(Haz clic aquí para español.) The Soviet circus was characterized by taking deadly tricks to unimaginable levels. Not only in juggling, but also in acrobatics, gymnastics, clown, and animal training (a practice that is now prohibited in several countries around the world). When thinking about the great feats of Soviet juggling, familiar names such as Alexander Kiss, Sergey Ignatov, Eugene …
Not Your Average Juggling Clubs: Part 1
There is no prop more closely associated with juggling than the club. Balls are common objects and rings are not easily recognized by the general public as a juggling prop. Despite the club appearing after the use of balls (by thousands of years) and rings (by four or five decades, at least), it is the most iconic prop. It has …
Our Lady’s Juggler
(Haz clic aquí para español.) Le Jongleur de Notre Dame, or in its English translation, Our Lady’s Juggler, is a religious tale by the French writer Anatoli France (1844-1924) first published in 1890 and included in the 1892 collection of short stories. The tale was inspired by an ancient medieval legend. His story aroused the fascination of society for which …
The History and Development of Kick Ups With Clubs
Kick ups with clubs have long been a popular trick with jugglers and audiences. The first juggler to perform kick ups was Ollie Young of Columbus, Ohio. Ollie (1875 – 1946) was performing kick ups and other complex club tricks by the mid 1890s, making him one of the first club jugglers to perform advanced tricks with the props. He …
Three Curiosities of Juggling
(Haz clic aquí para español.) The vast majority of juggling information is in English. This factor has been decisive for the Spanish-speaking juggling community to be unaware of the breadth of juggling. A couple of sites, including my posting space at the IJA, have helped convey information to Spanish-speaking jugglers. To them, and to the community in general, I bring …
Kris Kremo – A Video Collection
(日本語はこちら) Continuing his family’s long tradition as world class performers, Kris Kremo’s over fifty-year career as a top-flight juggler has cemented his own legacy. Born in 1951 in Paris, Kris (Kristian) is the son of famed Swiss juggler Bela Kremo and his wife Marianne. Growing up, Kris attended school in Switzerland and spent summers with his father wherever he was …
Statement by Massimiliano Truzzi
(Haz clic aquí para español.) Truzzi is considered one of the best jugglers in history. His name has even appeared just below the great Rastelli. He was born in Lodz, Poland, on December 4, 1903. He learned to juggle under the tutelage of his father, an equestrian juggler, and Enrico Rastelli. He came to the United States in 1940 to …
Review of Wes Peden’s Rollercoaster at IJA 76
His name is Wes. He likes pretzels. And his juggling is unlike anything you’ve seen before. Part contemporary circus show, part tribute to thrill rides, and entirely an exploration of objects and their possibilities, Wes Peden performed his solo juggling show Rollercoaster twice on Friday, July 21st at the 76th annual IJA festival in South Bend, Indiana. Upon entering the …
Novel Juggling Ideas From The Past
(日本語はこちら) The following ideas, gags, and tricks come from the Jugglers’ Bulletin, which was published in the 1940s by Roger Montandon. Roger very kindly gave me permission to use any of his Jugglers’ Bulletin content in my writing before he passed away. Two Bobby May Gags We start with a gag from Bobby May that I imagine would look quite …