(日本語はこちら) As I learn more and more about juggling history, I find many amusing or astonishing stories from the lives and careers of jugglers of the past. I thought it would be interesting to readers to collect some of these in a series of articles. Enjoy Part 2 of this series. Charles Hoey’s Big Finale The first juggler to perform …
Amazing Tales From Juggling History – Part 1
(日本語はこちら) As I learn more and more about juggling history, I find many amusing or astonishing stories from the lives and careers of jugglers of the past. I thought it would be interesting to readers to collect some of these in a series of articles. Enjoy Part 1 of this series. Paul Spadoni’s Cannon Ball Accident Paul Spadoni The first …
Newly Discovered Films Of Donald Lauppe
(日本語はこちら) Donald Lauppe was born into a juggling family. His parents were the famous juggling duo Gus and Ursula. Donald was born on April 12, 1952 and grew up in show business. Below you can see him with his parents and the legendary comedy duo of Laurel and Hardy. Gus and Ursula with their son Donald and famed comedians Laurel and …
Nikolai Olkhovikov – Equestrian Juggler
(日本語はこちら) Russia and the Soviet Union produced many incredible jugglers over the past one hundred years. The most celebrated horseback (equestrian) juggler from Russia was Nikolai Olkhovikov (1922 – 1987). He was born into a circus family, with his parents and grandfather being established performers in several genres, especially those involving horses. Nikolai made his debut in the circus at …
The Sun Wheel / Vadda Chakkar: A Sikh Martial Art Turned Flow Art
(日本語はこちら) I first encountered the subject of this article at EJC 2019. I was taken back by the mesmerizing effect of this spinning prop and had to try it out for myself. The prop was introduced to me as a sun wheel. Since then, I’ve seen it online a number of times and saw it again in person at the …
An Experiment With Bob Bramson’s Wooden Hoops
(日本語はこちら) I often bring something to the IJA Festival for jugglers to try. A couple of times I brought the Chaos Clubs, which are the world’s most difficult clubs to juggle. You can see videos of the Chaos Clubs being attempted below. As the 2022 IJA Festival was getting closer, I saw online that a number of talented hoop jugglers …
One of a Kind Juggling Props
(日本語はこちら) While giving a recent tour of the Museum of Juggling History, I was asked if the museum had any one of a kind props. I asked if that meant the only known existing prop from a certain juggler or the only known example of a certain type of prop. I was told that it meant the latter rather than …
Numbers Juggling With Plates and Discs
(日本語はこちら) Before rings were common place, jugglers used plates and discs in their acts. Even after rings became the more common flat, round prop, some jugglers continued to use the more difficult choice of discs and plates. Releasing more than 4 plates from your hands is quite difficult, and is therefore a very limiting factor. Nevertheless, history records some quite …
The Art of Plate Waltzing
(日本語はこちら) Plate Waltzing is a rare type of plate spinning which goes back to at least the mid-1800s. It involves spinning upside down plates or bowls on the surface of a long table. It may have been invented by famous magician and ventriloquist Signor Blitz (1810-1877). He was famous enough for performing plate waltzing that an actual waltz was written …