2015 in Review!

I’m writing this post from Buckfield, Maine, on my way to perform an evening of New Year’s shows with folks from the Celebration Barn Theater – a fitting place to reflect on a year rich in travel, eccentric theater, and cups of black coffee.

Four Countries

I performed on stages in the USA, Canada, Mexico, and Latvia.

Seventeen States

I juggled both professionally and recreationally in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, New York, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Wyoming, Florida, Kansas, and Missouri.

55,782 Miles

Shows took me a total of 55,782 miles this year – that’s enough distance to circle the earth two and a quarter times.

(…which sounds like a lot, but is actually a 14% decrease in travel compared to 2014.)

151 Shows

If you only count the run at Radio City Music Hall and season on the Celebrity Solstice, I juggled for over 500,000 people this year.

Four american circus performers compete in Riga, Latvia

Latvia

I participated in the Riga International Circus Festival this past January.  I learned a lot, including how to say “Caution: Predators” in Latvian (check out the blog post here, if you’re interested.)

I was one of four Americans at the festival – Lauren Feldman, Megan Gendell, and Nicole Burgio were all there as well.  Coincidentally, all of us trained at the New England Center for Circus Arts in Brattleboro, Vermont, where I now coach juggling when I’m not off performing.

Dr Salvador Calva Morales presents Thom Wall with the Crotalus Scholaris medal

Mexico

This Summer, I was invited to officiate the International Jugglers’ Association’s Mexican championships in Guadalajara, at the Periplo circus festival.  I taught and translated several workshops, and performed in wonderful shows.

In the Fall, I was invited to judge the Festival Universitario de Circo, held at La Universidad Mesoamericana in Puebla, Mexico – the university which houses Mexico’s national circus school.  After performing my glass balance number the second night, the school’s chancellor presented me with the “Crotalus Scholaris” medal – the highest honor the university gives.  What a humbling surprise!

28 Tricks!

Every year, I film a birthday video – one new trick for every year I’ve been alive.  It’s a nice way to encourage myself to keep learning new skills, and a nice way to document what I’ve been working on over the course of a year.

Here’s the most recent video in the series!  This past year, the biggest project for me was headbounce – that’s juggling while bouncing a ball on the forehead.  You’ll see a lot of that in here, as well as a few other fun stunts and techniques!

Planning for my 29th birthday is already well underway… be on the lookout for a new upload on February 9th, 2016!

(…want a sneak peek in the meantime?  Here’s a little something I’ve been working on.  Shh!)

News and Recognition

The Brattleboro Reformer picked up on the Crotalus Scholaris story, and wrote a nice article about the award and my work.  You can see the article – and an album of photos by Kris Radder – here!

In the weeks following the article, I also received congratulatory letters from Vermont State Governor Peter Schumlin, Former President George W. Bush, and Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak (yep, really.)

Residency at the Celebration Barn

I was one of a handful of artists selected for a show incubation residency at the Celebration Barn Theater in South Paris, Maine.  The Barn is a converted horse barn in the woods of Maine, and is the nexus for devised and variety theater in the US.

This week, I explored possibilities with a teaset and wrote an eight minute manipulation piece about making a cup of tea.  I worked closely with Fritz Grobe in the creation of this number, and am excited to keep refining it through the new year!

You can read about the Barn in this recent article in the Bangor Daily News.

Traveling Light

Once again at the Celebration Barn – this time with Fritz Grobe, Shane Miclon, Colin Miclon, Marjolaine Whittlesey, and Becca Bernard – we devised a variety and puppet show called “Travelling Light” in September.

It’s hard to explain exactly what this show is like, other than it’s a tender look at death using puppets, juggling, mirrors, and lanterns.  We’re getting back together to expand the show in 2016, with the goal of taking it for a short tour sometime in the future.

Be on the lookout!

Radio City Music Hall

Sixty plus shows for six thousand plus people a night in Radio City.  Talk about a rush.

I was a member of the New York Spring Spectacular’s ensemble, juggling bagels and torches in some scenes, pretending to eat sandwiches in others.

If you’re curious, I wrote more about this experience in this blog post.

Dinner and a Show Show

Seven stagings of The Dinner and a Show Show with Benjamin Domask at the Orlando Fringe Festival.  This was our second run of the show, and the first run with some new plot development.  The show now has a love story and a few new juggling routines.  We reblocked the show to be performed in the round, which was a really unique experience.

The Dinner and a Show Show was generally well received in Orlando, and was in the running for a “Best of the Fringe” award, which we missed by a hair’s breadth by local three-man show.  We did manage to sell out a number of nights, and had several families come back for second showings.  Not a bad week at the Fringe!

…At the end of the “Dinner and a Show Show” run in Orlando, we added my new ball balance transfer trick.  Here’s a video of the first time I’d performed this maneuver on stage – check that out!

Finally, Paddleball is Interesting Again!

Chloe Walier and I wrote an acrobatics act for NECCA’s big fundraiser this year.  It was well recieved in Brattleboro, and we were later invited to perform the act in Guadalajara, Mexico at the Periplo International Circus Festival.  Definitely a way to get out of the comfort zone, performing an acrobatics number on stage!

Top 40 Jugglers – #30

2015 was  my sixth consecutive year on Luke Burrage’s “Top 40 Jugglers of the year” – a juggling community poll that ranks jugglers’ popularity in the field.

2016 Demo Reel

And, finally!  Here’s a brand new, hot-off-the-server version of my show reel.

Hope to see you somewhere down the road!

Looking to 2016

Plans are only just taking shape, but it looks like 2016 will be another chock-full year.

Among other things, I’ll be performing a new set at Busch Gardens Tampa’s eight-week food and wine festival in the Spring, hosting the Celebration of American Circus in New York City, taking time to train at the Cirque du Soleil headquarters in Montreal, and act as head juggling coach for the 2016 creation by Circus Smirkus.

You can keep tabs on me by checking out my 2016 Tour Schedule or by following me on Facebook.