By David Cain Lottie Brunn (1925–2008) is generally regarded as the fastest female juggler of all time. She and her brother, Francis, were born in Germany and came to the United States in 1948. She performed eight rings at the age of 14 and had a phenomenal career performing all over the world. She left the act with Francis in …
A Day In The Park – IJA History From 1948
By David Cain When someone attends the IJA Festival, the majority of the time is spent in the gym, where a sea of jugglers are practicing, passing clubs, or socializing. What few jugglers realized is that the IJA Conventions didn’t have a gym space until 1977. For three decades, the annual get-together was much more formal. Most attendees wore suits …
Book Review: The Art of Practice
Laido Dittmar, The Art of Practice: Same Effort, Twice the Progress, Any Skill (Available in ebook, audiobook, and print, 2026, theartofpractice.com) Reviewed by Eric Shibuya In 2015, award-winning juggler Laido Dittmar published Fast Juggling Success: How to Achieve Your Best in Progress. Just over a decade later, this expanded work goes far beyond juggling, as the system developed is about …
Every Known Existing Van Wyck Club
By David Cain (Author’s Note: I’m very thankful to Scott Cain for his enormous help in tracking this subject and allowing his research to be shared here.) The very first props acquired for the Museum of Juggling History were a set of three clubs made by the first retail juggling club maker, Edward Van Wyck. It all started with an …
Jump Rope Training: The Juggler’s Essential Guide to Cardiovascular Fitness
By Francisco Javier Rodriguez Bernal While strength training is certainly crucial, cardiovascular fitness is a physical imperative that no professional juggler can afford to neglect. The demands of high-level stage performance require a consistent training plan focused on both improving and maintaining endurance. A juggling routine or act demands sustained physical effort while manipulating various props and performing under the …
Joe Cook and the 5 Indian Clubs
By: Esteban Vélez. “…we must love our work so much that the time we have to be away from it hurts.” Joe Cook. Joe Cook was one of the most successful vaudeville performers. His name can be placed alongside artists like W.C. Fields or Fred Allen. He could do, among other things: sing, dance, act, juggle balls and clubs, …
Vin Carey – Juggler, Collector, Magician, and Clown
By David Cain Vin Carey (1898-1975) was a charter member of the IJA. He was a talented juggler, magician, and clown. He was also an important collector of juggling props and historical items. Let’s start by taking a look at a detailed biography of his life up until early 1965, which was published in the February 1965 IJA Newsletter. ****** …
11 Rings, 11 Jugglers
By: Esteban Vélez. “Purely technical jugglers reach their peak in their twenties. As they age, they survive by developing their personality.” Arthur Lewbel. Juggling more than 9 objects was long considered an almost impossible feat in the juggling community. Lottie Brunn, considered one of the greatest jugglers in history, said that juggling nine objects requires a lifetime of …
Bobby Jule Obituary
By David Cain It is with a heavy heart that we announce that Joe Pegnato, better known to the juggling and entertainment world as Bobby Jule, has passed away on May 31st, 2026. Bobby was the last surviving charter member of the IJA and was the headliner at the first IJA Convention in 1948. Joe Pegnato was born in 1924 …