By Jesse Shavel 1. Less is more. If you do something with perfect form correctly, it is often beneficial to move on to something else. This allows your muscle memory to remember how it’s supposed to be done. I can’t tell you how many hours of my life I have spent trying to get a personal best when it …
Betty Gorham, IJA Member # 1
By David Cain Betty Gorham was born on July 26th, 1931. Her mother was an avid circus fan and would take Betty to all the local performances near their home in Davenport, Iowa. Betty learned to juggle at the age of thirteen, juggling mittens on the way to school. Doug Couden, already an established professional on the school assembly circuit, …
Harry Rouclere – Juggler and Magician
By: Esteban Vélez. Harry was a successful artist who created tricks and routines that revolutionized the world of magic in his time. Together with his wife, Mildred May, they became one of the most sought-after duos in the entertainment industry. Harry Rouclere Terhune was born on June 3, 1866, in Paterson, New Jersey. Before entering the world of magic full-time, …
The European Diabolo Craze of 1812 and the First Western Diabolo
By David Cain In November of 2025, the Museum of Juggling History finally acquired something for which we’ve been looking for over a decade. This is a diabolo that was wildly popular in England and France in 1812-1813. Known as The Devil on Two Sticks, or just The Devil (Le Diable), it was made of a single piece of hardwood …
Ollie Young and April – Vaudeville Diabolo and Soap Bubble Jugglers
By David Cain Author’s Note: In 2015, I introduced the juggling world to Ollie Young, an important and innovative juggler who had been almost completely forgotten. In 2025, I was contacted by an attorney who lived in Columbus, Ohio, Ollie Young’s hometown. He told me that his great uncle had been a very close friend to Ollie’s widow and that …
Juggling at the 2026 Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival
By: Esteban Vélez. The Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival is considered the most important in the circus world. It was created in 1974 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco to showcase and promote the circus. Advertisement for the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival. It takes place in early January each year and features around 25 shows, overseen by Princess Stephanie of …
Ollie Young and Brother / Brothers
By David Cain Author’s Note: In 2015, I introduced the juggling world to Ollie Young, an important and innovative juggler who had been almost completely forgotten. In 2025, I was contacted by an attorney who lived in Columbus, Ohio, Ollie Young’s hometown. He told me that his great uncle had been a very close friend to Ollie’s widow and that …
Old Man Lanling – the Juggling Swordsman
By: Esteban Vélez. Drawing of the old man Lanling juggling swords. The earliest records of Chinese juggling can be found in Chinese literature, where writers, poets, and historians recount the feats and skills of, among others, some Chinese warriors, mainly soldiers, who juggled for emperors, prefects, or authorities of the time. Although such feats are not confirmed, they are deeply …
Ollie Young – The Early Years
By David Cain Author’s Note: In 2015, I introduced the juggling world to Ollie Young, an important and innovative juggler who had been almost completely forgotten. In 2025, I was contacted by an attorney who lived in Columbus, Ohio, Ollie Young’s hometown. He told me that his great uncle had been a very close friend to Ollie’s widow and that …