Mirror Man at Pinders Circus

The best costume in a British circus ring this year must surely belong to juggler Mirror Man, at Pinders Circus.

 

Review: Cirque Berserk, Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park, 2023

 

If you've been to Zippos Christmas Show (read my review here) you might have glimpsed a Globe of Death behind the curtains and wondered why it wasn't used. Well, the Globe is for Zippos' other show, Cirque Berserk, which is playing three shows each evening in the same venue. Yep, there are SIX circus performances every day at Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland.

Cirque Berserk was designed to be a high-octane theatre show (although it works perfectly well in the in-the-round setting of the big top). It has a completely different aesthetic to Zippos traditional circus style and the tent is completely redecorated between afternoon and evening - or, rather, completely stripped out to create the black box style backdrop associated with 'cirque'-style shows.

Gone are the Christmas lights that cover the king poles in the Christmas show. Gone is the ring curb, removing all barriers between audience and action. The ring doors (curtains) are pulled back, leaving the Globe of Death visible in the background at all times.

Gone, too, are the cheery Christmas songs, replaced by a percussion-driven contemporary soundtrack. Moody lighting bathes the edge-less performing area in hazy shades of blue, purple and pink.

The line-up of acts is also completely different.

What Berserk has in common with the Christmas Show is the amount of high quality circus stunts it packs into its compact, fat-free 45-minute running time, and the slickness with which it transitions between the acts, leaving not a second's pause in the action.

The acts in fact overlap, with one set of performers arriving as another leaves.

The show begins with an energetic display of overhead bar gymnastics. The routine is best viewed from the side where you can really see the guys and gal swinging around the bars.

No sooner have the gymnasts dropped to the ground and begun to collapse their apparatus, than a motorcyclist roars into view above them, with a trapeze artist performing on a cradle beneath him. The high wire artists' most crowd-wowing stunt sees biker and trapeze artist revolving around the wire, with him passing under it as she swings over it.

When the bike backs out of sight, Ludvik Novotny is already atop a platform centre stage, ready to impress with his rola-rola routine.

Another of the show's seamless transitions is achieved by a two-man balancing act (pictured above) performing in part atop a ramp and platforms that will be used by the BMX stunt bike trio that follow them.

The balancers conclude their act with a neat fall from a human pyramid to a pair of forward rolls and exit via an aisle through the audience as the BMXers ride into the ring behind them.

The highlight of the BMX routine sees a female performer lie in a star shape on the floor while a rider, standing up on one wheel, hops his bike around and over her, missing her limbs by inches.

It's a stunt reminiscent of an elephant stepping over their trainer's assistant in the world of circus past, and is one of those apparently dicing with death circus moments that really ramps up the tension in an audience.

Is the danger to the woman in this stunt really greater than that of the aerial artists performing on silks and chains elsewhere in the show? Or the daredevil motorcyclists circling inside the Globe of Death? It's hard for the audience to judge, but I would argue that it feels greater. We don't have the experience of being up on the silk while possessing the skill those artists have, and part of their job is making it look easy, rather than precarious. But we can imagine how it would feel to trust your safety to a bloke on a bike and how it would feel if his wheel and weight accidentally landed on your arm, or your stomach... or your head. 

I wouldn't like to lie there, put it that way - and it's that empathic reaction that really connects the performance to the audience.

On a lighter note, the tall Whimmy Walker and the 3-foot-tall Paulo Dos Santos make a great clown duo, entering on a bouncy motorcycle and a tiny bike. Their tramp-style costumes and absence of traditional clown make-up fit perfectly with the contemporary cirque style while they mix juggling skills with traditional slapstick. Paulo is a sometime Ringling star and Whimmy's great-great-grandfather clowned for Queen Victoria, so they both know exactly what they're doing.

Elsewhere in the show is a crossbow act and a couple of aerial routines with three artists in the air at the same time, the central performer on chains or hanging from her hair, while the other two perform on silks to either side of her. The result is much stronger visually than having just one aerialist in the ring, which is often the case with such acts.

