Can’t Juggle? Don’t Throw Up Hands

Most people stare at a good juggler in rapt fascination, never believing they might be able to duplicate the tricks, says juggling guru Jahnathon Whitfield. Actually, juggling is not magic, he said, but a few simple techniques that anyone can learn.

Whitfield, who is about to launch a juggling site on the World Wide Web, is one of the county’s most prolific teachers and performers of the ancient art. At 39, Whitfield has spent 15 years honing his craft and regularly visits classrooms, libraries, senior centers, youth groups and other organizations.

The benefits of juggling “go way beyond what you would think at first, like hand-eye coordination,” Whitfield said. “Juggling can also assist reading skills, develop dexterity, timing, rhythm and a sense of self-confidence.”

With the Orange Jugglers, a local band of about 50 juggling enthusiasts, Whitfield occasionally presents free demonstrations and games, such as a recent event at Community Park in his hometown of Modjeska Canyon.

“It’s a fun thing to do for everybody that’s involved with it,” he said. “The best part is jumping over those personal boundaries that say, ‘It’s too amazing, I can’t do it.’ People really surprise themselves.”

Juggling has four basic patterns that can be varied, Whitfield said. He uses weighted, colored scarves for beginning students learning the basics: The cascade, a crossing pattern; the reverse cascade; columns, which consists of an up-and-down-rotation; and the shower, where objects are thrown in a circle.

Jugglers progress to beanbags, balls, clubs and just about anything else, said Whitfield, who has performed for years at Laguna Beach’s annual Sawdust Festival. “There’s always another prop to explore,” he said.

Whitfield teaches classes through the Newport Beach Parks and Recreation Department, (714) 644-3152.

For other information on juggling, call Whitfield’s company, California Juggling and Evolutionary Toys: (714) 649-3110 or (800) 300-JUGL.