Race in Juggling 2: Further Addressing Inclusion in the Juggling Community. How do we continue to improve the ethnic diversity numbers in juggling and at IJA conventions. Are there cultural changes that we can make within juggling that can promote ethnic diversity?
You can view last year’s on youtube.
Ngaio Bealum – Moderator
Ngaio Bealum is an American comedian, musician, writer, actor, activist, juggler and publisher. He hosted the Netflix show Cooking on High, and hosts the trivia app Daily Bonfire. He writes columns in the Sacramento News & Review, and was the emcee for the Juniors’, Individuals’ and Teams’ Championships for the IJA Convention in 1995.
Sky King
Sky has been juggling for over 25 years and is also a professional DJ and songwriter who has composed for various artists and several TV shows including Sesame Street. Sky is a larger-than-life presence at many juggling conventions spanning nearly three decades including multiple IJA festivals, countless regional fests throughout the eastern seaboard, but also plenty nationwide, and a few abroad. She has been one of the strongest, most consistent African American presences at mostly White juggling festivals in the US, and a leader in New York City’s juggling community, as well as teaching juggling to hundreds of kids of color throughout her career.
Ran’D Shine
Over the past few years Ran’D has become one of the MOST sought after performers within magic. A few of his accomplishments include being a featured performer at the South African Arts Festival, two time A.P.C.A. College Magician of the year, performing at two Presidential Inaugurations in Washington, DC., and one of the few magicians to perform on Gauntanomo Bay Military base. He has appeared on the CW network’s “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” and B.E.T. network’s “Man on the Street” segment. In addition to his passion for live performance, Ran’D has also served as producer for “The Heart and Soul of Magic”, a magic show featuring an entirely African American cast of magicians. Ran’D is also the co-founder and past president of the International Association of Black Magical Artists, an organization dedicated to the history, cultural legacy, and fostering community among African American magicians.
Amy Chen
Amy has over 15 years of experience as a circus-arts performer and teacher. Amy began teaching in the Chicago-area with CircEsteem and Maywood Fine Arts Association, and in New York City with Cirque du Soliel’s outreach program, Cirque du Monde, and the former Big Apple Circus’ after school program. Amy currently resides in upstate New York where she continues to teach with Bindlestiff Family Cirkus After School and is renovating a historic National Guard Armory (aka “The Castle”) which will open in the future as a community center for arts education, creation and performance.
Eric Shibuya
Eric “Propfessor” Shibuya is Professor of Strategic Studies, Command and Staff College, Marine Corps University. He is completing his second term on the IJA Board of Directors, and also serves as copy editor for the Flow Arts Institute blog. He has been juggling for over 35 years and has taught for various juggling and flow festivals around the country. While primarily a juggler, he has very recently picked up dragon staff, rope dart, and cardistry. He makes his own russian style juggling balls at propfessor.com.