Thom Wall facts for kids
Thom Wall was born on February 9, 1987, in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA. He is a famous American juggler and entertainer. Many people, including NPR, have called him "one of the world's most notable jugglers."
Thom is known for his unique juggling style. He learned his skills at the New England Center for Circus Arts and from famous performers like mime Karen Montanaro. In 2009, he competed at the World Juggling Federation's "Winter Blitz." His tricks were so new that the judges didn't know how to score them! In 2017, the Smithsonian Institution said Thom was an "elite practitioner of the craft of juggling."
He is one of the few "gentleman jugglers" left today. This style involves cleverly using everyday objects. Thom is especially good at balancing things with his mouth, which has made him very well-known. In 2015, a leader from Mexico's traditional circus school, Dr. Salvador Calva Morales, even said Thom was "the greatest balancer in the entire world."
In November 2017, Thom married fellow circus performer Chloe Somers. They worked together to bring back an old circus act called "bottle walking." They separated in 2019 when Chloe joined The Seven Fingers circus company.
Thom left Cirque du Soleil's show Totem in January 2019. He had performed over 1,500 shows with them since 2014. After leaving, he started working on cruise ships. Thom now lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He teaches Circus History and how to plan a career at Circadium: School of Contemporary Circus.
In the fall of 2021, Thom joined Cirque Mechanics' show Birdhouse Factory. In 2022, he returned to perform as a main entertainer for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.
Contents
Amazing Juggling Achievements
Awards and Performances
In 2014, Thom competed at the International Jugglers' Association (IJA) Senior Stage Championships. He used a traditional mouthstick juggling act. He won a bronze medal, which was the first time this type of act had won a medal in the championships' 67-year history.
Thom was hired by Cirque du Soleil in April 2014. He joined their show Totem. He worked with them for a while, performing in America, Canada, and New Zealand. He was rehired in February 2016 for their Japan tour. He even got only eight hours' notice before flying to Tokyo! After the Japan tour, he signed a full-time contract. He performed with them until 2019, then started his own show on Royal Caribbean International cruise ships.
In 2013, Thom was the first person ever to juggle six knives. This was a big achievement in the juggling world.
In 2014, Thom and Benjamin Domask created a new show called "The Dinner and a Show Show." It was a big hit at the Kansas City Fringe Festival. In 2015, Thom also joined the Celebration Barn Theater's new show, "Traveling Light."
In 2017, Thom represented American juggling at the 50th annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. He gave talks and showed the history of juggling. His show, On the Topic of Juggling, was a mix of comedy, educational talk, and juggling.
Also in 2017, one of the glasses Thom used in his mouthstick act was put into the Museum of Historical Juggling Props. The museum curator, David Cain, said Thom is "one of the brightest stars in the juggling world."
In 2018, Drexel University named Thom one of their "40 under 40." This award recognized him as one of their most promising former students.
Books and Education
In 2019, Thom published his book, Juggling - From Antiquity to the Middle Ages. It quickly became a #1 bestseller on Amazon for Theater History. Three months later, the eBook version won "Best Nonfiction Book of 2019" from the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. This book talks about the forgotten history of juggling. It looks at how juggling has been shown in art and writing around the world for a long time. It helps fill a gap in books about circus arts and theater. The book is even used in anthropology classes at some universities.
Circus Report magazine called the book "the most important literature review to exist in the community of juggling." The Spanish version of the book came out in October 2020.
Thom's second book, Juggling: What It Is and How to Do It, was published on August 31, 2020. This book is a detailed guide to learning how to juggle. It was called "one of the top ten instruction books ever written." It also became an Amazon bestseller before it was even released. This book is now used in occupational therapy programs across the USA.
In 2021, Thom joined the Board of Directors for the Celebration Barn Theater. This is one of the best physical comedy schools in the world. Also in 2021, he received the "Excellence in Education Award" from the International Jugglers' Association. He was the youngest person to get this lifetime achievement award in the organization's 74-year history.
In 2022, Thom was named a "distinguished alumni" by his high school, Ladue Horton Watkins High School. This was for his work in performing arts. In 2024, he received the "Innovation in Education" award from the American Youth Circus Organization / American Circus Educators. This was for greatly improving circus education through his books.
Thom's Education
Thom went to Washington University in St. Louis. He earned a degree in Germanic Languages and Literatures. He loved how many different languages he could study there. He learned Spanish, Portuguese, German, Arabic, and ESL. He can speak Spanish and Arabic and has taught workshops in both languages. He also has teaching certificates from Cambridge University.
He also has a master's degree in Nonprofit Arts Administration from Drexel University. His studies focused on how non-profit circus groups in the United States are branded. In 2012, Thom was part of a special program at the New England Center for Circus Arts. There, he trained in juggling and hoop diving.
