Jugglers of the past who did 9:

Pierre Amoros of the Werner-Amoros­Troupe (around 1905) juggled 9 small balls (4000 Years, Vol. I, p. 90).

Lucy Gillet performed with 9 small balls (4000 Years, Vol. I, p.223). She came from a French riding family, and used a kitchen scene.

Jenny Jaeger juggled small balls in performance as a young girl in the 191Os. 4000 Years (Vol. I, p.226) reports that she could run 7, qualify 8, and flash 9 and 10 in the show.

Bengt Magnusson reported getting qualifying runs.

Bobby May did 9 according to Bill Gnadt in JW 42.1, Spr. '90, though in the documentary by Lippe, May only mentions doing 8.

Massimiliano Truzzi at one time regularly did 9 in his act (according to his son Marcello in Natural History 12/79, p.51).

 

Historical note:

Chinese Acrobatics Through the Ages (p. 8), by Fu Qifeng, gives a reference from "Xu Wugui" (Chapter 24 in "Zhuang Zi") that "Yi Liao of Shin an juggled balls, and the conflict between two houses was eliminated." The author goes on to tell us about Xiong Yiliao of the Chu State. "Once, in a battle between the states of Chu and Song, the troops of the two sides were confronting each other in a fight at close quarters. Yiliao appeared in front of the Chu troops and calmly, in the face of the enemy's axes and spears, juggled nine balls at the same time. His superb performance stupefied the officers and the warriors. The Song troops fled helter-skelter without fighting and the Chu troops won a complete victory." This was either during the Spring and Autumn. (770-476 B.C.) or the Warring States (475-221 B.C.) periods.

 

Current Best With Ten Balls:

Dan Bennett 10 catches. (Was in Guinness.)

Ken Burke 10 catches.

Michael Ferguson 15 catches.

Jason Garfield 10 catches.

Anthony Gatto "I think I've gotten it around twice before, but I catch them pretty often now on the flash." JW 41.1, Spring 1989).

Albert Lucas two passes with squash balls "on a good day." See Guinness, or JW

37.3, Fall 1985.

 

Working on a 12 ball flash.

Alan Morgan 10 catches.

Bruce Sarafian seemed to have a good pattern in 1992, and has probably gone past flashing it.

 

Jugglers of the past who did 10:

Chinko ("The Eton Boy Juggler," born Tom Knox-Cromwell) of England c. 1900 is listed for 10 balls in 4000 Years, Vol. I, p.90.

Jenny Jaeger - Said in 4000 Years to have performed a 10 ball flash for a year, until her father forbade it because of the strenuous practicing required (Vol1, p.226).

Bengt Maguussen 10 catches (on three occasions).

Enrico Rastelli "was known to have thrown up ten for one rotation on an occasion in Russia." JW 38.4, Winter 1986-87).

Dick Richton "... it is said, did ten balls" according to Art Jennings in JW 39.4, Winter 1987-88.

 

Eleven Balls

Bruce Sarafian 11 catches with beanbags (several occasions, including on videotape). See the latest Guinness Book. He is also trying 6 in one hand, and is making some good attempts at 12.

 

More Information Sought On...

Frank LeDent is said to have juggled 11 (in an article from JW 34.2.)

Michael Rudenko (Ukraine) placed an ad in Kaskade No. 29 (3/93) looking for work as a circus instructor. "I work with up to 12 balls." Could mean rolling or spinning, but who knows?                          

 

Ben Schoenberg placed third in the first (and possibly last) IJA Intermediates competition last year in Fargo, and is the owner of a brand new mail order juggling equipment business in Portland, are. He prefers numbers juggling to juggling numbers, which he did most recently at the University of Washington, in Seattle. Contact him with numbers infor­mation at Ben Schoenberg; Portland OR.