Juggling is no easy task. It involves intense focus and dexterity and requires hours upon hours of practice. Brandeis jugglers can have a difficult time finding a space to practice, since outdoor spaces on campus are usually freezing cold and indoor spaces are full of breakable windows and breakable faces. Luckily, the Brandeis Juggling Club provides a safe and fun environment in which Brandeis jugglers can practice their craft.
Tobias “Toby” Reynolds ’19, vice president of the Juggling Club, joined the group to develop the juggling skills he learned in high school. Like many other club members, he learned to juggle before college. He explains that he did “some circus stuff in high school” and that he “wanted a place to practice and perform on campus.” The Juggling Club allows Reynolds to work with a group of enthusiastic jugglers who encourage him to improve. Reynolds sometimes practices his juggling outside, but most of his practice occurs at club meetings. At meetings, he can practice juggling with balls, clubs, staffs, plates and any other apparatus that club members decide to bring.
The Juggling Club is relatively small, with only about 10 members, but it is full of vibrant personalities with a passion for fun. The small size of the club allows members to learn at their own pace and to support each other on a more familiar level. Despite the club’s small size, members have a variety of skill levels and experiences.
Reynolds is proud of the wide range of skill levels present in the Juggling Club. It accommodates all levels and styles of juggling. Some members are first time jugglers with little to no experience, and some are more experienced, having refined their juggling skills throughout high school. One member can even juggle lit torches.
“More experienced jugglers usually teach the new people how to juggle,” Reynolds explained. “Different members bring in their favorite objects to juggle with and we all teach each other.” Under the guidance of the club’s seasoned jugglers, new jugglers grow their skill set and eventually become skilled enough to perform in the Juggling Club’s annual show.
The Juggling Club provides a fantastic example of the uniqueness and diversity of Brandeis clubs. Juggling is a spectacular and difficult skill that most people never get the chance to learn. The club provides students with an encouraging environment to learn to juggle and develop their skill set. They meet on Wednesdays from 8-10 p.m. in Usdan. If you want to wow others with a juggling prowess, you can join them.
