LITMIR.BIZ

      Today it is the oldest genre of circus art and one of types of sport. In former times juggling was a prerogative of the vagrant troupes consisting of actors, acrobats and jugglers. These actors moved on open spaces of Europe and charmed a look of curious public. Well, and when from the middle of the eighteenth century in the large cities the first circuses began to open, jugglers, at last, found the haven. Approximately in the same decades their status as circus actors finally was fixed.

      Those who are interested in more detailed history of juggling with pleasure I send to books Dominica Zhando “The history of world circus”, Aleksandra Kissa “If you are a juggler”, Karl Hynes Tsiten “Juggling art”, etc. At the same time I will notice: as it is sad, there isn’t a lot of books describing this most fascinating kind of activity. Especially when compared with the amount of literature devoted to theatre, ballet, painting or cinema. One of the professional jugglers with whom I spoke on this topic, suggested that this was partly due to the caste of the juggler’s profession. Any caste protects the secrets and therefore doesn’t hurry to share the mysteries of craft. Alchemists, smiths, doctors, conjurers, skillful soldiers – on the whole preferred to leave the main secrets at themselves that is quite explainable: it was their bread, their way of survival.

      Nevertheless, already in the twentieth century there was a fundamental change of a situation. Juggling from caste occupation passed into the category more open and arts of a popular type. It should be added that in the world two new professional holidays appeared: The International Juggler’s Day celebrated on April 18 and the World Juggler’s Day celebrated on the third Saturday of June. Juggling was splashed out of borders of the circus arena, people began to juggle for a tone and own pleasure, to unite in juggling clubs and to hold competitions. Besides numerous clubs there were also such authoritative organizations as the International association of jugglers and the World Federation of Juggling. The set of colourful innovations was added to former classics of single juggling and cross over juggling (when several jugglers throw each other balls, maces and rings). This and popular nowadays contact juggling (rolling of spheres on a body and in palms), juggling from walls and a floor, power juggling (weights and kernels) and even team juggling by maces through a volleyball net.

      Till certain time art of jugglers of “three-subject teachers” which also arose in Europe approximately in the thirties of our century stood a little alone. Having been born from saloon juggling, it kept many initial traditions, of which work with a various requisite was main. Instead of habitual rings, maces and balls jugglers “three-subject teachers” used habitual objects in use there are canes, cigars, snuffboxes, cylinders, saucers, billiard balls, etc. A difference in weight, in sizes and a form significantly complicated juggling process, but at the same time made a show more fascinating.

      In the last decades of the twentieth century the world got acquainted also with more unusual types of juggling – such as: “Kendam”, “Fleyring”, “Diabolo”, “A stick of a devil” and so forth. To whom it is interesting, details and fascinating videos can be found without effort on the Internet. As far as I remember, personally I was struck most of all by “Joggling” – juggling with objects on the run. The combination of the words “juggling” and “jogging” just also formed the word “joggling”. American Bill Gidaz was the first, who had an idea to combine running with juggling, – and it was rather recently – in 1979. And also the first official record belonging to British Owen Mors was soon set. In 1988, juggling with five objects, he overcame a hundred-meter distance in 13.8 seconds!

      Honestly I admit, these figures just shook me as I perfectly remembered that I even in the best years ran a hundred-meter race only in 13.2 seconds, losing almost ten meters to the friend to the athlete who had result 12.0. Yes, upon we overtook Owen Mors, but he at the same time also juggled!!! Yes not three balls, and at once five!

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