For thousands of years jugglers have delighted audiences with amazing balancing acts and feats of dexterity. The most common form of juggling involves tossing and catching items such as balls, plates, or rings. This form of juggling involves throwing an object in such a way as to leave the hand open to catch another object without dropping the first. Other popular forms of juggling include balancing objects, such as sticks, on the forehead or another part of the body, and spinning balls or plates. In contact juggling, a juggler manipulates balls so that they roll across, around, and over his body.
Evidence found in ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman sculptures, coins, and manuscripts indicate that juggling has ranked as a popular and highly developed art for many centuries. Indeed, the word juggler is derived from the Latin joculare, meaning “to joke.” Comparison with the ancient records reveals that although juggling has become more technically advanced, the underlying principles have remained the same. One early manuscript, for example, shows a bear standing on its hind legs and juggling three knives. Modern Russian circuses often feature bears lying on a small cradle and juggling a flaming torch with its hind legs.
In the 17th and 18th centuries jugglers performed chiefly at country fairs. In the 19th century the rapid growth of urban populations led to an increased demand for jugglers in circuses and music halls. These new fields provided a unique training ground for fresh talent and before long had produced such outstanding artists as Severus Scheffer, Kara, Paul Cinquevalli, and Enrico Rastelli, who could juggle with ten balls.
Modern jugglers tend to use fewer objects and focus more on a spectacular presentation—for example, juggling blindfolded on horseback or on a perch, high wire, or unicycle. One of the most famous modern U.S. juggling troupes, the Flying Karamazov Brothers, combines juggling with music and comedy. Other famous modern jugglers include contact juggler Michael Moschen, Anthony Gatto, Sergei Ignatov, and Boppo (Bruce Tiemann).