 www.juggle.org |
IJA eNewsletter April 2025Editors: Don Lewis & Martin Frost (ijanews@juggle.org) |
CONTENTS
- The importance of each other
- 2025 IJA Festival, July 14-20, Evansville, IN – Early Bird registration ends soon
- More reasons to go to the IJA festival
- Opportunity for youth jugglers: Club YJA at the 2025 IJA Festival
- IJA Board nominations open, closing soon on May 15
- Enter the IJA Juggling Championships – entry deadline is May 11
- Getting to Evansville
- Downtown Evansville Pub Crawl tickets available
- Last call for chapters for upcoming book on juggling education
- Michael Chirrick, 1951 – 2025
- YJA Badge Book
- IJA Board meetings
- Upcoming juggling festivals
- Latest articles in eJuggle
The importance of each other Benjamin Domask-Ruh
Hello IJA Community,
I had quite the trip to Colorado this April! It started when I attended the AYCO/ACE EdCon last fall. EdCon is a Circus educators conference held by the American Circus Educators Association. The American Youth Circus Organization (AYCO) and its branch, the American Circus Educators Association (ACE), work together to empower, support, and advocate for circus arts education and learners. They serve the entire circus education community — from young learners to professional educators — through networking, professional development, and resources that foster the growth of circus arts. And while juggling is indeed a part of the circus arts, there has been a historic low representation of juggling at the conference, so I’ve been told. It was refreshing to be around all the other educators of various circus disciplines. But that was how I got connected to the Salida Circus group in Salida, Colorado.
While I was there helping direct and perform in their world circus day production, I got to explore the town by way of my hosts for the week. I was shown the best sandwich shop in town (Sweeties) the coolest art space (Box of Bubbles) and, of course, their circus garage (where they store all the circus supplies.) It was there I met a juggler named Jesse. He was zooming through town on his way to a gig two hours away. We were introduced and got to talking. I could tell he was not only a very good performer, but that he also shared what all jugglers share: an eagerness to learn! He asked for tips on his 5 club juggling. ‘Let’s take a look!’
The pattern was already there with a few consistency issues. After a few 5551s and 534s and even a ‘popcorn’ (as I was taught it was called — I believe it is actually a [4x,2] with an active 2), along with the reminder ‘Breathe!’, that 5 club pattern was coming right along! He had to get back to his drive and we had to go to an open gym to train aerials and meet some other local circus-type folk. Oh how we tried to get him to join us! But, alas, with the long drive and the already lateness of the day … we said our farewells.
Well, who did we see when we rolled up to the open gym? Jesse! He couldn’t pass up the opportunity to say hi to friends at open gym and he was eager to continue the juggle-hang/learning and ability to pass! The owners of the gym space, Elemental 5, Joe and Lexi were semi-retired performers with some solid skills. After learning a few tricks myself from Jesse, and having a cigar box jam with Joe, we started passing clubs. A few things happen, as you know, when passing: Connection, collaboration, and community! Lexi, after finishing a quite aerial silks lesson, looked at the passing and was ready to jump in, too! We did a few 4 person passing patterns before it was time to call it a night.
This is when I witnessed the title of this piece: The Importance of Each Other. Jesse lives slightly isolated from other jugglers (being a 2.5 hour drive away from Salida.) Joe and Lexi are starting their business and raising a family. But things I heard and witnessed were statements like, “Oh I haven’t been able to do this for a while! It feels good!” and “It’s so great to get to be around other jugglers. You know how you fall into the same patterns after a while? It’s nice to get re-inpsired to try some new things!” and “Maybe I will have to make it to IJA this year…”.
All in all, it has made me think about just what the IJA means to juggling. How can we continue to support jugglers and provide them the ability and opportunity to connect and be with each other in positive ways? To empower jugglers outside the visible instagrams and stages and remind performing jugglers how important connecting with others is between the gigs (even though I know how easy it is to want to sit at home after I get off stage or attend to all of life’s responsibilities!)
I think this is why our annual IJA Festival is so important. Not just to attend… but to invite others to attend and join in the community that is so vital for our mental health and well-being as humans. Where we can share thoughts and ideas, and support each other until we can meet again. (I just registered! Have you registered yet?)
Speaking about thoughts and ideas…. If you have any thoughts or ideas you’d like to share, please feel free to reach out to me at ija.chair@juggle.org. As a member, you are always welcome to attend our board meetings by sending me an email for a Zoom link. Or you can see what the board discussed each month by reading the minutes.
