Diminutive Juggler Finds College the Proper Place to Practice His Sleight-of-Hand Craft

Bearded Jahnathon V. Whitfield learned to juggle objects by reading a book.

“But I wish someone had taught me how,” he said, changing into his colorful blue costume for a practice ride in the street on his 6-foot-high unicycle. “It took me 10 days to learn what I teach in an hour.”

Now, teaching juggling has become a career for the diminutive one-time flower deliveryman who puts on a razzle-dazzle show to students at schools, libraries, parks and recreation centers and junior colleges. “Most of all I like to teach young people,” he said. It has not been an easy career transition, said Whitfield, 29, of Santa Ana, who graduated from Orange Coast College where he studied photography.

“There’s only half a dozen of us in the whole world making a living teaching juggling,” he said. “I’ve put in a couple of lean years, but I’m looking forward to a fully-booked summer.”

He said he has instructed 6,000 local students in the three years since he formed his California Juggling Institute headquartered in his Santa Ana apartment.

Whitfield, at 5 feet, 4 inches, said he prefers teaching and questions himself on whether he’s good enough to be a professional performer in such places as Las Vegas. “I like to have fun on stage and provide humor while I’m juggling,” he said, “but I prefer to teach.”

Part of his opening routine is to tell his students and viewers “If you can tie your shoe you can juggle,” and then showcases a variety of props, including his three unicycles, while offering a brief history of juggling, which he says is 4,000 years old.

During that time he also introduces four basic patterns using three juggling bags filled with crushed walnut shells as well as colored handkerchiefs.

Besides the interest, “there’s lots of reasons” why people take his juggling class. “For some it’s been a dream to learn how to juggle,” he said, “and for others it’s a good form of recreation. To others it offers a lifetime activity.”

Whitfield is currently offering classes at Orange Coast, Fullerton and Saddleback colleges.

And teaching led to marriage. “My wife (Jennifer Ames, 24) was in the first class I ever taught at Orange Coast College,” he said, saying women jugglers are not unusual. “Almost half of my students are women.”

No matter what place she might have finished, Beverly Rodriguez, 17, of Cypress felt that the finals of the California-Nevada Lions Club International Student Speakers Contest in Stockton would be “icing on the cake” for her since she and the other three finalists had already won five rounds to get there.

“I felt relaxed going into the finals,” she said, and apparently that helped. Rodriguez, who plans to enroll at Stanford University, won the competition and the “icing,” a $4,000 scholarship, to bring to $9,250 the total she won through the competition, including $4,000 for becoming a semi-finalist.

All spoke on the topic, “Space Exploration--What Purpose?”

Talking about the older generation, Veronica Clune, 76, of Anaheim, who dropped out of school 60 years ago, always felt badly about the lack of a high school diploma. “Sometimes I’d mention to people I’d like to go back. . . . they’d say I was crazy . . . at my age.”

Well it wasn’t all that easy and still isn’t. “Did they have algebra when I went to school? she asked, pointing out she flunked that subject. “I’m going back in September and pass. By February I’m going to get my diploma.”

In between her studies, Clune is a giver and was just honored by the North Orange County Community College District where she is enrolled in the adult education division, for “outstanding accomplishment” as a “substitute grandmother” and for her hundreds of volunteer hours to a number of causes.

And while working as a volunteer, she said,” I keep dreaming about my diploma.”

Acknowledgments--Real estate salesman Dave Chamberlain, 28, of Cypress, who formed a human chain to save a Cypress women, 81, from her burning home, was presented Citizen of the Year awards by Orange County Board of Supervisors and Cypress Public Safety Employees Assn.