I created this animation as a sample for students in the 3D Animation course at The Art Institute of Tampa.  This course is the first 3D animation course they receive and the first time they utilize Autodesk’s Maya animation software. We start animating with a bouncing ball, and progress in rigs difficulty from a pendulum, to a ball with a tail, to a ball with legs, and finally with a biped rig.  To help introduce the biped rig to students, their first assignment does not allow them to utilize arms.  They must show the biped moving around in a simple setup but having proper balance. The challenge is to show balance without the stereotypical arms outstretched, as if a character was tight roping. Here they have to focus on the torso of the figure and how a figure balances their weight. The following week the students are allowed to use the arms and create a walk cycle. The students are not allowed to use a character rig with a face until the second 3D animation class.