The shaven-headed Alexandr Shpilevoy displays masterful control in an elegant, dramatic and accomplished Cyr wheel act. The act ends with him backing away into the shadows while his hoop continues to spin alone in the spotlight. It's a very striking visual image.

The show concludes with the ever-lurking Globe of Death being brought forward into the centre of the ring.

As I said in my review of Planet Circus (which you can read here), the Globe is not my favourite stunt. The fact that EVERY circus seems to end with one has made it too commonplace for my liking.

The one at Berserk is well lit, however, and looks good close-up from front row. The show also adds a couple of twists. A ballerina stands in the centre of the cage and lets one of the motorcyclists snatch a feather from her hand as the bikes revolve around her. Then, when the stunt riders have left, Paulo Dos Santos enters the globe on a miniature motorbike and roars around the inside while the rest of the company come out to take a bow.

It's a nice end to a fast-flowing show that crams 90 minutes worth of acts into 45 and delivers outstanding value for money. Is it better or worse than Zippos Christmas Show in the afternoon? The two shows are as different as apples and oranges and equally outstanding. Any circus fan heading for Hyde Park this winter would miss out if they didn't see both.

Cirque Berserk has shows at 18:00, 19:30 and 21:00 each day except Christmas Day until 31 December.

Review: Zippos Christmas Circus, Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park, 2023

Christmas adds its own magic to any form of entertainment, from concerts to romcoms, and the circus is no exception. Zippos Christmas Show, nestled within Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland, covers its usual fun for all the family with a snowfall of all the expected Yuletide delights: Snowballs, dancers in Santa hats, giant polar bear costumes, feel-good Christmas songs like Jingle Bells and Santa Claus is Coming To Town, clowns dressed as elves and even a climatic appearance by an enormous inflatable Father Christmas. 

To walk into any big top is a magical experience, a gateway to another world, but with king poles draped in frosty silver Christmas lights, and a ring backdrop of scenery marked Elf Workshop and Reindeer House, the tent becomes a grotto - you get your money's worth just by walking in! 

But London's favourite circus delivers more than Christmas wrapping and the Hyde Park edition is more than a sideshow to the surrounding Winter Wonderland. Zippos recently became the UK's first tenting circus to be awarded the Big Top Label - the quality certificate of European circuses - and it packs more genuine circus action into a fast-moving 45 minute running time than most deliver in a full-length show.

Immediately following the ensemble opening spectacular, football juggler Rafael de Carlos sets the bar high. The climax of his act sees him drop a ball from the back of his neck, give it a backwards kick with his heel onto the top of his head and from there onto the top of a ball already spinning on one finger, so he has two balls spinning one on top of each other.

The charismatic La Loka puts the circus into a jazzy song and dance routine by flipping onto her hands and performing an upside down tap dance. 

Speaking of flipping, the Garcia Sisters put on a stylish display of tumbling, with big squashy gymnastics balls as props. In the climax of their routine, they wow the audience by taking turns to perform a line of continuous forward flips and back flips while holding the balls above their heads and using them as springboards for each flip.

The routine begins with one of the sisters performing high in the air on a trapeze hoop before descending to the ground for the gym ball routine. It's an example not just of the versatility of circus stars but of how to seamlessly transition a show between aerial and ground routines.

Another example of a good transition is clown duo Mr N and Timoni coming on to 'clean up' the stage with a mop and bucket skit after the bubble blowing act of Joel Farias. Maybe one of them actually was mopping up some sticky liquid spillage at the back while the other came to the front and entertained the crowd with the head falling off his mop, allowing the removal of props while the show continued without a pause.

Vlad and Viktoria blend ground-based acrobalance with aerial straps (performed solo and as a duo) in an engrossing and highly skilled acrobatic ballet set to suitably solemn music.

In contrasting mood is the climatic skipping and tumbling act of the 11-strong Mongolian Warriors. Their tricks include a three-man-pyramid that jumps over the rope as one on one turn of the rope, with the top man performing a solo somersault above the rope on the next turn.

The sheer number of performers in the Warriors' troupe is important. A circus ring is a big space under a high roof and on many shows a succession of solo acts can appear dwarfed by it, making the bill as a whole look sparse and threadbare, even if the individual acts are good. Lighting effects often amplify the emptiness of the space, rather than reduce it.

