Allow me to take this opportunity to introduce you to another Defender of the Playful.
Gary Auerbach is a Playcologist, a world champion Frisbee FreeStyle athlete (1995), and former professional ballet dancer. Since 1995, he’s been performing school assemblies, summer camp workshops, birthday parties, festival walk around, library and museum appearances, half-time shows, and more.
Starting with “Hands-On Frisbee Fun” and then adding “Juggling for Success” he’s now shifted to “Champion of Play” as his platform.
Here, he plays Around the Circle, first with kids:
[youtube]http://youtu.be/Wnrlzu8Q0UI[/youtube]and then the big kids:
[youtube]http://youtu.be/QGY2qF0-wZU[/youtube]He introduces families to the wonders of play and playfulness using everyday props: feathers, frisbees, ping pong balls, farbles, scarves, balloons. To get a better feel for his play/work, take a look at this collection of clips (you’ve already seen the first two).
He explains:
Of course I can juggle and frisbee all I want when I present play. And I do! But I have other “tools” too that allow participants to feel safe and confident. Making folks comfortable with the equipment and letting them have fun is my mission. Then they’ll do it again…and again…
Gary also performs for “big kid” audiences.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/7AeSEHn_n6c[/youtube](this was at a contra dance weekend in Tennessee)