The staccato sound of juggling pins as they hit the floor doesn’t discourage the youthful performers. They simply gather up their dropped items and carry on.
Their gazes are fixed on each pin or ball as it crosses in front of their eyes. Some smile, some bite their lips, some frown, but all find juggling to be a fun challenge.
The sound of dropped balls or juggling pins isn’t the sound of failure to juggling instructor Marion Caldwell. It means learning is taking place.
Caldwell, of Evergreen, taught juggling and circus skills at the second annual Mountain High Circus Camp for kids in the Conifer area last week. Even though a week isn’t a very long time to teach circus skills, the participants took to juggling like ducks to water.
Caldwell also teaches juggling from 4 to 6 p.m. on Fridays at The Zone at Mountain High Christian Center, 8444 U.S. 285. The $10 cost includes lessons and open practice time.
A former teacher at Marshdale and King-Mur
phy elementary schools, Caldwell believes that juggling teaches more than just keeping balls in the air.
“If you break it down into manageable steps and teach them step by step, that’s how they will learn to deal with life,” said Caldwell, a juggler since age 10.
Caldwell teaches kids circus skills such as juggling balls, clubs and rings; the Diabolo, a popular Chinese yo-yo on a string; unicycling; RipStiks, a type of two-wheel skateboard; ball bouncing; and contact juggling, a technique in which a ball is rolled from hand to hand and up the arms. They also learn team coordination, passing clubs or balls in motion.
At the week-long camp, kids ages 8 to 18 learn about respect, focus, self-confidence and the courage to take on new challenges.
“What we notice is kids say, ‘Let me try,’ ” said Caldwell. “The adults say, ‘I can’t do that.’ ”
Caldwell said that adults can juggle, too. They just need to believe in themselves and try something new.
There are two rules at camp. Rule one is safety first; rule two is have fun. Along the way, the kids learn awareness and respect for the area and people around them.
The campers are taught by Caldwell, her son Ian and Rich Munoz, all of whom are juggle-masters.
Ian was taught how to juggle by his mom and has been a circus performer with Circus Smirkus, the Great “Y” Circus and the Midnight Circus.
“They can see the results of learning how to juggle. It’s tangible,” Ian said. “The next step is learning how to make it harder or to juggle more of whatever you’re juggling.”
Munoz lives in Lakewood and has juggled objects for 30 years. He said he likes being around people who juggle, especially kids who are learning.
“When the light goes on, teach all you want, but the kid has to figure it out on their own,” Munoz said.
What began as a whim in college now has turned into a life-long passion for teaching.
Munoz said that high self-esteem is associated with juggling, and his obsession was fueled by the reward of making objects fly.
“You are responsible for whatever success you have when you juggle, and that includes self-esteem,” Munoz said.
Shaffer Nickel, 13, of Bailey excels at juggling and now considers it a way to leave his daily cares behind.
“It’s a great way to relax,” Shaffer said.
Shaffer said he could juggle seven balls or pins — or anything — at this point.
“It’s the coolest thing in the world,” he said. “It’s not just throwing and catching; it’s a way of life for me.”
At the end of the week, the campers held a demonstration for family and friends to showcase their newly minted skills.
“A week isn’t long enough to put on a really good show,” Munoz said. “It’s not polished but is totally fun.”
Evan Van Auken, 11, surprised his mom, Judy, with his part of the demonstration.
“I didn’t know he knew how to do this stuff,” she said.
Evan said he’s willing to do manual labor such as wood splitting to earn money to buy more juggling paraphernalia. He said he’s hooked on it.
Shaffer, too, was motivated to earn money for camp and knitted hats in reggae-style colors of black, red and yellow. He made 20 hats using a “looming thing” and sold them for $5 to friends.
Caldwell sees that kind of motivation as the key to a challenging, creative and stimulating life.
“Find the genius in each child, and teach them by what they love,” Caldwell said.
This story ran in the June 30, 2010 edition of the High Timber Times
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