A ring full of performers always looks better, giving the impression of a big production. The Mongolian Warriors fill the ring with life and colour and also considerably swell the number of people in the ring during the opening and closing ensemble numbers, adding to the party mood. 

Elsewhere in the show, the four dancers in their sparkling Christmas dresses, provide a colourful (but not distracting) backdrop to the tumbling of the Garcia Sisters - and serve a purpose, rolling the gym balls back to the performers.

At other points, the clowns and ringmaster Chris Barltrop remain in view at the back of the stage during the acts, reacting to the action - and subtly directing the attention and reactions of the audience. The clowns also lead the giant polar bears around. It all adds to the appearance of a busy ring and a big company, and turns a string of acts into a cohesive show.

The result is not only thoroughly entertaining but a masterclass in how to produce a traditional circus.

 

Zippos Christmas Circus is performing three shows a day at 13:00, 14:30 and 16:00 until 1 January.

 

Review: Planet Circus OMG

What makes a great circus moment? Sometimes it's a big stunt. Sometimes it's something funny and quirky. Planet Circus OMG! has both, and so does the Duo Stefaneli (pictured above).

I first saw the Duo Stefaneli when I was writing my book, Circus Mania. They were appearing in the Great British Circus in the year that it presented the last elephants to appear in a British big top. In an animal-heavy programme that included the tigers of Martin Lacey Sr, they formed the main acrobatic act, performing daring hangs from a trapeze bar beneath a hovering flying saucer.

In the book, I wrote: "It's hard to imagine a more thrilling form of entertainment than Stefan and Neli deliver."

So it was good to see them back with their flying saucer at Planet Circus this year.

The act seemed higher in the truly towering Planet Circus big top and much better lit, too, with lasers flickering around their alien-themed act.

For me, though, the true highlight of the show was their other act, a quick change routine in which the couple repeatedly changed outfits while momentarily concealed in a raised fabric tube.

Circus acts go in and out of fashion, and quick change seemed to be the flavour of the season on the circus scene in 2023. There were similar acts at Big Kid Circus and Santus Circus this year. The one at Santus was particularly well thought out, being staged as a couple choosing their outfits for a night out.

But the Duo Stefaneli gave it a special charm, thanks to infectious electro-Latin dance music and the couple's natural charisma. 

The climax saw Stefan tip an umbrella full of golden glitter over Neli's head. She twirled once in the sparkling downpour and was changed into a new dress before our eyes - a truly amazing illusion! 

If I were them, I would do more of that sort of comedy magic. Not only is it safer than dangling by an ankle and wrist from a flying saucer, but I would say it is a much more engaging, entertaining and memorable act.

Another of the show's most engaging moments was Lukinha the Clown using a balloon 'bow' to fire an invisible arrow at a balloon held above the head of a volunteer from the audience. With everyone watching Lukinha, only the keenest eyed spectator would have noticed German Wheel performer Krisztian lurking in the shadows off stage and reaching out with a pin on the end of a long pole to burst the target balloon at the right moment!

Speaking of little things that make a big impact, Jenny Glowacki performed an energetic cloud swing routine to a Celtic rock soundtrack. Cloud swing is another of those in fashion acts that every circus seemed to have this year, and it's a stirring act in its own right. What set Jenny's apart, was her spontaneous shouts of "Whoo!" conveying her unbridled exuberance at swinging through the air. She looked and sounded as excited as a kid on a park swing - and that level of energy was infectious.

The wild look on her face when she finally descended to the ground was a picture.

An element of personality and engagement with the audience is often missing from circus acts. We may marvel at the feats performed, but we seldom come away remembering the performer as a person. It's why circus has very few star names, individuals who would draw an audience in their own right. Throughout history there has been no more than a handful, and they tend to be clowns, such as Charlie Cairoli, or the present day's Danny Adams, who has been the main draw in the pantomime at the Newcastle Theatre Royal for the past ten years.

Performers like Jenny Glowacki and the Duo Stefanali bring a little bit more personality to their routines than most, and I wish more performers would.

