Shows and Events

Dane Torbenson learned to juggle in the early 80's after reading a fantasy novel involving a traveling troupe of jugglers. Pre-internet, pre-YouTube, even pre rec.juggling, he learned what he could from the couple of books he could find, and he and a friend tried busking at the Denver People's Fair, before realizing that AirJazz was also performing there. Watching their show as incredibly inspiring, but also discouraging, and he let juggling fall to the side as he pursued more serious pursuits, like a Theatre degree. After about 6 years as a starving actor/fight-choreographer/stuntman/waiter, he realized that he needed a better day job, which led to working as a paralegal/private investigator, and eventually to law school. Cut to about 25 years later and Dane is wandering his house, wondering how he's going to fill a lot of downtime during a pandemic. He drags an old duffel bag out of a storage closet in the basement, and picks up some balls and clubs. A couple of years after that, he's fiddling with a cane, and realizes that his clubs sit quite nicely in the crook of the cane. A few more years of goofing around, and here we are. Dane is very grateful to his wife Jeannene for her patience, and to his kids Clio and Tian for tolerating his cringe TikTok and Instagram accounts. He dedicates this performance to his mom, Debby, who passed a little over a year ago.

Cindy Marvell started juggling when her Father and her Aunt rediscovered their teenaged skills. Attending the New York Juggling Club, “Falling Debris,” Cindy also entertained at events around the city. She performed at the Carnegiee Hall Serenades Festival, Avery Fischer Hall’s Young People’s Concerts, and in PBS Special by Elizabeth Swados. A cello and handbell player, she finished 4th in the Juniors Competition at the IJA in Las Vegas and attended Oberlin College graduating with Honors. In 1989 she became the first woman to win the Lucas Cup at the International Jugglers’ Association. She worked with the companies of choreographers Howard Katz Fireheart and Wendy Osserman performing in “Arena” and “Bouncing Back.” She also performed at Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors performing in the All-American Juggle-In with Honey Burgess and in “Ladyfingers” with Kezia Tenenbaum of Airjazz. She worked with the championship team Darn, Good and Funny, winning silver medal, and joined Lazer Vaudeville in 1994. She toured with Lazer Vaudeville performing in solo and team acts for about 17 years, marrying founding director Carter Brown in the year 2000. In 2004 she founded the Boulder Circus Center with Carter Brown and in 2006 they had a son, Theo. Marvell also performed with the Freedom Family Circus at the Edinburgh Fringe and at the Boulder International Fringe. She juggled in the Denver film “La Jeune Fille,” that played the Tattered Cover and New York City. Marvell and Leaverton co-produced the documentary “Trailblazers: Women Who Juggle” on Hulu. Cindy enjoyed performing with the Boudler Juggling Club's Stage Party and is happy to be juggling and teaching workshops this year. Many of her acts, collaborations and articles can be found at cindymarvell.com