Have you ever visited a carnival or the circus and gotten a glimpse of a juggler? Chances are you’ve grabbed two or more of something and attempted the feat yourself, only to discover that it’s not as easy as it looks. National Juggling Day takes place on the Saturday closest to June 17th. That means June 15th this year–as the perfect time to learn more about juggling. [photo via flickr]
Juggling is an impressive physical skill that has been around longer than you think. The earliest known record of juggling dates all the way back to 1994 B.C. in Egypt. Juggling regained popularity during the Renaissance when musicians, poets, storytellers and comics would turn to juggling to entertain the royalty. In modern times, jugglers again became popular with traveling circuses and theater entertainment such as Vaudeville. Juggling continues to be an impressive form of entertainment around the world.
The most common form of juggling is Toss Juggling. Manipulating one or more objects with one or both hands, jugglers turn to props to perfect their craft. Props can be anything from balls, scarves, knives, clubs, rings, and torches. Extreme professionals have been known to juggle chainsaws for their crowd. Passing is the act of juggling with two or more people. Clubs are the most popular prop to pass and juggle with as the handle makes it easy to catch.
If one is looking to learn how to juggle, there are many options available. Internet based tips and tricks are one way to go but it may be best to have a professional help you learn. There are many classes available that teach juggling to beginners. Don’t worry if you think you’re too clumsy to learn. The first thing a class will teach a student is to perfect their hand-eye coordination and motor skills. A class will help to build your reflexes, timing and catching, rhythm, balance, concentration, and focus. Before you know it, your confidence will be sky high and you’ll be ready to entertain a crowd in no time. A student will work up to juggling with three objects. Once that skill is mastered, the student can move on to four, five, or even more props.
If juggling is something that interests you, a class will help you have a few tricks up your sleeve faster than you think. If you’re eager to sit back and enjoy the show instead, it’s the perfect time of year to visit festival, carnival, or circus performers. Juggling is a form of entertainment that never goes out of style–as you can see in these videos that go from the simple to the wild…