A performer who combined the big with the quirky was juggler and strong man, Iran. Juggling hoops and clubs is one thing, but watching a man hurling three heavy car tyres high into the air is truly the sort of unusual sight that you go to a circus to see.

Not content with that, he then lay down while a monster truck with blaring horns and headlights was driven over his chest. Now that is circus!

The truck was a star in its own right. When I first saw the Duo Stefaneli at the Great British Circus, you could have your photo taken with an elephant during the interval. At Planet Circus, interval photos were with the big red truck.

Top of the bill was a Globe of Death - an act that I feel has been in fashion a few seasons too long. The first time I ever saw one, it was impressive. But every circus seems to drag one out at the end of the night these days. Even with five illuminated bikes buzzing around inside the spherical cage, like a bunch of angry trapped wasps, as we had here, I find it a bit done to death, and even tiresome.

Luckily, the huge height of the Planet Circus tent allows them to go further with a finale of motorbikes racing into the tent, hitting a ramp and flying over the globe, before landing somewhere beyond the ring doors. It's a truly heart-stopping stunt to witness at an indoor show and one that I think is only being done elsewhere at Circus Extreme (read my review here) as few circuses have a tall enough tent to accommodate it. 

The flying bikes justify the OMG! in the title, although I would prefer them to just have the stunt bikes and not the globe riders. Maybe they could do other things in the show, like jumping through a fiery hoop or leaping over the monster truck. Or maybe a line of them running over Iran.

The bits I will remember, though, are the Duo Stefaneli's quick change routine, Lukinha's balloon bow and arrow and Jenny Glowacki's "Whoo!"s on the cloud swing. 

Planet Circus OMG! will be presenting its Christmas Spectacular at the Lincolnshire Showground, 12 December to 2 January. For more info click here.

 

BIG APPLE CIRCUS REVIEW 'DREAM BIG'

Big Apple star Gena Cristiani

And so we head across the Atlantic - on YouTube Airlines - to the city so good they named it twice for a visit to the Big Apple Circus.

America's most fearlessly honest big top watcher, Showbiz David, was unimpressed with this 45th year production. Read his review, here. But he also hoped to see some other write-ups that might offer a different perspective, so I thought I'd give it a spin.

For a show titled Dream Big that stars one of the biggest names in circus, Grand Canyon-crossing wire-walker Nik Wallenda, this edition of New York's favourite circus has a decidedly 'small' feel - and not in the cosy, intimate sense. A procession of solo acts presented with little window dressing gives the proceedings a low budget look. 

Apart from a nice cylindrical curtain that encloses the ring before the show, there's no production to speak of. No special effects, dancers, glitz, spectacle or razzmatazz. 

Strangely, the show does open with a pleasing vignette that features all the performers in a kind of storybook or childhood dream setting. I say strangely, because the scene suggests we might be in for a story or a show with a theme. The strange thing, however, is that after that single scene, the director seems to have stopped directing the show. The artists simply come on, do their bit and go off, with nothing to connect them.

The short video messages with which the performers introduce themselves is a pleasant touch, but even that looks a little homely and amateur talent show-like. And given that this show runs over the Christmas period, where is the falling snow, balloons, Xmas decorations or even Christmas songs? Surely Christmas in New York is supposed to be a big deal, isn't it?

The acts themselves are fine. I enjoyed the juggling routine of Gena Cristiani (pictured above), a local girl from Queens, and especially her diabolo tricks with a couple of hats. I was also thoroughly entertained by a razor-blade-swallowing performer from Japan (whose name is sadly absent from the Big Apple's website). He also swallows and regurgitates a very long inflated balloon. Pulling out the razor blades on a long string is an old trick, but one with such a wince-inducing quality that it's always hard not to be engrossed.

There is also a cute act with small dogs, although in the current climate it may not be to everyone's taste. Speaking as someone who has often championed tigers and elephants in the big top, I'm surprised to find myself typing this, but I didn't find the sight of the little mutts walking on their back legs very endearing and in fact ever so slightly... distasteful? Blimey. Next, I'll be joining Peta. Just kidding, but maybe my tastes in circus are changing. Either that, or something about this particular act in this particular show didn't do the trick for me.

