Text and Photos by Katie Histed On a mission to teach 5,000 people a juggling lesson and bring a little more joy into our world at a time when we need it the most Sometimes you don’t know you need a wake-up call until it literally hits you in the face. After years of being unsatisfied with my job, I …
Selma Braatz – The Girl Who Set the Juggling World Alight
By Dr. Steve Ward Throughout the course of history here have been records of female jugglers. Many ancient civilisations have depicted women juggling. They have appeared on tomb paintings in ancient Egypt and on pottery artefacts from both the Roman and Greek eras. However, it was not until the rise of the music halls and variety theatres in the nineteenth …
11th Cleveland Circus and Juggling Festival 2025
By JoAnn Ireland During the weekend of Friday, October 3 through Sunday, October 5, 2025 the Case Western Reserve University (Case or CWRU) Juggling Club (https://community.case.edu/juggling/home/) hosted the 11th Annual Cleveland Circus and Juggling Festival. During the festival weekend there was open juggling, games, workshops, vendors, a raffle, and a Saturday evening public show. The CWRU Juggling Club is a …
New York City Unicycle Festival – Labor Day Weekend 2025
By JoAnn Ireland The 16th New York City Unicycle Festival was organized by the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus and this four day festival took place August 28 – 31, 2025. New York City is of course the largest city in the United States (population estimated to be 8.48 million as of 2024) and no doubt an incredible place to a part of …
USA Diabolo Association Competition 2025 in Metuchen, New Jersey
By JoAnn Ireland The USA Diabolo Association (USADA) hosted the USA Diabolo Competition (USADC). The USADA’s mission is to grow diabolo into a sport that more people can enjoy across the United States and through the USADA, they hope to encourage players of all skill levels to connect with one another and to share their collective passion for diabolo. The …
Recap: North American Unicycle Convention and Championships 2025 in Rochester Hills, Michigan
By JoAnn Ireland (Text, Photos, and Videos by JoAnn Ireland) The Unicycling Society of America (USA) and the Redford Township Unicycle Club (RTUC) hosted the North American Unicycle Convention and Championships (NAUCC). As of 2024-2025, the USA had 441 members and over 130 competitors attending NAUCC 2025, along with many additional non-competitors and spectators. The NAUCC took place in Rochester Hills, …
Philadelphia Juggling Festival 2025 Review
By JoAnn Ireland Philadelphia Juggling Festival at the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts The Philadelphia School of Circus Arts (PSCA) (https://phillycircus.com) and Circadium (https://circadium.edu) hosted the Philadelphia Juggling Festival (https://circuscampusphiladelphia.com/JugglingFestival), which was a full weekend of juggling for professionals, hobbyists, and beginners. The festival commenced on Friday, June 13th at 5:00 PM with open juggling. The weekend festival cost $30 …
31st Congress of Jugglers at the University of Maryland
By JoAnn Ireland The University of Maryland (UMD) and the student run University of Maryland Juggling Club hosted the 31st Congress of Jugglers that was open to the public with free admission and commenced on Friday, May 9th during the late afternoon, welcoming jugglers of all experience levels to the Ritchie Coliseum, a gymnasium on campus, drawing jugglers from surrounding …
Who Was the Real Vivalla?
By Dr. Steve Ward Signor Antonio Vivalla is known for introducing plate spinning to America. He became famous as the man who was allegedly discovered and promoted by P. T. Barnum during the 1830s. That Vivalla was performing between 1835 and 1837 is well recorded in the American press [1] and in a poster held by the New York Digital …