IJA Juggling Championships

Known for his physical comedy style and hambone body percussion, Unique Derique has made appearances with such entertainers as The Flying Karamazov Brothers, Bobby McFerrin, The Temptations, and Sammy Davis, Jr. His television credits include performing on It’s Showtime at the Apollo, America’s Got Talent, and the Disney Channel. He has performed with San Francisco’s Pickle Family Circus and Make-A-Circus and is an artist in residence teaching hambone body percussion and circus skills with Prescott Circus Theatre (an after-school circus arts program) in Oakland, California.

I’m Shih Rong Huang. I come from Taiwan. I’m eighteen years old now. When I was seven years old, watching my brother compete made me interasted in diabolo. In the process of practicing for the last eleven years, I’ve learned a lot of new skills and become more and more fond of diabolo.

Performer Masahiro Kudo was born in April 1993. He started playing diabolo when he entered university. In 2017, he won the Japan Juggling Festival Championship and the All-Japan Diabolo Competition, becoming the number one diabolist in Japan. Since then, he has expanded his activities to include stage performances, art event appearances, and street performances.

Michael Karas attended his first IJA in 2004 in Buffalo, NY. Over the years, he has competed, taught, performed, judged, and coached other competitors at various IJAs. He has been a professional juggler in the New York City area since 2008, performing at iconic venues like the Apollo Theater, the New Victory Theater, and even the Metropolitan Opera with the renowned Gandini Juggling Company. He specializes in balls, clubs, and rings and has spent the last two decades inventing and sharing his juggling ideas. He finds true joy in integrating music, movement, and juggling and hopes to share at least a little of that joy with all who watch him.

Now 27 years old, Matan has been juggling for 21 years. A software engineer by profession, Matan fills all his free time with juggling. From attending juggling club twice a week, to volunteering for the International Jugglers Association Social Media and Marketing Team, to traveling and performing at festivals. Matan is a ball juggling specialist, focusing on high numbers technique, low numbers body throws, and elbow catches. He is excited to be competing on an IJA Stage for the first time!

Manuel Mitasch is the co-founder of Jonglissimo. He has won the IJA teams division three times and holds several passing world records.

Jeremiah began juggling in college in 2005 and quickly got hooked. He began developing a versatile skill set and innovative style that would lay the foundations for his career. His talents blossomed over the following decade as he finished college and worked with various circus troupes and juggling teams including the Poetic Motion Machine and Mountain Motion, both IJA medalists in the teams division. Since then, he has built a full-time career as an entertainer traveling the country with his wife, Kendra, in their beautiful Sprinter Van, the “Millennial Falcon.” In his spare time he loves educating people about the juggling arts, posting tips and tricks online, and teaching in person any chance he gets. Whether he’s sharing his talents on the stage or helping people discover their own, his relatable personality and infectious enthusiasm is a hit with people of all ages.

Manuel Mitasch, co-founder of Jonglissimo, and Moritz Rosner, a multiple world-record holder, are proud to present their first show together, “Elevate.” With their new show, Manuel and Moritz have found the balance between the aesthetics of juggling and pure technical skill. Carefully programmed to the music, “Elevate” showcases stunning visual effects, spectacularly choreographed performance, and highly technical juggling.

Intermission is a group of young jugglers dedicated to creating a cohesive, collaborative, and entertaining routine. Trained through Jugheads, this team combines technical juggling with creative choreography. Pulling inspiration from Frank Sinatra’s My Way and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s Jumpin’ Jack, the routine shows their commitment to all around excellence. Intermission consists of Kacy Chinavare, Miriam Drabek, Joseph Erickson, Danny Keuning, Kayla Malmgren, Rebecca Moore, Maya Nowak, and Ben Sneesby.