Perhaps I'd like to see a show that's full on with sawdust, horses, snarling beasts and polar bears sliding down chutes, or one that's all glossy and all-human. All or nothing, in other words. One thing or the other. This one seemed to fall between two stools with the little dog act - a relic from a glorious animal-heavy past - just making the programme look small, tawdry and old fashioned. 

Circus is all about tradition, but also eternal renewal. It shouldn't look like a tired shadow of its past, but a bold, bright, startling thing of today and tomorrow.

Headline clown Johnny Rockett (pictured left) gets a lot of ring time throughout the show, playing off of a diminutive ringmaster. Not everything he does made me laugh, but the kids in the tent absolutely lapped him up, and that's probably the main thing.

My favourite part of the show found Rockett swaying about on top of a rubber lamppost right in the middle of the audience. That's the sort of funny-scary up-close antics that circus excels in.

It's a rare circus that doesn't deliver at least one knockout blow and Rockett on the lamppost was the golden moment for me.

Nik Wallenda's high-wire troupe provide a solid finale, if not a particularly exciting one. To be fair, it's not the sort of act that translates well to watching on a screen. You have to be there, to see the height and feel the peril. The same is true of a lofty hand-balancing act elsewhere on the bill. But, that said, I have seen more entertaining work on the wire this year, namely by Henry the Clown at Circus Extreme. Read my review of that show here.

Over all, I have to agree with Showbiz David that this is a mediocre show. There's nothing wrong with the individual acts. But it looks nothing like a must-see attraction for visitors to New York this Christmas. And as one of America's most famous circuses, it really should do, shouldn't it?

Nik Wallenda and cast

For a behind-the-scenes journey through the contemporary circus scene, with reviews of circuses of all types, both traditional and modern, plus interviews with big top owners and performers from clowns and sword-swallowers to trapeze artists and tiger trainers, read Circus Mania - The Ultimate Book for Anyone Who Dreamed of Running Away with the Circus!

Click here to read the 5-star reviews on Amazon.

 

European Juggling Convention comes to Newark as part of Big Day Out

Roll up, roll up to Newark in Nottinghamshire this Sunday, 4 August, when the European Juggling Convention comes to Britain for the first time in 20 years, as part of the town’s Big Day Out.

The all-day event will include a parade of 2500 circus performers plus three acrobatic and fire shows, and street theatre.

Click here for 20 Juggling Facts to celebrate.

Australia's funniest juggler James BuSTAR comes to UK

To celebrate World Juggling Day, June 14, here's a picture of Australia's Got Talent star James BuSTAR, who'll be bringing his mix of comedy and record-breaking juggling skills to the Glastonbury Festival later this month.

A graduate of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus School in Albury, Wodonga, BuStar's show mixes hilarious audience participation with crowd-pleasing juggling props such as axes and bowling balls. He's also proved adept at garnering media attention by setting such obscure world records as the most raw eggs juggled while hula hooping.

An example of his humour: "If you're wondering what to get someone for Christmas, give them a fridge and watch their face light up when they open it."

As well as Glastonbury, BuSTAR will be appearing at the Gaiety Theatre, Ayre, from July 18 - 26.

For more UK dates, and videos of the man in action, visit his website.

Grab your balls!
For World Juggling Day

And for 15 Juggling Facts for World Juggling Day, click here!

20 Juggling Facts for World Juggling Day, 15 June, 2024

The Chipolatas
Read about them in Circus Mania

1 - The earliest depiction of juggling is painted on an Egyptian tomb dating from almost 2000 years BC.


2 - Comedian W.C. Fields began his career as The Eccentric Juggler.



3 - Ancient Chinese warriors would show off to their enemies by juggling before battle.



4 - George Washington watched John Bill Ricketts juggle on horseback in America’s first circus.

Sand-filled juggling balls
won't bounce away when you drop them

5 - Juggler Paul Cinquevalli was nicknamed the Human Billiard Table



6 - Bounce juggling became possible with the introduction of rubber balls in the late 19th century.



7 - Clubs are easier than balls to juggle on a unicycle because they require less accuracy to catch.



