Also, in today's world of juggling, with all the tools you can use to self-promote, anyone can become an international sensation overnight. But you should really check out how those old-time jugglers became famous if you want to join them in the history books. Below is a list of the 4 famous jugglers of all time. Read it well and, learn from it, and use your newfound knowledge to become a legend!
1. Enrico Rastelli (1896-1931) -For those who knew him, Rastelli was the most famous and greatest of all the jugglers who ever lived. When variety was still the primary form of entertainment, Rastelli was one of variety's most celebrated and popular celebrities.
One of Rastelli's greatest publicity weapons had nothing to do with his juggling--it was his personality. His charisma and wit were deeply loved by the press as much as he was loved by his audience. Any young juggler needs to follow his lead and develop a likeable personality to become famous. You could juggle 100 balls at once, but if you're a jerk, nobody will like you or hire you.
Rastelli's unique acts became the standards which the jugglers of his time had patterned and compared their acts. Three distinct periods characterized his career:
a) he has inspired the Japanese juggler Takaschima, hence making this period as the Japanese style manipulation of ball;
b) in this period he wore a costume made of silk and then worked with rubber balls;
c) and finally, just as soccer has been gaining positive reputation, he changed his act again, and decided to juggle using leather soccer balls.
The good thing about Rastelli's different styles is that he knew when to change them depending on the fashion of the time, as well as in keeping up with it also. He made the record of juggling up to ten small balls. You can do the same by keeping up on all the new trends in juggling--Chinese diabolos, contact juggling, devil sticks and so forth.
2. Paul Cinquevalli (1859-1918) - Originally named as Paul Braun-Lehmann, got his stage name of "Cinquevalli" after running away with an Italian acrobatic troupe. His outstanding trait is making and inventing his own tricks that involved the manipulation of billiard cues and balls, umbrellas, steel balls, hats, and those that are not nailed down on the floor.
Right now his appearance and style may might seem dated, but in his time he was responsible for huge strides in the general public's appreciation for juggling. Promoting juggling in general (i.e. the guys who founded the Internet Juggling Database) is a good way to get a ton of exposure.
3. Bobby May (1907-1981) - His real name was Ludwig Mayer and is considered by a lot of people as America's finest juggler. It was in 1922 when he made his first ever professional appearance, he was 15 at that time.
After 3 years, together with a partner, they started working on the RKO Keith Orpheum Vaudeville circuits termed as "Joe Candy and Bro.-Comedy Mad Hatters." They a double juggling act in which Bobby May was the straight man. However, in 1928, May decided to start working as a solo juggler once more. He also began using promoters to get his name out on the entertainment circuit. This was probably when he took his strongest steps toward establishing a name for himself among vast audiences (perhaps you can learn from his example).
Moreover, the years 1930- 1948 saw the development of his career as he did things only the professional juggler can do. He even toured some parts of the world, an amazing feat given the ongoing World War.
One last interesting point about Bobby May was that, although he could juggle 8 balls, his best act was always with 3 and 5 balls, respectively. Just because one feat is more difficult than another does not mean your audiences will understand and appreciate that fact. They want to see tricks that look great, not just ones that look hard.
4. Francis Brunn - A writer once said that trying to define the act of Brunn was like trying to describe the amazing flight of the swallow. He was so fast and talented with his sticks tricks.
His act included first briefly juggling three sticks and at an incredible speed. He would then throw the last stick in the air, jump up, and deftly snatch it out of the air. This trademark, although not his most difficult stunt, was beloved by fans. Having a good-looking, exciting opener is a huge key to a memorable juggling routine.
Brunn became well known because of his incredible control. At times he would bounce a ball erratically at extreme angles, sometimes leaping to strike it with his head right at that unexpected and exciting offbeat moment. The use of his head also identified Brunn distinctly from his competitors. Creating off-beat, unique tactics is a great way to become famous as a juggler.
I hope you gained some inspiration reading about these 4 experts' lives and routines. Perhaps you can incorporate some of their tactics into your routine and become the next famous juggler.
