About a dozen boys and girls and a few adults tried their hands at juggling Monday afternoon at the Edmond Library

By Tricia Pemberton tpemberton@opubco.com

Published at Newsok.com – July 12, 2011

Edmond – Jayelyne Jodanoff, 6, said she had fun spinning plates at the Edmond Library on Monday afternoon, but it’s not a skill she’s willing to try at home.

“We’ve got a lot of stuff at home that can break,” Jayelyne said.  She would, however, try juggling scarves, she said. Jayelyne was one of about a dozen boys and girls who took part in a juggling class taught by Monica Buck, the owner of Juggle Whatever.

Buck, 46, first gave a demonstration of her own skills – tricks she said she’s been perfecting since she was 10 yeas old.  She stated with small, green balls, then graduated to bright orange clubs, then brightly painted cigar boxes and, finally, scarves. “Juggling is trying to throw things up in the air and keep them there,” Buck said. “But no matter what you’re juggling, you’re going to drop.” The fun part of juggling is it’s something people can do on their own or with others, she said. And you can juggle with almost anything. “You can play and be inventive,’ she said.

About midway through the hour-long session, Buck gave audience members a chance to try their hands at juggling. They started with scarves. “This is hard,” said Katherine Shipp, 7. “I can’t do it.”  Before long, however, Katherine was juggling red, blue and yellow scarves. Her sister Kristen got the hang of it equally quick.  The girls’ mother, Angel Shipp, said she felt she’d discovered a new way to keep her very active daughters busy for a while.  “Give them a few scarves, and it will keep them entertained for hours,” Shipp said.

Buck next taught her young protégés the art of plate spinning.  Several picked up on the skill right away.  Others needed help balancing the red plastic plates on slim black sticks.  Even a few adults in the room gave the plate spinning a try, but it wasn’t easy to master the skill, which requires just the smallest movement of the hand.

Buck ended her demonstration by giving each child a turn trying to juggle balls, using her hands to help catch. She gave each participant a certificate naming them an official juggler.

Buck said she used to work in the corporate world and taught juggling as a hobby. Two years ago, she started her own business, teaching juggling full-time to people of all ages, at birthday parties, corporate training seminars and more.  She has juggling clubs in Norman and Moore and hopes to start one in Oklahoma City when she has enough people signed up. “With seven lawyers in my family, I think my juggling brings a little balance,” she laughed.