Helping the Community
Thom was on the board of directors for the International Jugglers' Association from 2009 to 2013. During this time, he helped create a new international competition. He also helped start eJuggle, the IJA's online magazine. He began the IJA's yearly Video Tutorial Contest, which has given hundreds of hours of free juggling lessons online.
Many jugglers say Thom helped turn the International Jugglers' Association around. His work with online learning, reaching out globally, and new benefits for members helped the 70-year-old organization gain many new members and become financially stable. His work with the IJA inspired him to get his master's degree in Nonprofit Arts Administration.
In 2020, Thom became an MLA Field Bibliographer. He helped the organization create its first list of circus arts books and articles. Thom has also coached many well-known jugglers, including Sam Malcolm, Benjamin Domask, and Tony Steinbach.
In 2021, Thom received the "Excellence in Education" award from the International Jugglers' Association. This honor was even recognized by the state of Pennsylvania. Senators Bob Casey and Patrick Toomey raised the US flag over the Capitol Building to celebrate his achievement.
Thom says he is "just grateful to preserve people's life's work" through his books. He also donates books when he performs for schools and other community groups. Since 2021, Thom has been a member of the board of directors for the Celebration Barn Theater.
International Recognition
Global Performances and Honors
In 2014, Thom competed at the Zelta Karlis circus festival in Riga, Latvia. He won the "People's Choice" award. This award is given to the act that the Latvian people enjoy the most.
In 2015, Thom was invited to perform at the 3rd annual Festival Universario de Circo in Puebla, Mexico. This festival is held at La Universidad Mesoamericana, which has Mexico's traditional circus school. At the end of the festival, he received the Crotalus Scholaris Medal. This is the highest award the university offers. The chancellor said the award was to "indelibly recognize Thomas Wall's work as a juggler."
In 2017, Thom was invited to teach a fifteen-hour workshop at the Periplo International Circus Festival in Guadalajara, Mexico. He also performed his new one-man show, On the Topic of Juggling, for the first time there.
In 2019, Thom was invited to the Zelka circus festival in Lublin, Poland. He presented his show On the Topic of Juggling at Poland's national juggling festival.
In 2021, Thom received the "Excellence in Education" award from the International Jugglers' Association. In 2024, he was awarded the "Innovation in Education" award by the American Youth Circus Organization / American Circus Educators.
Awards
- "Innovation in Education" - American Youth Circus Organization / American Circus Educators - 2024
- "Distinguished Alumni" - Ladue Horton Watkins High School - 2022
- "Excellence in Education" award - International Jugglers' Association - 2021
- Best Nonfiction Book of 2019 - Next Generation Indie Book Awards (ebook)
- Top 40 Jugglers of the Year 2019 (#26)
- 40 under 40 - Drexel University - 2018
- Top 40 Jugglers of the Year 2018 (#30)
- Top 40 Jugglers of the Year 2017 (#20)
- 1st place, three ring juggling world championships (International Jugglers' Association, 2017)
- 3rd place, three ball juggling world championships (International Jugglers' Association, 2017)
- Top 40 Jugglers of the Year 2016 (#30)
- Crotalus Scholaris Medal - Universidad Mesoamericana (Puebla, Mexico) - 2015
- Top 40 Jugglers of the Year 2015 (#31)
- People's Choice - Riga International Circus Festival (Riga, Latvia, 2015)
- Top 40 Jugglers of the Year 2014 (#22)
- Top 40 Jugglers of the Year 2013 (#27)
- 3rd place, World Juggling Championships (International Jugglers' Association, 2014)
- Best of the Fringe, "the 'Dinner and a Show' Show" (Kansas City Fringe Festival 2014)
- Judy Finelli Award for "Most Inspirational Juggler of the Year" (Humboldt Circus, 2013)
- Top 40 Jugglers of the Year 2012 (#23)
- 2nd place, World Juggling Championships (International Jugglers' Association, 2012)
- Top 40 Jugglers of the Year 2011 (#31)
- 1st place, three ball juggling world championships (International Jugglers' Association, 2011)
- 2nd place, three-person team club passing with teammates Peter Kaseman and Doug Sayers (International Jugglers' Association, 2011)
- Top 40 Jugglers of the Year 2010 (#24)
- 1st place, three ball juggling world championships (International Jugglers' Association, 2010)
- Winner, eXtreme Juggling competition, four ball category (International Jugglers' Association, 2010)
- 1st place, three-person team club passing with teammates Peter Kaseman and Doug Sayers (International Jugglers' Association, 2010)
- 2nd place, three-person team club passing with teammates Peter Kaseman and Alan Thompson (International Jugglers' Association, 2009)
- 1st place, three-person team club passing with teammates Alan Thompson and Carey Wagoner (International Jugglers' Association, 2008)