RA2FJ,
Benjamin Domask-Ruh
IJA Board Chair
2025 IJA Festival, July 14-20, Evansville, IN – Early Bird registration ends soon
Afton Benson & Noel Yee – 2025 Festival Directors
If you love juggling, performing, learning new skills, and supporting the mission of the International Jugglers’ Association, we invite you to join us this summer in Evansville, Indiana! The IJA Festival is a celebration of everything we love about our art form — bringing together jugglers of all skill levels and styles from around the world. Whether you’re here for workshops, shows, competitions, or simply connecting with the juggling community, there’s a place for you. We offer a variety of ticket tiers to fit your festival experience — from full-week passes to day tickets — so you can choose the option that works best for you.
Early Bird registration closes on May 16, 2025, at noon ET. After that, prices will go up, so be sure to register soon to lock in the best rate.
This year’s festival promises an outstanding lineup of performers, including:
- Kellin Quinn
- Juan Guardiola and Eric Sipos
- Chris Garcia
- Cassaundra Smyth
- Stacey Strange
- Zak McAllister
- Kassaundra Morrison
- And a special show with the one and only Michael Karas!
About Michael’s Show “Useless”:
Note: “Useless” is a theatrical juggling show with both louder and quieter moments. While it can be enjoyed by all ages, the show is paced best for those 8 and older.
Do not miss this incredible week of shows, workshops, games, competitions, and community. Make your plans now to be part of the magic in Evansville this July!
More reasons to go to the IJA festival Don Lewis
Ever wonder why I keep writing articles encouraging you and your friends to go to the IJA festival?
It is because going to at least one major juggling festival is a developmental step in becoming a seriously better and more confident Juggler. Once you’ve been to one, you’ll want to go to more.
I didn’t learn to juggle until I was about 45. I had never even thought about juggling as a thing I might do. One day, by happenstance, I was in a bookstore and found the Klutz book promoted and on sale. I bought it thinking that I would just give it to a younger person some day.
I idly thumbed through the book at home and thought “could it really be that simple?”. It may not have been that simple with no-one around to demonstrate, but I did manage to learn a three ball cascade. Then I discovered a group of Montreal jugglers in a local park. They got me trying tricks with balls and got me started with clubs. Club passing got me seriously hooked.
My new friend Serge told me “Don, you’ve got to go to the IJA festival”. I couldn’t imagine such a thing. Me with my basic and tentative skills in a room of professionals? I did eventually break down and I attended the IJA’s 50th festival in Pittsburg. An amazing experience.
I learned a lot in that one week of workshops, shows, and Renegade cabarets. I had no idea that there was such an inclusive experience that had room for everyone from beginner to professional. Up until that point my experience with sports events was in competitive sailing and extreme skiing. In those sports you generally watch the experts from far behind and rarely get to spend time with them until you start getting up to their skill level, or pay a lot for private instruction.
Not so with juggling at the IJA. The stars that you see on stage at night are busy teaching free workshops during the day and helping out in the gym or just hanging out with the crowd. I thought I was privileged to meet Art Jennings, the IJA founder. He was a guy who reveled in being accessible in the gym and delighted in sharing his stories with everyone. He was a walking master class in American Vaudeville. He made a point of trying to meet everyone. He had a real skill of making everyone happy to be at the festival.
I may have learned a lot at that first festival, but more importantly I made some great friends. It is a delight to see them at every festival I can get to. The juggling world is special and the best way to be a part of it is to spend some time at festivals.
If you haven’t been to an IJA Festival, perhaps you’ll summon the nerve to go to a weekend local festival. There you’ll certainly meet some folks who will do their best to convince you to go to the IJA fest. Let them convince you! I’m certainly glad I started attending all those years ago.
Opportunity for Youth Jugglers: Club YJA at the 2025 IJA Festival
Benjamin Domask-Ruh – YJA Director
The IJA’s Youth Juggling Academy (YJA) will once again be hosting Club YJA: a community and workshop series for jugglers ages 8 to 18, held at the IJA Festival in Evansville, IN, July 14-20, 2025.
Youth interested in furthering their juggling and performance abilities will attend daily (Tuesday – Friday) get-togethers during the IJA Festival from 10am – 12pm. During this time, we will engage in youth-focused juggling and performance workshops led by professional teaching artists from the community and participate in group activities/games to build friendship and community.
This program is open to youth circus programs and families and will be led by Kayla Malmgren of R.E.A.C.H. Juggling!
Sign-up here to help us prepare for our festival this year!
While Club YJA will be a free program run by the YJA at the festival, festival registration will be required for all participants. For more information on the IJA festival such as registration, lodging, and travel, please visit festival.juggle.org.
For any immediate questions, please reach out to Benjamin Domask-Ruh – YJA Director at: YJA@juggle.org
IJA Board nominations open, closing soon on May 15 Martin Frost
Nomination are open for members of the IJA Board of Directors. Board members will be elected during the annual IJA Festival in Evansville, Indiana, with all IJA members age 13 and over eligible to vote at the festival or online leading up to the festival.