8- Charles Hoey was the first man to juggle with four clubs - but he couldn’t stop without dropping them, so the curtain had to come down while he was still juggling.


9 - Juggling burns 280 calories an hour.

The Melvilles show how to juggle with
the dinner plates in a great DVD called
Variety Turns of the Post War Years
Read my review here.

10 - Germans such as Salerno (Adolf Behrend) introduced the ‘gentleman juggler’ style that became popular in the late 19th and early 20th century, wearing formal evening clothes and juggling with dinner party items such as plates, bottles, loaves of bread, hats, canes and chairs.



11 - Enrico Rastelli (1896 - 1931) is considered greatest juggler of all time, being able to juggle ten balls at once.


12 - Jenny Jaeger is the only person ever to juggle with ten balls in daily performance.



13 - Antipodism is another name for foot-juggling in which the juggler lies on his or her back to spin and flip objects (or another person) with their feet.

Hoop juggling
at Britain's oldest circus building
the Great Yarmouth Hippodrome.
Read about the 100-year-old
venue in Circus Mania

14 - Foot-juggling with a person is known as a Risley act after the 19th century American pioneer of the style Richard Risley Carlisle.



15 - Britain’s first juggling superstar, Paul Cinquevalli made his debut at Covent Garden in 1859.



16 - Rings are the easiest prop to juggle in large numbers because they’re light and it’s easier to hold several.



17 - Scarves are the easiest item to begin juggling with.



18 - The International Juggling Association was formed in 1947.


19 - The word juggling comes from the Middle English word jogelen, meaning to entertain by performing tricks.

20 - Juggling is celebrated on World Juggling Day, June 15 this year.

For more about jugglers, trapeze artists, sword swallowers, tiger trainer, clowns, ringmasters and showmen, read Circus Mania - The Ultimate Book For Anyone Who Dreamed of Running Away with the Circus (Peter Owen Publishers). Click here to buy Circus Mania from Amazon.

"Circus Mania is a brilliant account of a vanishing art form."
- Mail on Sunday.

Grant Goldie - Juggling at the Thursford Christmas Spectacular

The Thursford Christmas Spectacular has been called the world’s largest village show and one of the best kept secrets in showbusiness - a £3m West End-scale production staged with a cast of hundreds in a huge agricultural shed full of the carousels, showman's engines and fairground organs of a Norfolk steam museum, the whole thing decked with so many lights it looks like an Aladdin's Cave. This year’s cast includes juggler and diabolist Grant Goldie who told me all about it:

Growing up in Norfolk, did you go to Thursford as a child?
I first went when I was five, and what I remember most was how cold it was. There was no heating in the barn in those days and you could see your breath. Luckily it’s a lot warmer now.

How would you describe Thursford today?
It’s a monster show, with so many people doing so much that it’s quite unbelievable. Everyone says, ‘You’re playing to 1400 people twice a day for two months? Where’s that - London?’ No, it’s 40 miles from the nearest dual carriageway! I don’t know how it’s grown so big, except that they’re obviously doing something right. There’s loads of room backstage with a big green room and a rehearsal area. The wings are massive, as is the venue.

How did you get involved?
A friend recommended me for Santa’s Magical Journey, which is a walk-through experience on the side. The kids meet Santa, then there’s a 120-seat theatre area with magicians etc. I did that last year, then this year they put me in the main show. The only restriction is there’s not much headroom for diabolo, so I do most of the routine on the D section in front of the stage, then there’s a bit to the side with more height, so I go there for a higher throw.

How does Thursford compare with your usual work?
I usually play international street theatre festivals, but Thursford is great, because it's like Christmas for two months. Even the houses in the village put up their decorations in November.

The Thursford Christmas Spectacular runs every day until December 23.
www.thursford.com

Jasper King
tries not to become a
burnt Chippolata
- a picture from
Circus Mania

For more about jugglers, including an interview with street stars the Chippolatas and how Gerry Cottle began his career with homemade juggling clubs made from lemonade bottles and broom handles, read Circus Mania - The Ultimate Book For Anyone Who Dreamed of Running Away With The Circus. It's the ideal Christmas present for anyone who hasn't been to a circus since childhood.

