Many circus entertainers used balance as a central part of their act. Some held their bodies on stands while performing complicated gymnastic feats. Others balanced objects like plates on the ends of sticks.
Try This At Home!
Balance a pencil on your finger. Mold a small piece of silly putty or modeling clay around the pencil at different heights. See how the placement of the weight affects your ability to control it. You may think that the pencil is harder to balance with the weight at the top, but it is easier. Many circus performers used the illusion of difficulty to sell their act to the public.
What you need for this activity:
- an unsharpened pencil
- silly putty or modeling clay
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 | | Performer balances plates on sticks, April 14, 1953 |
| Image Donated by Corbis-Bettmann # BE030533 |
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