The IJA Board of Directors manages this nonprofit corporation for the benefit of its members. The board is composed of seven people, with elected directors serving two-year terms. Approximately half of the seats are up for election each year at the IJA Festival.
The directors are asked to meet in person at the festival. Each board member is expected to communicate regularly by email, must have web access, and will attend online meetings once or twice a month. Directors should expect to spend some hours each week on behalf of the IJA.
In addition, all candidates should understand that the members of the Board of Directors are legally responsible as fiduciaries in setting the goals and policies of the IJA, managing its finances, overseeing its employees (if any), and administering its programs. At all times, the members of the Board of Directors must act in good faith and in the best interest of the corporation. The IJA maintains Directors and Officers Insurance to protect the board and officers.
This is a great opportunity for you “to render assistance to fellow jugglers.” Nominate someone, including maybe yourself. That’s right, it is perfectly acceptable to nominate yourself.
Information about the nomination process is available at www.juggle.org/business/nominations.
The nomination deadline is 11:59pm PDT on May 15, 2025. Participate!
Enter the IJA Juggling Championships – entry deadline is May 11 Martin Frost
Now is your opportunity to enter the IJA Juggling Championships, the finals of which will be held on stage at the IJA Festival in Evansville, IN, on July 16, 2025. Total prize money for the competition is $4800.
There are three divisions: Individuals, Teams (two or more jugglers), and Juniors (individuals under 18 years old at the time of the finals).
To enter, polish up an act of five to eight minutes for Individuals or Teams, five to seven minutes for Juniors, and finish the entire entry process below by May 11, 2025 (in any timezone).
Potential entrants should read the IJA Juggling Championships Rules to understand the requirements for an act and how it will be judged.
Competitors who intend to use music in their act must read the IJA Music Policy to understand what music can be used.
Make a video for the preliminaries of one unedited single-camera shot of your complete routine, shot in landscape (horizontal) orientation, with live audio and your music (if any), making sure to satisfy the other requirements of the rules. Upload the video to youtube or vimeo using the settings listed in the rules.
You also need to pay the $25 entry fee and submit an entry form by the above deadline.
Finalists will be announced around June 10, 2025. Individuals and Juniors competitors who qualify for the finals of the IJA Juggling Championships will receive a FREE festival event package, and Teams will receive this benefit for up to four people per team. (Finalists who register for the festival with an event package before becoming finalists will be refunded the full price of their event package.)
If you have questions about the IJA Juggling Championships, please email ijachampionships@juggle.org.
Getting to Evansville Mike Sullivan, Senior Future Festival Site Coordinator
If you’ve never been to Evansville, Indiana, you might be wondering what the best way is to get there.
Well, with Evansville, you have choices! And not all of them may be obvious, so before you lock in any plans for your travels, check out these options.
Fly to EVV
You can fly to Evansville Regional Airport (EVV) on American Airlines or Delta Airlines. There are flights from Chicago/O’Hare (ORD), Charlotte Douglass International Airport (CLT), Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport (ATL), and Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport (DFW). Both carriers operate daily flights from their world hubs and connect to hundreds of cities on five continents. Check FlightsFrom.com to see the best route to EVV from your city.
Fly & Drive, or Fly & Ride
Some travelers may want to investigate options available by flying to either Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) or Nashville International Airport (BNA), then riding a bus or renting a car and driving to Evansville. Evansville is 127 miles from Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport and 157 miles from Nashville International Airport.
Both Louisville and Nashville are served by every major US airline, including discount carriers Southwest and Frontier. You can likely save a bunch on airfare if you don’t mind driving or taking the bus to Evansville from BNA or SDF!
- From Louisville, take a taxi to downtown (7 miles, ~$25), then take Miller Transportation bus to Evansville. Total travel time is about three hours and typical fare is around $60.
- From Nashville, take the local city bus (WeGo Transit Route 18) to downtown Nashville, then take Greyhound bus to Evansville. Total travel time is around four hours and all-in fare is around $40.
Explore options, routes and fares on Rome2Rio.com.
More info on getting to Evansville is on the IJA Festival’s Location page.
See you in Evansville!
Downtown Evansville Pub Crawl tickets available Mike Sullivan
Don’t skip the best way to start your festival week: with a fun and easy walking tour and pub crawl of downtown Evansville! Along with a casual stroll through downtown, you’ll get familiar with a dozen or more of the best spots to eat and drink in your festival home for the week.
