five balls. At that point I though I must be lucky that my hand-eye co-ordination is reasonable.

Colin: Which juggler inspire you most?

Ben: I like watching new stuff, the most inspired I got for a long tie was when I saw Luke (Wilson) doing a workshop on club juggling. He has analysed all the different types of pattern and it blew me away, I didn’t realise they had so much potential. I can’t even remember most of it.

Colin: Do you have a strict practice routine, or system you adhere to?

Ben: No … in a word. Maybe I should think about it more if I wanted to maximise my potential. Sometimes at juggling conventions I just want to sit around chatting to people, other times I just want to chuck five balls around and do weird things with them. I think juggling, certainly on this side of the ‘pond’, is a fairly relaxed business. Sometimes I will start with seven balls, sometimes with nine I don’t warm up first … but again, probably I should do.

Colin: Maybe if you were stricter with your practice it would make it less enjoyable.

Ben: Yes, definitely. If it becomes a routine, and a drag, you will not enjoy it as much.

Colin: You were obviously fascinated by siteswaps almost from the beginning, can you tell us what it is you like about them?

Ben: One of the things that interests me most about siteswaps is that it is such an unusual thing. When you see people juggling you don’t normally see them doing siteswaps. The process of throwing objects to different heights and having them come down one at a time is something most people don’t think. I tend to go for the unusual, that’s my main drive. I realise I have the potential to juggle patterns that people having seen before, I feel almost obliged to find out what is possible and to do stuff that inspires people.

Colin: You are well known for being able to juggle quite highly complex siteswaps. When given a new pattern how do you approach it?

Ben: When given a new pattern I will try the first few throws, say 7463, then I will stop. On my next attempt I will add a few more throws. Then after about five attempts I will be able to run the whole pattern.

Colin: A lot of people find siteswaps a bit restrictive, in your book ‘A guide to juggling patterns’ you describe a generalised siteswap notation that is far less restrictive in that it can describe tricks such as mills mess. Can you tell us what your motivations were for developing this notation?

Ben: I was thinking about the limitations of ‘vanilla’ siteswap in terms of what it describes and what it doesn’t. I enjoy notations, from my maths degree, so I thought I would try to develop a notation that describes what most juggling patterns are about. The notation system involves creating a description of the trick and placing it within the Generalised Siteswap (GS) matrix. You can then change rows within this matrix, in order to generate new patterns which you might not have thought of before. For example in mills mess there are three throws from the left then three from the right and there is a row in the matrix which describes this. Simply the act of writing this down helps you to see ways to change it.

Colin: Are there ambiguities in the notation, for example does it distinguish between the crossed arm throws, in mills mess made from above and below the other arm?

Ben: You can, if you want to add something like UL and UR to denote under left and right hands. However I find that with a lot of patterns if you just write down where the balls are thrown and caught, you will naturally find yourself throwing from under the arm for example, in what is the most relaxed style.

Colin: What inspired you to write a book on siteswaps?

Ben: Unemployment ... that was probably a big factor. I have always wanted to write a book on juggling and siteswaps. I think one of the main reasons was that I read Charlie Dancey’s ‘Encyclopædia of Ball Juggling’ which to me was a landmark in general juggling knowledge. But the more I looked at it, the more I thought that, although it is a brilliant book, there is a lot missing from it. It is very naïve about the mathematics of juggling and the section on siteswaps was quite biased in its treatment of the subject. I had already spent several nights staying up until about 5:00 in the morning discovering something new about the maths of juggling. Before I had learnt the basic of vanilla siteswaps I had tried to write down all the different patterns I knew in terms of their characteristics (hold time, throw time etc…) and tried to find relationships between them.

Colin: You are always seen juggling balls, what about clubs and rings, why don’t you juggle them much?

Ben: Because they are horrible. They hurt my hands and nobody can do as many siteswaps with clubs (or rings) as they can with balls. If they hurt slightly less and I could throw them as fast as balls, maybe I would do them more. Even with Glowballs, I didn’t like juggling them much at first … they hurt.

Colin: You have started doing a few performances at juggling conventions, have you performed for non-jugglers?

Ben: I have performed as a clown with a friend. He got us both a job, clowning, juggling and balloon modelling … although he did the balloon modelling! In terms of actually performing … not anywhere else other than juggling conventions. I don’t really have an act, that’s a problem.

Colin: Last time I saw you perform was at the Leeds convention. Your double act, with Hairy (Graham), was a lot more choreographed than your usual improvised performances, are you starting to think more about this aspect of performing?

Ben: Yes, we did have an act there. It was mostly because of the help we had from Hairy’s girlfriend who is very artistic. She helped in designing the routine, she also juggles as well. That certainly helped … having someone with the motivation, if it was left to me and Hairy it wouldn’t happen. All my solo routines are improvised – just whatever I remember at the time.

