Very few jugglers have ever heard of Ferry Mader. This is true for even those who are fairly well read about the history of the art. However, most jugglers are aware of one of the tricks he invented and would be astounded at some of his other feats. Ferry Mader was born Ferry Xaver on May 29th 1884 in Augsburg, …
Eva Vida – The Glamorous Juggler
Different jugglers are known for different things. Lottie Brunn was known for her speed. Ernest Montego was known for his grace and Kris Kremo for his stylish flair. Eva Vida was known for her glamor. In fact, many of her publicity photos included the words “Glamour and Novelty” on them. From her props to her costume, her tricks to her …
Blind Juggling
Many jugglers have experimented with juggling with their eyes closed or blindfolded, but there is actually a long history of blind juggling and a small group of jugglers that specialize in this skill. Let’s take an in depth look at the world of juggling without seeing (and those that pretend to do so). Faking It Like many juggling tricks of …
Juggling Child Prodigies
You’d never know it by looking at the floor of a modern-day juggling festival, but the existence of technically advanced child / youth jugglers was once fairly rare. These days, you can find 5 club and 7 ball jugglers in their early teens at many festivals. There are so many more resources available now than even 10 years ago to …
Summary And Updates Of David Cain’s Past Articles: Part 2
As I said in part 1, I’ve now been writing for eJuggle for almost three years. In that time, I’ve managed to research and write 64 articles, including historical pieces, interviews, obituaries, reviews, and anecdotal accounts. In the weeks and months that follow each article I write for eJuggle, I often learn more information about the article’s subject. In January …
Summary and Update Of David Cain’s Past Articles: Part 1
I’ve now been writing for eJuggle for almost three years. In that time, I’ve managed to research and write 64 articles, including historical pieces, interviews, obituaries, reviews, and anecdotal accounts. In the weeks and months that follow each article I write for eJuggle, I often learn more information about the article’s subject. In January of last year, I wrote an …
The Art of Plate Spinning
Plate spinning and bowl spinning have long been associated with juggling. There are multiple forms of plate spinning that can be done by jugglers. Some are very basic and can be learned in a matter of minutes. Others are quite advanced. Let’s examine the history and the varied forms of this ancient skill. History In China, acrobatic performances date back …
Interview With Joe Taylor
The Summer of 1987 issue of Juggler’s World magazine, which was the IJA’s 40th Anniversary issue, included an article on Joe Taylor, the first African American member of the IJA, as well as other early black jugglers. The write-up, which can be read here, chronicled some of Joe’s performances and background, but at the end of that article, it stated …
Ohio – An Important Birthplace Of Juggling and Jugglers
When we think about the birthplace of juggling, Egyptian hieroglyphics might be the obvious images that pop into our minds, and with good reason. Certainly the earliest evidence of juggling does indeed date back 4,000 years to the Beni Hassan tombs. However, many of the more recent forms of juggling and juggling tricks come out of Ohio, in the United …