Juggler puts on a show
Eric the Juggler puts on fiery performance for Deh Gah School students
April Hudson
Northern News Services
Thursday, March 30, 2017
LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
When Eric Miller asked, "Who wants to see some fire?" the gymnasium at Deh Gah School in Fort Providence erupted into cheers.
Eric Miller, known as Eric the Juggler, performed in Fort Providence on March 23. - April Hudson/NNSL photo
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Miller, a juggler from Thunder Bay, Ont., who has been making forays into the North, spent an evening in Fort Providence on March 24 giving community members the show of a lifetime.
Excited children and youth sat in the front row, inching forward at every opportunity until reminded to stay behind a line. The room was abuzz with anticipation.
Miller called for a lighter, and moments later three flaming torches were flying through the air.
The act was the most popular of the night, followed closely by an act he introduced by asking, "Who wants to see something dangerous?"
Between knives, axes and even sprung traps, Miller kept the audience on the edge of their seat, adding comedy to his show by poking gentle fun at audience members and pretending to almost drop the various objects he spun though the air.
Miller got his start in juggling in Thunder Bay. Last year, he took a trip to Yellowknife to perform at the snow castle, which kicked off his efforts to perform in the North.
"This year they brought me back for the snow castle. Since I was supposed to drive, and Fort Providence was on the way, I called up (the hamlet)," he said.
As luck would have it, his visit co-incided with the hamlet's annual Bison Jamboree, and recreation co-ordinator Andre Bolduc invited him to perform.
The evening spun into a hands-on session for children and youth, who Miller invited to learn the ways of juggling.
Although only a few tried juggling with the brightly coloured hacky sacks Miller used, the gymnasium was full of youth trying their hand at some equally difficult tasks - spinning devil sticks and diabolos, throwing scarves and spinning plates on a stick.
As far as juggling itself goes, Miller says the trick is in the technique.
"The secret to juggling is to have nice, proper tosses," he said.
Miller is part of CirqueWorks, a company that specializes in circus performances and instruction.
