Loose Leaf Notes

-The following first appeared in The Floyd Press on February 4, 2021.

It was the first juggle jam of the year. Led by professional magician, clown, mime and circus arts teacher Geoff Marsh (aka Gypsy Geoff) at the Warren Lineberry Park on Tuesday, the jam drew about 20 Juggle Town club members and friends who showed up to learn and practice juggling skills.

“It’s always been outside in the park and it’s always been free,” said Marsh about the Juggle Town juggling club that started last summer.  He explained that he brings his props from teaching large groups and in schools and lets everyone use them to practice and play. “Everyone loves toys,” said Marsh. “And everyone can learn to juggle.”

Seventeen years ago, Marsh was inspired by a street busker to teach himself to juggle. He started with limes and with the help of an instructional Youtube video. Six years ago, he moved from Milwaukee to Floyd after meeting Floyd Countian April Kovick, who Marsh is now married to, at a Renaissance Faire. In Milwaukee, he ran a circus school, as one of the founders of Dead Mans Carnival, a vaudevillian, circus and burlesque performance troupe, which put on a show at Dogtown Roadhouse in 2018 as part of Marsh and Kovick’s wedding celebration.

“I’ve worked Floydfest, Yogajam, Cirque de Floyd and the Pride Parade,” said Marsh, who incorporates comedy, magic and puppetry in his acts, along with juggling. Marsh doesn’t normally work in town and is generally on the road touring for six months of year, but the pandemic has kept him close to home. It’s also given him more time to be with his and Kovick’s 5-month-old son.

“There are juggling clubs all over the country in almost every place I’ve ever been to,” said Crystal Hoetzl, a circus arts performer who was assisting Marsh at the Juggle Town jam. Hoetzl, who is also a seventeen-year member of the circus community, said she was in the area visiting her family in Galax and has known Marsh for many years. “The first thing I ever did was eat fire when I was 22,” she said.

“This is my first time,” said Daniel Bower, who Marsh was giving juggling tips to. Bower joked that he was the oldest student learning to juggle that day but was glad to try something new.

“Come summer we’ll be meeting more regular, maybe once or twice a week,” Marsh said, adding that the club also does hula hooping and other flow arts.  He encourages anyone interested to check out the Juggle Town Facebook page for updates.

“I feel like if everyone in the world juggled, we’d have world peace, since we’re throwing things at each other for fun instead of aggression,” said Marsh. _______Colleen Redman