By Skip Way
The juggler sparks our imagination with a visual symphony of color, movement, and rhythm. International entertainer Niels Duinker has clearly mastered this art with stunning displays of flying rings, clubs, balls and more. Thank you for visiting with us, Niels!
ND: Hello, Skip! Thank you for inviting me.
KJ: There is so much to share about this incredible talent known as Niels Duinker. Where do we begin? What about who exactly is Niels Duinker?
ND: Those who attended the 2015 KAX Conference saw me juggling in the final night show. I am 29-years-old and originally from Rotterdam in The Netherlands. Rotterdam is still my home base for roughly half the year. My mother and younger sister, Iris, still live there. The rest of the year I spend doing shows on cruise ships and on stage in Las Vegas.
KJ: To say you are a juggler is the same as suggesting that Van Gogh painted pretty pictures. You defy gravity with the flair of a true artist. How did you get started tossing things into the air?
ND: My father took me to the Rotterdam Street Theater Festival every year as a kid. I would watch professional buskers such as Allakazam, Space Cowboy, Gazzo, Mario Queen of the Circus, and others and use what I had learned from them. I had the opportunity to perform there myself in 2005. That was a great feeling. I also looked forward to the annual circus festivals in Paris and Monte Carlo on Dutch TV.
KJ: For those who don’t know, those are the “Academy Awards” of the circus world. They must have been fun to watch.
ND: They were and it allowed me to see the world’s top jugglers and variety artists in action.
KJ: How old were you when you first caught the juggling bug, then?
ND: My first attempt at juggling was when I was eight years old. In the beginning, I didn’t have a mentor or book available to get me started. When I turned twelve, my best friend’s father juggled as his hobby and he helped me improve.
KJ: Adult mentors are so important to our young artists.
ND: They really are. It wasn’t until I had this mentor that I started seriously practicing every day. When I was thirteen, one of my neighbors threw a BBQ for the entire neighborhood and invited me to perform. I asked for seven gulden, about seven US dollars, and received ten. It went well and I had fun. That hooked me and I wanted to keep performing.
KJ: What was it that made juggling so attractive to you?
ND: The combination of speed and precision attracted me at first. I also saw the real joy in the face of every juggler. That excitement spreads to the audience if done well and that made me want to pursue it even more.
KJ: You’re also known for your skillful use of comedy. What lured you in that direction?
ND: Audience interaction and comedy were part of my juggling act right from the very start. Every act I remembered from the street festivals included audience interaction and some level of humor. Juggling well isn’t an easy thing, but the best jugglers make it seem effortless. The most skilled can focus some of their attention on connecting with the audience.
KJ: An engaged audience is more likely to fill your hat.
ND: That’s part of it, but giving them a show that they will remember is part of it, too. When a juggler drops an object and it hits the ground, the grace is gone. It can be tough to recover and pull the audience back. It took me many years to understand how to present juggling to a live audience. Master jugglers Christopher Rodogell and Freddy Kenton helped me a great deal in this. Once I had the juggling skills down, I was able to move to the comedy juggling that Daniel Holzman masters. Daniel helped and coached me.
KJ: Juggling and comedy. What else?
ND: When I first started juggling, my local juggling store put out an annual catalog with all of this fantastic equipment. I was so enthusiastic that I wanted it all! I used the money I earned at gigs to buy balls, rings, clubs, devil sticks, diabolos, hats, cigar boxes, a unicycle, and every type of juggling prop you can imagine. When I was accepted to the Rotterdam youth circus I could experiment and practice with everything. I also learned the absolute basics of acrobatics there. I have also attended the Magic Art Center in the Netherlands since 2006.
KJ: The Magic Art Center is a beautiful and exclusive dinner theater near Amsterdam. As I understand it, it is the Netherland’s version of Hollywood’s Magic Castle. Holland’s top entertainers gather there to mentor, share, and socialize.
ND: That’s right. Two-time FISM Champion Richard Ross founded this center. This is where I began to learn how to present various magic tricks.
