International Jugglers' Association facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | IJA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1947 |
| Type | 501(c)(3) |
| Legal status | Nonprofit organization |
| Purpose | To enhance the art of juggling globally. |
| Aslynne Howes | |
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Revenue (2019)
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$211,458 |
| Expenses (2019) | $192,731 |
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Volunteers (2019)
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75 |
The International Jugglers' Association (IJA) is the oldest and largest non-profit organization for jugglers in the world. It's open to anyone, anywhere! It started in the United States in 1947. The main goal was to create a friendly place for jugglers to meet and share their skills. Even though it focuses on juggling, the IJA also supports other cool circus arts.
Contents
What the IJA Does
The International Jugglers' Association runs many fun programs and events for jugglers of all ages and skill levels.
Exciting Programs
- Local Juggling Contests: These are smaller competitions held in different regions. They help jugglers practice and show off their talents before bigger events.
- Learn to Juggle with Videos: The IJA hosts a video contest where jugglers create helpful tutorials. This is a great way for new jugglers to learn tricks from experts.
- World Juggling Day: This is a special day each year when jugglers all over the world celebrate their passion. Many local juggling clubs host events and shows.
- eJuggle: The Juggling Magazine: This is the IJA's official online magazine. It's full of articles, interviews, and news about juggling.
- Helping Kids Learn Circus Skills: The IJA supports the Afghan Mobile Mini Circus for Children (MMCC). This amazing program teaches circus arts to children in Afghanistan, helping them learn and have fun.
Annual Juggling Festival
The International Jugglers' Association hosts the biggest week-long juggling festival in North America. It's like a huge party for jugglers! (The largest juggling festival in the world is the European Juggling Convention, which was actually started by IJA members in 1978).
Festival Fun and Learning
This big convention happens in a different city every year, usually in July. It has been held annually since 1948. At the festival, you can see amazing shows by professional jugglers. There are also workshops where jugglers of all skill levels can learn new tricks and improve their techniques. It's a fantastic chance to meet other jugglers and share your love for the art!
The IJA also keeps track of official juggling records and lists of past competitors.
IJA Stage Championships
The IJA Stage Championships are the official world juggling contests. Jugglers compete for medals and prize money by performing amazing routines. These championships happen during the annual summer festival.
Championship Categories
There are three main categories in the IJA Stage Championships:
- Individuals: This is for single jugglers who perform by themselves.
- Teams: This category is for two or more jugglers who perform together.
- Juniors: This is a special category for young jugglers aged 17 or younger.
The very first world juggling championships were held in Los Angeles in 1969. Many talented jugglers have won these awards over the years, showing off incredible skill and creativity.
IJA Online Juggling Championship
When the world changed due to COVID-19, the IJA created a new online championship. Instead of performing live, jugglers submit videos of their routines. These videos are then judged by all the IJA members who attend the online event.
How Online Judging Works
Jugglers are judged in five areas:
- Juggling Difficulty: How hard are the tricks?
- Juggling Creativity: How original and unique is the routine?
- Juggling Execution: How perfectly are the tricks performed?
- Entertainment Value: How much fun is it to watch?
- Presentation: How well is the act put together?
This online event allows jugglers from all over the world to compete, even if they can't travel to the main festival.
IJA Numbers Championships
The Numbers Championships are all about juggling as many objects as possible! Jugglers earn Gold, Silver, or Bronze medals for juggling the most balls, clubs, or rings. The goal is to make the highest number of catches.
Numbers Competition Rules
This competition has three categories:
- Individuals: One person juggling.
- Duos: Two people juggling together.
- Trios: Three people juggling together.
The IJA keeps track of the current world records for these events. Since 2006, winners get a prize, and there's an extra prize for anyone who breaks an existing IJA record!
Other Fun Competitions
Besides the main championships, the IJA festival also hosts other exciting contests:
- Individual Prop Competitions: Jugglers compete with specific types of props.
- Extreme Juggling Competitions: These are for jugglers who want to try daring and unusual tricks.
- World Joggling Championships: This is where people juggle while running!
- Traditional Juggling Games: There are also many informal and fun juggling games for everyone to enjoy.
Famous Jugglers
Many famous and talented jugglers have been part of the IJA. Some of them include:
- Thomas Dietz
- Vova Galchenko
- Marcus Monroe
- Christoph Mitasch
- Manuel Mitasch
- The Passing Zone
- Thom Wall
- Sergeij Ignatov
- Anthony Gatto
- Erin Stephens
Even Ronald Graham, who helped create a famous juggling trick called "Mills Mess," was once a president of the IJA!
More Juggling Connections
- European Juggling Association: This organization was inspired by the International Jugglers' Association.
- World Juggling Federation: This group was started by an IJA member, Jason Garfield, to promote juggling as a sport.
- : This organization, started by Albert Lucas, encourages joggling and other forms of sport juggling.
