Juggling seminar at Georgetown Library went well

The Georgetown library asked me to do a juggling seminar in addition to my usual show this past Thursday. I ran one for about an hour and a half after my half-hour show, and it went well. I think it went well because we organized it well, and because it was not a venue where parents left their kids unattended; I think nearly all the kids had a parent in the room.

Plus there were several volunteers on hand to help with the kids, so I was able to divide the kids into smaller groups after a while.

The format I used was to teach everyone the basics of three-ball juggling, then set up stations with other props for folks to try out. I offered plate spinning, ring juggling, devil stick, and cigar box stations.

Some of the moms got into the act, too, and made significant progress towards three-ball juggling in just one session.

Doing a seminar/show at the Georgetown library this Thursday, July 12

I have a show this Thursday, 2 pm., at the Georgetown library in Georgetown, TX just north of Austin. The show is free and open to the public, courtesy of the library. After a half-hour juggling show, I'll be hosting a 45 minute juggling seminar. The show is aimed at ages 7 and up.

Spinning plates...an easy juggling trick to learn

I've done a lot of plate spinning in the past week or so and I thought I'd mention it here, because it's an easy juggling trick to pick up, and it might encourage newcomers to the hobby.


The essential thing you need for plate spinning is a trick plate. Spinning plates have a special rim on the underside and a cone-shaped indentation to help stabilize the spin.

Along with a plate, you need a stick....I use a quarter-inch diameter dowel sharpened on both ends.

Once you learn to spin a plate -- and I've seen adults and kids manage to do it after a few minutes of practice -- there are several tricks you can learn to do with the plates.

Some decent plate-spinning instructions can be found here. Plastic spinning plates are not expensive; many juggling suppliers sell them. Here's one.

My 10-year-old son has been having good luck learning to spin plates lately. Anyone with sufficient hand strength to hold a plate up on a dowel ought to be able to do it.

After you learn to get a plate spinning, try tossing it in the air and catching it, and then try flipping the stick during a toss. I like to hand a spinning plate to a kid to hold, and because it's a pretty easy trick, I complicate it by putting a kid on my shoulders, getting two plates spinning on sticks and having the kid hold them, then juggling with the kid on my shoulders.

Bastrop library show photos

Here are a couple of pictures from a show I did for the Bastrop library in 2004.

Cedar Park library: two shows this Thursday 6/28/07

June 28, 2007
Cedar Park Libary, 2pm and 3:15. Free to the public.

Cedar Park Public Library
550 Discovery Blvd.
Cedar Park, Texas 78613

Old World Arts Show at Ruta Maya, Sat June 23

I heard on the Texas Juggling Society mailing list that Connie Leaverton will be among those performing Saturday, June 23 in a kids' show at Ruta Maya Coffee House here in Austin (3601 South Congress Avenue). The show runs from 2 to 4 PM and it's a four-act variety show. Connie's show is always lots of fun. I'm not sure what Connie's going to be doing at THIS show....recently I've seen her do some fun things with a cowboy-themed unicycle act, where her unicycle is treated as a recalcitrant horse.

Old World Arts Show For Kids and Adults

• Belly Dancing


• Marionette Puppets


• Fire Juggling


• Music By The Just Desserts

Backyard Party Photos

Here are a couple of photos from a backyard party I performed at in 2004. Well, I call it a backyard party. It was kind of a mansion. The area where I juggled was the lower terrace of an enormous back yard.