Colin: Recently you have been spotted chatting to Sean Gandini, and there is talk of you appearing in a video on the mathematics of juggling.

Ben: I am looking forward to it. He is making three videos but the one I am involved with is about the maths of juggling but it is hopefully going to be quite a fun combination of siteswaps and the mathematics of juggling, interspersed with some quite funky juggling patterns. It features myself, Sean and Kati, we also do three person siteswap patterns, most of which I haven’t done before. It is surprising how quickly you can translate solo patterns into passing patterns with siteswap, all that is needed is a slight modification of the direction of the throw. We have probably filmed most of the sequences, including a lot of five ball siteswaps, also some six and seven, all the mad ones I do, 11,675 – something like that, and 127772. The video should be available sometime after Christmas.

Colin: Do you ever want to be a professional performer?

Ben: I don’t know … maybe when my present job gets a bit too dull. I think there are too many aspect of being a performing juggler that I don’t really have the enthusiasm for. The bits that don’t involve juggling.

Colin: I would like to talk a bit about your juggling records, something I am sure you are asked about on a regular basis, when did you first flash 11 balls?

Ben: Probably two years ago.

Colin: And 12?

Ben: It was at the BoB convention, Bristol’s other Bristol, last year. I didn’t get that one on tape, but someone does have a copy on tape from when I managed it at Rotterdam. At Bristol this year, two weeks ago, I tried for twenty minutes or so, but didn’t get it. I will certainly be trying again next year. It will happen.

Colin: How long do you think it will be before you reach 13?

Ben: If I was going to guess … I would say about two years. I have tried it. The last few attempts have been reasonably good. I have got the speed, although what I find is I can have one go at it, and that will be my best go. If I try again it is always worse, my arms have lost too much, they can’t recover. I have to take at least half an hour between attempts at thirteen. My arms are not used to going that fast, it takes ever last ounce of adrenaline and afterwards I am absolutely knackered.

Colin: Considering you can attempt 12 for a good twenty minutes, but 13 only once, there must be a huge difference between the two?

Ben: Yes … it does seem like that doesn’t it. I think it is just what your body is used to. Twelve seemed like that the first few times I tried it and then eventually I was able to keep going with it. Maybe in six months, when I have had a few more good sessions with 13 it will get easier. It is a bit disruptive though … there is a lot of painstaking practice ... knowing you are not going to get it for a year or so.

Colin: What do you think your limits are … will you move beyond 13?

Ben: I think 14 is a possibility, but I discount anything above that. The reason is that my best with 10 is about 16 catches, but with 11 it is perhaps 15 and I have managed to flash 12 at least ten times now. It seems like the even numbers above the odds are … well I wouldn’t say easier … but the fact that there are three different pattern you can do them in (sycnch, asynch and wimpy) does help. The first time I did 12 I flashed them in the wimpy pattern and that seem the best way to do it.

Colin: Finally, do you have any ambitions for your juggling?

Ben: Hoping to flash 13 ... I have given up on qualifying 11 because that seems further off than a flash with 13. I would like to be able to do several fun things … kite surfing, parachute juggling. I am trying to think of anything related to juggling …[after some thought] … I would like to be able to spin a ball on my finger.

[another pause for thought]

Maybe I should be concentrating on new stuff which isn’t that hard, new ways of doing patterns. I think that discovery is something I am would like to get into more.

[an even longer pause for thought …]

At least before I am 30 I would like to have a routine, however when I have created a routine, I find I have learnt new moves that I want to put into it. Because I have been progressing quickly I haven’t felt comfortable sticking wit a routine. Maybe now, if I know what I can do, I can start solidifying some tricks and putting them together in some sort of order. I would really like to create a five-minute routine with five balls, mixing all sorts of things, siteswaps and multiplexes, mills mess ... all that in one routine ... without any drops. I think that could be an inspiration to many and I would be able to watch that and feel satisfied in what I have contributed.

Colin: Thank you Ben, for allowing the readers of the IJDb to find out a bit more about yourself and we wish you the best of luck with your ambitions.

Whilst watching Ben practice in the hall it is clear that he has already influenced quite a few of his fellow jugglers. There certainly has been an increase in the number of people trying, and succeeding, with siteswaps and the higher numbers. At the brief show that followed the traditional Manchester convention pub quiz, the opening act was a young lad who juggled with great proficiency, three, four and five glowing balls in a variety of technical patterns, who I am sure has ambitions of scaling the heights of numbers juggling. In much the same way as the final act, Ben Beever, who seemed to pick up where the younger juggler left off, with a dazzling display of technical patterns involving five, six and seven balls.