JugglingSubculture.com

Michael Karas recently posted an interesting retrospective about the juggling world in 2008. He also took the opportunity to write these inspiring words for jugglers as we look forward to a new year:

To my fellow jugglers – this is my challenge to you! In 2009, focus on discovering what you individually do best! It is our different minds working together that produces so much amazing juggling. The more you try to conform to someone else’s style, the less variety we’ll have in our art. Your style should be juggling you love, not juggling that someone else loves. What tricks excite you? What pictures do you want to create through manipulation? THINK about your juggling. Make goals. Try a new prop! Invent a new prop! Shoot your first juggling video! Go to your first juggling convention. Perform for the first time! Whatever it is, set some “impossible” goals for yourself this year. I think you’ll find that, if you actually put in the work, the “impossible” becomes graspable.

Click here to read the whole post.

Dube recently released two new juggling themed t-shirt designs.

Any juggler would be proud to practice, perform, or just be seen in either of these new designs which definitely step it up in the design department.

(Maybe the guys at Dube were inspired by jugglingfashion.com!)

Click here to buy the new designs.

I developed my juggling show in college. I worked on different skills, I practiced performing, and came up with a show that has worked pretty well for me over the last few years.

It’s a solid $200 show.

What does that mean?

Good question. Let’s put it this way; I feel comfortable that if someone hired me to do my show that I could fairly charge them up to $200. If I charge them less they’re getting a deal, but, given the production value, the skills I demonstrate in the show, and a few other factors, something wouldn’t feel right charging them any more.

But it’s a new year. And it’s time to increase the value of my show.

So, in 2009, my goal is to produce a $500 show. I imagine this will be a process that takes most of the year, beginning with an interesting thought exercise about what ads value to a juggling show.

Some of my initial thoughts:

1. Props: A $200 show can get away with dirty, old props that look like they’ve been juggled over rocks for 10 years. A $500 show would have clean, high quality props, that look like they’re kept in a hermetically sealed carrying case.
2. Skills: This is the difference between flashing 5 clubs and having a fully developed 5 club routine. It’s time to step it up a notch and put in some skills that could even impress other jugglers.
3. Production Value: A $500 show should have music, should have smooth logical transitions, should have staging of some sort, and in general look like a team of producers spent years crafting a solid piece of entertainment.
4. Shtick: My current show has some funny stuff in it. But it usually comes out off the top of my head. Although a $500 show would have plenty of breathing room for ad lib, it should also have a solid script that would be proven to reach all audiences.
5. Financial Investment: It takes money to makes money! What is a logical investment to produce a show that would be worth $500 a shot?

I know no one likes to talk about what they make, or what they charge for their juggling shows, but I appreciate you letting me open up like this. I’m excited about this challenge and welcome your input about what you think makes a show worth $500.