KJ: Richard Ross was one of Siegfried and Roy’s longtime idols. He was a European superstar of magic taken from us far too soon at the age of fifty-five.
ND: He was. He placed the center under the direction of Ger Copper, another FISM world champion. I am also a member of the International Ventriloquist Society, but that is more of a hobby than a professional goal. Still, I believe that all of these various disciplines help me better understand the art of entertaining and that improves my shows.
KJ: Who were your early influences?
ND: For juggling, I spent my teen years studying the great juggling and variety acts of Anthony Gatto, Jason Garfield, Freddy Kenton, and Christopher Rodogell. For comedy, I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help of Daniel Holzman (www.BrainDrizzles.com). My top business role model is Barry Friedman (www.getmorecorporategigs.com). I learned so much from choreographer and magicienne Joanie Spina.
KJ: Joanie’s recent passing was another great loss to our mutual arts.
ND: It really was. Her beautiful smile and incredible talent are missed by so many. So many people have helped me through the years. As I grew in my shows, I stayed open for the help and support from people within and outside of my profession in reaching that next goal.
KJ: I understand that magicians have inspired you to try new things with juggling.
ND: That’s right. Magicians have their own shows, produce merchandise, and so on. Very few jugglers I know manage to operate at that level. It inspires me to think bigger. Using the structure and approach of most magic shows helps to set me apart from other jugglers.
KJ: When did you decide to go pro?
ND: I decided to pursue juggling as a full-time profession when I was twenty-two years old.
KJ: Was this after college?
ND: It was. The week after receiving my degree in Mechanical Engineering, I found myself headlining with my juggling show on board Royal Caribbean cruise ships. It has been an amazing journey ever since.
KJ: How did your parents take to that decision?
ND: My parents were always there to push me forward and give me some necessary resistance to test how badly I wanted it.
KJ: Where has your art carried you?
ND: Since the age of thirteen, I have performed in nearly every possible venue out there. I am very grateful for every one of these experiences. The requirements of each venue and gig are slightly different and these experiences save me a good amount of time now. I think that I have run into nearly every possible circumstance over the last 17 years. I started out with small family parties and street theater then worked a theater restaurant for almost 6 years. I have performed in circus shows, performed twenty-four shows a week for three months in a Japanese theme park, and cruises. I have also worked large casinos, corporate events, television, and my own theater show.
KJ: You’ve had a few incidents with unscrupulous agents.
ND: In 2011, I was offered a contract with Circus Belly Wien in the city of Arnhem. When I arrived, they didn’t have a dressing room for me and they wanted me to pay for my food and drinks. I had negotiated payment in full at the end of each show because of earlier incidents. I confronted the director and told him I was leaving if he didn’t meet his commitments. I walked out of the circus that day, but as I was waiting for my taxi, I received an email inviting me to audition for Cirque du Soleil. It was as if the universe was trying to tell me something.
KJ: How do you manage to stay so positive and motivated with such an active schedule?
ND: I always try to challenge myself and up my game. A few years ago – around the time that I graduated from college – I hit a point that there weren’t any great venues in the Netherlands that excited or challenged me. That’s when I decided to leave my comfort zone and go international. Cruise lines are my main market for now with the Disney Cruise Line as one of my most frequent clients.
KJ: Speaking of challenges, you hold several Guinness World Records.
ND: KAX attendees watched me earn one of those records by successfully throwing and catching a dozen juggling cups. The watchful eyes of KIDabra President Mark Daniel and the British corner of our KIDabra family bore witness to this success. In Oxnard, I beat the world record for successfully juggling twelve cups and for successfully catching the most juggled cups in one hand.
KJ: What are your other world records?
ND: In 2011, I juggled three objects while blindfolded for six minutes and twenty-nine seconds. In 2014, I juggled the most shaker cups while pirouetting. In 2013, I beat the record for juggling the most clubs while balancing a club on my head, and earlier that same year I beat the record for juggling the most rings while balancing a ball on a stick on my forehead.
