Stand-Up Sponges
by Ken de Courcy

For a long time Billy McComb and I have been searching for the "perfect" routine with Sponge Balls. It's taken a long time because we laid down some rather stringent conditions:

1. The set-up (and re-setting) must be both quick and easy.
2. It must be workable standing up without the use of a table.
3. There must be no danger of the balls dropping off the volunteer's hand and bouncing all over the place.
4. It must be loaded in such a way that it doesn't bulge out a thin mohair suit.
5. If possible, it must contain at least a few elements not found in any other routines.
6. There must be no difficult sleight-of-hand.

In our search we naturally checked on as many sources as possible. For example, the answer to the third condition was found in Pat Page's routine. Inspiration also came from Pat's routine for the Purse Frame, although his presentation is actually with coins. Al Goshman uses the purse-frame with Sponge Balls, but merely to produce them. We found it to be a positive aid when it comes to obtaining loads and it can also be used for a convincing vanish.