Ronald Ssempijja
Ronald Ssempijja won the gold medal for juggling while representing Uganda in the IJA Regional Competition Africa 2019 in Benin, and the silver medal in 2018. He is also the visionary behind the Acrobatics Circus Troupe in Kampala, Uganda. Ronald has helped to create an explosion of passion and practice of juggling and other circus arts in Kampala. He has traveled to perform in China with his performance company various times.
I’ll never forget the first time I saw juggling. I was blown away! I was at a festival in Kampala as a young boy and I saw some jugglers from the Netherlands. I picked up some rocks to copy their movements and found my self delighted by the activity. I saved up my money and bought some tennis balls so I wouldn’t be scared about dropping them on my toes. Once I figured out how to juggle three balls I wanted to learn some tricks. I started going to town to use the internet cafes to watch juggling and acrobatics tutorials. Then I would bring information back to my community.
I have trained many students already and I want to make that just the beginning. With your support I am planning to uplift children in Uganda and other countries in need all around the world by empowering them with the skills to succeed in life. By helping the children succeed I am ensuring a better future for all humanity and the planet Earth. Thanks
Acrobatics Circus Troupe: https://www.facebook.com/actkatwe
Ariane Oechsner
Ariane Oechsner was born in Germany and grew up in Austria. Originally she studied applied physics at the TU (Vienna), as well as theatre, film and media studies at the University of Vienna. In 2013 she graduated from the professional circus school DIE ETAGE e.V. in Berlin and went on to do her master‘s in choreography at the Codarts in Rotterdam and Fontys in Tilburg (Joint-Degree COMMA – Co-Creation of Movement Master of Arts). Last she followed the course “Formalisation de Projet“ at ESACTO‘Lido in Toulouse.
After several years between Berlin and Paris, early in 2020 Ariane returned to Vienna, where she engages as an active member in several local art collectives (TRAP, SchloR, Töchter der Kunst etc.).
For the past nine years, Ariane successfully toured the world (Europe, Asia, Africa, USA, South America) in various artistic contexts (Cirque Romanès, CriticalMess by Stefan Sing, Jérôme Thomas etc.). Recently she focused on writing and realising her own projects (notably: “play nice“ with Roxana Küwen).
Ariane works as a choreographer, director and performer – focused on the non-verbal, aesthetic expression of movement and object manipulation. She understands her artistic practice as inter- (sectional) disciplinary: her current research interest explores the intersection of performative art and political activism.
Pen Zen
Pen Zen is studying now at the National Taiwan College of Performing Arts in Taipei Taiwan. He is also one of the artists of MHD Diabolo Art Taiwan which is the Diabolo Troupe where Pen Zen trained diabolo skills from.
His passion for playing the diabolo started as early as age 8. As a result of years of practice and dedication to his craft, Pen Zen has become a first-class competitor and star in this performance art arena. He was, even at the young age of 14, a Guinness World Records holder for 4 low leg orbit in the diabolo category. Since 2019 he started to put 5 diabolos shuffle in his routine on stage.
Also because of such difficult skills, we believe that his achievements and talents can be said to come from his strong willpower and hard work.
Jaqueline Calixto Paz “Kelly Cal”
Jaqueline Calixto Paz “Kelly Cal” Kelly was born in Mexico City in 1995. She started her self-taught training as a juggler in 2012; Subsequently, she attended various workshops and seminars with high-level jugglers such as: Patrick Elmnert (Sweden), Marco Paoletti (Argentina), Santiago Malabari (Mexico), Stefan Sing (Germany), Jorge Vilchis (Mexico) and Kyle Johnson (USA), Juan Felipe Santamarina (Colombia), Alvaro Palominos (Chile). She is a juggling teacher at the Institute of Attention and Prevention of Addictions of Mexico City and collaborating in social projects with Circo Volador. She has worked with people with autism, deaf mutes. She has been a workshop instructor in state juggling meetings such as: Proyecto Balam and Huladiccion, and in international circus conventions such as Guatercirko. In 2017 she participated in the International Jugglers’ Association Regional Competition winning the Gold medal in the women’s division.
Noemi Vazquez, aka “Mimi Hoops”
Noemi Vazquez, also known as “Mimi Hoops” I am originally from Tonalá, Jalisco (Mexico). I started practicing Hula-hoops in 2012, currently I have been practicing my discipline for about nine years. I am 25 years old and today I am professionally dedicated to the performing arts. I am also studying the Bachelor of Arts, Scenes for Theatrical Expression at the University of Guadalajara. I have participated in events such as: “World Hoop Day” 2015 (Guadalajar-Mex) a local event that we currently manage in collaboration with the collective Hulapea Guadalajara, “Guatecirko” 2016 (Guatemala), “FIMEX” 2017 (Morelia-Mex), at the circus festival “Periplo ”2018 (Guadalajara-Mex), participated as a national instructor in one of the most important Hula-hoop retreats in Mexico“ Summer hooping ”2018 (Nayarit-Mex),“ World Juggling Day ”2019 (Ecuador),“ Hulero fest ”2019 (Colombia),“ Fichó ”2019 (Guadalajara-Mex),“ Suspended scenarios ”2019 (CDMX- Mex). In 2018 I was one of those selected to participate in a circus creation laboratory called “LABariete” created by “Foro Periplo” during the celebration of its third anniversary. Last November 2019 my act “CIRCULAR” was selected to participate in the “5th creation contest” held by the FICHÓ festival every two years, in the city of Guadalajara. With my multi-hoop act called “AZÚCAR” I won third place in the IRC in Mexico (IRC) organized every year by the IJA (International Jugglers’ Association) in June 2017.
Alejandro “Pulpo” Marin
My name is Alejandro Marín and I dedicated to juggling for more than 13 years and my strength is the balls. I started with 3 balls now I go in 9 and my goal is to hold the 9 balls for a minute. I learned about juggling from a friend from school and now I am engaged in sports juggling.
Joe Fisher
Joe Fisher is a juggler from Tasmania, Australia. He has been juggling since the age of 6, and specialises in uncovering the inherent rhythms of juggling through his use of music. As well as solo work, he also directs, produces and creates for the companies Throw Catch Collective and PHAT CAB CLUB.
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