Click here to buy Circus Mania - described by the Mail on Sunday as "A brilliant account of a vanishing art form."

How to Juggle in Five Easy Steps for International Juggler's Day, April 18, 2016

Grab your balls!
And learn to juggle!

If you’ve ever wanted to juggle then International Juggler's Day (April 18) or World Juggling Day (June 20, 2016), is the day to start.

Juggling is great for improving hand and eye coordination and is said to improve creative thinking by uniting the left and right halves of the brain. Here are five tips to get you started.

Sand-filled Juggling Balls
won't roll bounce away when
you drop them

1 - Invest in a set of soft leather, sand-filled juggling balls. They’re easy to catch and won’t bounce away when you drop them.



2 - Go outside where you won’t hit anything with a flying ball.



3 - Practise throwing one ball in an arc from hand to hand, with your hands a couple of feet apart, just above waist height, and the ball reaching head height. As you get used to it, begin moving your hands in a circular juggling motion with each catch and throw.

Juggling
It takes balls!

4 - With a ball in each hand, throw the right ball in an arc towards your left hand. Just before it reaches your hand, throw the left ball to your right hand. Don’t place the ball in your left hand as that will make it harder to progress to three balls. Catch both balls and repeat until confident.



5 - Once you’ve mastered two balls, begin with two balls in your right hand and one in your left. Throw one ball from right to left. Before it reaches your left hand, throw the left ball to your right hand. Before it reaches your right hand throw the second ball to your left hand. Before it reaches your left hand, throw the ball in your left hand to your right hand.

Keep doing this and... hey, you’re juggling!

Jasper King
tries not to become a burnt
Chipolata
- a picture from
Circus Mania

It takes a lifetime of practise to juggle like Jasper King of the Chipolatas (left). Read his story and the stories of trapeze artists, sword swallowers, tiger trainers, clowns and showmen in Circus Mania - The Ultimate Book For Anyone Who Dreamed of Running Away with the Circus.

Click here to buy Circus Mania from Amazon.

"Circus Mania is a brilliant account of a vanishing art form."
- Mail on Sunday.

15 JUGGLING FACTS for the World Circus Day, 16 April, 2022!

Saturday 16 April, 2022 is the 12th World Circus Day! To celebrate, here are 15 Juggling Facts!

1 - The earliest depiction of juggling is painted on an Egyptian tomb dating from almost 2000 years BC.



2 - Ancient Chinese warriors would show off to their enemies by juggling before battle.



3 - George Washington watched John Bill Ricketts juggle on horseback in America’s first circus.



4 - Bounce juggling became possible with the introduction of rubber balls in the late 19th century.



5 - Clubs are easier than balls to juggle on a unicycle because they require less accuracy to catch.



6- Charles Hoey was the first man to juggle with four clubs - but he couldn’t stop without dropping them, so the curtain had to come down while he was still juggling.



7 - Juggling burns 280 calories an hour.

The Melvilles show how to juggle with
the dinner plates in a great DVD called
Variety Turns of the Post War Years
Read my review here.

8 - Germans such as Salerno (Adolf Behrend) introduced the ‘gentleman juggler’ style that became popular in the late 19th and early 20th century, wearing formal evening clothes and juggling with dinner party items such as plates, bottles, loaves of bread, hats, canes and chairs.



9 - Enrico Rastelli (1896 - 1931) is considered greatest juggler of all time, being able to juggle ten balls at once.



10 - Antipodism is another name for foot-juggling in which the juggler lies on his or her back to spin and flip objects (or another person) with their feet.

Starr Juggler
One of the stars of
Circus Starr, the circus that
helps kids.
Click here to read the story.

11 - Foot-juggling with a person is known as a Risley act after the 19th century American pioneer of the style Richard Risley Carlisle.



12 - Britain’s first juggling superstar, Paul Cinquevalli made his debut at Covent Garden in 1859.



13 - Rings are the easiest prop to juggle in large numbers because they’re light and it’s easier to hold several.



14 - Scarves are the easiest item to begin juggling with.



15 - The International Juggling Association was formed in 1947.

2nd Edition out now!

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