The tour is set for 2pm Monday afternoon, July 14, 2025, and tickets are available at just $25 each. But space is limited, so get your tickets today in the IJA Store.
We’ll step off from the lobby of the Doubletree Hotel downtown, then peek into our juggling spaces in the Old National Events Center. Next, we’ll pop into the gorgeous Victory Theater, site of the evening shows and championships. We will continue with a leisurely walk through downtown with stops at the best local places to dine and drink, stopping for three cold pints and pointing out how easy it will be to stay fed and hydrated all week!
Not all the best places in downtown Evansville are easy to find! Your tour guide for the afternoon has literally “been there, done that” during three prior visits, and knows every nook and cranny around our festival venues!
The tour is just $25 per person, and includes three local draft beer pints at stops along the way and check-ins in over a dozen other spots close to our IJA venues. We’ll wind up at a local dinner favorite for an OPTIONAL group dinner with your old and new IJA friends.
So make plans to be in Evansville in time to join us at 2pm on Monday, July 14. Sign in to your IJA member account at juggle.org, and then click here to buy your tickets! You’ll receive an email the week prior to the festival with full details on our tour.
See you then!
Last call for chapters for upcoming book on juggling education Benjamin Domask-Ruh
Juggling Education in the 21st Century: Exploring the Art and Science of Juggling Pedagogy
The International Jugglers’ Association (IJA) and Modern Vaudeville Press (MVP) are seeking contributions for a publication on juggling education. This book will examine methodologies, techniques, and theories in juggling pedagogy and will feature long-form essays (3,000–5,000 words) and short-form essays (1,000–2,000 words).
To participate, submit a proposal no later than May 16, 2025. Click here for full details.
Michael Chirrick, 1951 – 2025
The juggling community has lost one of its best known stars, Michael Chirrick, following a recent diagnosis of cancer. Michael was born into perhaps juggling’s most prominent family. His mother, Lottie Brunn, was acclaimed as the fastest female juggler of her time, known for her exceptional speed and precision. His uncle, Francis Brunn, was also a legendary figure in the juggling world. Together, Lottie and Francis were discovered in Spain by John Ringling in 1947 and brought to the United States, where they achieved international fame . Michael’s father, Ted Chirrick, was a circus ringmaster, further immersing Michael in the performing arts from an early age.
See the full obituary by David Cain at: www.juggle.org/michael-chirrick-obituary/
YJA Badge Book
Did you know that the IJA’s Youth Juggling Academy has a book? It does!
The Juggler’s Badge Book is the ultimate companion for aspiring jugglers of any age! Track your progress, unlock achievements, and earn badges as you learn the art of juggling. With its engaging format and rewarding sticker system, The Juggler’s Badge Book makes learning to juggle an exciting and fulfilling adventure. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned juggler, let The Juggler’s Badge Book be your guide to skillful juggling and a collection of well-earned accomplishments. Start achieving your juggling journey today!
The Juggler’s Badge Book is $25 and makes a great gift! Purchase yours today! Proceeds go to supporting further YJA initiatives and advancing the IJA’s mission to render assistance to fellow jugglers.
Published by the International Jugglers’ Association in collaboration with Modern Vaudeville Press.
IJA Board meetings
IJA Board meetings are open to all IJA members and are hosted on Zoom. To find out the times of this month’s vision and business meetings, or to attend, please email ija.chair@juggle.org and say which meeting you’re interested in.
Upcoming juggling festivals
For a list of upcoming juggling festivals, please visit our friends over at The Juggling Edge.
While you’re there, visit their list of juggling clubs.
Latest articles in eJuggle
- April 29, 2025 – Michael Chirrick Obituary
- April 25, 2025 – 45th Annual RIT Juggle-In Review
- April 24, 2025 – Interview with Kevin Niittyviita
- April 22, 2025 – Two Mysterious Juggling History Scrapbooks
- April 18, 2025 – Another Interview with Paul Cinquevalli
- April 16, 2025 – Juggling Clubs and balls by Cote Velazquez from Chile
- April 15, 2025 – Connie “Paprika” Leaverton Obituary
- April 10, 2025 – Harry Sparrow – The Mad Juggler
- April 09, 2025 – Diabolo by Rintaro Yagami from Japan | IJA Tricks of the Month
- April 08, 2025 – Miss Okabe and Peggy Sun – Two Stage Names, One Juggler
- April 06, 2025 – Pocono Juggle and Circus Arts Festival in Lansford, Pennsylvania
- April 03, 2025 – Juggling Interviews Episode 13: Jared Athias
- April 03, 2025 – Nikolay Barzilovich – juggler, writer, director, and theorist of the Soviet circus
- April 01, 2025 – April Fools Juggling: Pranks and Fakery in the Juggling World