Thom Wall

Thom Wall - Saint Louis Juggler - Performs at Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room - August 2013

Thom Wall (born February 9, 1987) is a juggler and variety entertainer based in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.^[1]

Wall is known for his avant-garde performance style, cultivated through training at the New England Center for Circus Arts, lessons with mime Karen Montanaro, and training with long-time friend Curtis Carlyle. In 2009, Wall competed at the World Juggling Federation's "Winter Blitz" event. No judge had seen any of his creative five-ball tricks performed before, so his routine was deemed unscoreable.

In 2014, Thom competed at the International Jugglers' Association (IJA) Senior Stage Championships with a traditional mouthstick juggling act. This act was awarded the bronze medal, making it the first time the discipline has been awarded a competition medal in the championships' 67-year history.

Thom was hired by Cirque du Soleil in April 2014 to replace juggler Greg Kennedy in the show Totem.

Community Service

Wall served on the Board of Directors of the International Jugglers' Association between 2009 and 2013. During his tenure on the Board of Directors, he helped found the a new international competition format,^[2] helped implement eJuggle, the IJA's electronic magazine,^[3] and started the IJA's annual Video Tutorial Contest.^[3] Wall is widely credited by members of the juggling community with helping turn the International Jugglers' Association around - when he was first elected to the Board of Directors, the organization was in the middle of a public relations crisis on the usenet forum Rec.Juggling. His work with online educational programs, global outreach, and benefits to new members through the new online magazine has brought the 66-year-old organization many new members, much new respect, and financial solvency.

His work with the International Jugglers' Association inspired him to pursue a master's degree in Nonprofit Arts Administration through Drexel University.^[4] In a 2012 interview, Thom's primary interests in arts administration were cited to be strategic planning, PR, and marketing.^[5]

Awards

• Crotalus Scholaris Medal - Universidad Mesoamericana (Puebla, Mexico)^[6]
• People's Choice - Riga International Circus Festival (Riga, Latvia, 2015)^[7]
• 3rd place, World Juggling Championships (International Juggers' Association, 2014)^[8]
• Best of the Fringe, "the 'Dinner and a Show' Show" (Kansas City Fringe Festival 2014)^[9]
• Judy Finelli Award for "Most Inspirational Juggler of the Year" (Humboldt Circus, 2013)
• Top 40 Jugglers of the Year (#23)^[10]
• St Louis' Nerd Pinup of the Year (2013) ^[11]
• 2nd place, World Juggling Championships (International Jugglers' Association, 2012)^[12]
• Top 40 Jugglers of the Year (#31)^[13]
• 1st place, three ball juggling world championships (International Jugglers' Association, 2011)^[14]
• 2nd place, three-person team club passing with teammates Peter Kaseman and Doug Sayers (International Jugglers' Association, 2011)^[14]
• Top 40 Jugglers of the Year (#24)^[15]
• 1st place, three ball juggling world championships (International Jugglers' Association, 2010)^[16]
• Winner, eXtreme Juggling competition, four ball category (International Jugglers' Association, 2010)^[16]
• 1st place, three-person team club passing with teammates Peter Kaseman and Doug Sayers (International Jugglers' Association, 2010)^[16]
• 2nd place, three-person team club passing with teammates Peter Kaseman and Alan Thompson (International Jugglers' Association, 2009)^[17]
• 1st place, three-person team club passing with teammates Alan Thompson and Carey Wagoner (International Jugglers' Association, 2008)^[18]

References