Beginning in sixth grade, all City of Lakes Waldorf School students regularly practice 3-ball juggling in Circus Arts class. Our movement and games teacher and circus director, Jason Burnstein, maintains the long term goal that every child who graduates from City of Lakes Waldorf School will be able to juggle three balls. Juggling will come easily to a few, can be attained with some hard work by most, and will be challenging and difficult for some. The hardest part is to persevere and not get discouraged if it is taking time!
When learning to juggle, the first thing each student needs is a set of juggling balls to practice with at home. If you don’t have juggling balls readily available, don’t fret – you can make your own! Click here to watch Mr. Burnstein’s short video tutorial.
Juggling Benefits for Students
Learning to juggle has many great benefits. Juggling leads to improved hand-eye coordination, bi-manual dexterity, focused concentration, goal-setting skills, problem solving skills, and delayed gratification. Teachers have linked juggling to improved academic skills, and research has shown that there is a direct relationship between the hand-eye coordination learned through juggling and the ability to read, write and reason. Much research has also been published on the positive benefits that juggling has on the development of the brain.
Students that learn how to juggle also find other skills easier to acquire. This is partially because of improved reflexes and coordination, and partially because they have learned how to learn. The process of learning how to juggle will carry over to many different skills in life. It can also lead to self-confidence and a heightened sense of one’s personal potential.
Please help to remind your child(ren) to practice and cheer them on. Ask them daily if they can learn to juggle…and make sure the answer is ALWAYS: “YES, I CAN! (even if it takes me a while).” And while you’re at it, why not teach yourself to juggle, as well!
Join Us for the Annual City of Lakes Waldorf School Circus
We are excited to present our 30th Annual Circus on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25, 2023 at the Music Box Theatre in Minneapolis. Featuring stunning acrobatics, juggling tricks, trampoline acts, and more—all performed by our sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students—this event is not to be missed!
2023 Circus Showtimes:
Friday, March 24, 7:00 pm
Saturday, March 25, 1:00 pm
Saturday, March 25, 7:00 pm
Music Box Theatre
1407 Nicollet Ave S.
Minneapolis, MN 55407
For more information, please click here.
Questions about our circus arts program? Please contact Jason Burnstein, Movement and Circus Arts teacher, at jasonburnstein@clws.org.