KJ: That is incredible! I have difficulty balancing myself on two feet at times. How did you get started breaking records?
ND: In 2011, I had a contract for an expo in China. The contracting agent told me that holding a Guinness World Record would make it easier for him to land more and better paying gigs for me. By then I had over 10 years of experience juggling every day. I looked over the list of current world records and found several records that I knew I could break. I went for it. As the agent said, having these world records next to my name has been a great promotional tool.
KJ: So, as in magic, you are always working on that unique juggling routine or effect that makes you stand out. Are you concerned about other jugglers stealing your choreography or technique?
ND: To me a juggling trick is comparable to a magic move. A single trick doesn’t make or break an act. If a juggling trick I do inspires a colleague to learn and practice that move, I’m okay with that. We are all artists and the way in which we choreograph our individual moves and personality into our acts is what makes us unique.
ND: However, last year I did learn to become more selective with whom I share my ideas. I shared the details of a new finale for my cruise show with another juggler in Las Vegas. He added my routine to his show on The Strip as his closer. My mentors and I were not pleased, but there wasn’t much that I could do. I had to let it go, but this taught me an important lesson about being so trusting. I will not let this hold me back, though, because I know I will create better acts in the coming years.
KJ: At 29, you have a great future ahead of you. What are your plans?
ND: During the next two to three years, I plan to focus on improving my show. I want to keep doing cruise ship dates with a few midterm contracts on land. I would also like to focus more on the convention market while hopefully keeping my Disney connection. I also love producing and marketing shows, so I would eventually like to start producing shows for other quality performers.
KJ: Wow! That is an ambitious plan! You really are a team player.
ND: The lighting technician, stage staff, and consultants are all a vital part of my show. I am the person in front of the audience, but without their input, the show would never come together. I have no patience for prima donnas in our industry.
KJ: I’ve read your incredible book detailing these and other professional philosophies and describing your journey to international prominence. Tell us about it.
ND: Last year I wrote a book about all of the really cool and amazing things I have experienced through my travels as an entertainer. It is called “Catching Greatness” and is available on Amazon.com.
KJ: It is more than a journal of your experiences. You’ve written a text book filled with the lessons you’ve learned as your reputation and career have blossomed. You present these lessons in ways that others, especially our younger performers, can incorporate them into their own lives. This book is an inspirational guide for those who hope to succeed as entertainers. I added your book to my recommended reading list for all of my magic students.
ND: Thank you. That was my purpose in writing it. I wanted to inspire others to take their own positive steps.
KJ: You have performed your act around the world. Did you find certain cultures more appreciative of your juggling skills than others?
ND: It is amazing to me to see how people all over the world are different and yet the same. Everyone responds with enthusiasm to the solid routines or tricks in my show, but that response may take various forms. When I did my juggling routine in Asia, a young Thai boy bowed to thank me. I had never seen that reaction before and it left me speechless. It was really cool. I have done my shows across the USA and in the Middle East at a big festival in Doha for the King of Qatar. Many of the women in Doha wore full-body burkas making it impossible to read their faces. I rely on facial expressions to adjust my show for the biggest impact, so this was a problem. Then I noticed that the women interested in my show had their bodies slightly bent to the front to watch my show better. I have since paid closer attention to body language. Cultures might differ, but people are essentially the same. That was awesome to see.
KJ: The KIDabra family has cheerfully accepted you as one of our own. Would you like to share a message with your international kin?
ND: I love the open friendliness that I see at KIDabra. It is exciting that everyone – more or less experienced – talks to and helps one another. It doesn’t matter how famous or accomplished you are. There is a binding factor of mutual love and respect and everyone focuses on good and clean family entertainment! It doesn’t get much better than that.
KJ: Niels, you are a remarkable gentleman and it has been a real pleasure sharing this time with you. We all look forward to your return to KIDabra!