About
Doug Sayers’ life is the story of a young performance artist who has combined exceptional talent with the discipline and perseverance to achieve his dream of becoming a professional juggler.
When he was eight years old in 1996, Doug learned to juggle at an elementary school art show from members of a university juggling club. He picked it up so quickly they invited him to join their group. Five years later, his first visit to the International Jugglers Association festival opened his eyes to the fantastic possibilities of juggling and spurred his desire to develop his talent. He started a juggling club at his high school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 2003 and spent many hours advancing and perfecting his skills.
In 2005, Doug competed for the first time at the World Juggling Federation in Las Vegas, where he experienced the joy of juggling for an audience and won the Gold medal in the Intermediate Ball category. He returned to the competition the next three years to earn several more medals and began to develop a name for himself in the juggling community – all before the age of 20.
After graduating from high school in 2007, Doug traveled to Athens, Greece, to attend his first European Juggling Convention. That fall Doug toured the Midwest with a New York company called Theatre Mama, contracted by Cirque du Soleil to promote its upcoming show through performances by Doug and others artists. Later in 2007 he and a juggling partner, Bruce Bailey, broke a juggling world record for the most number of balls passed, juggling 14 balls for 57 catches.
Doug has been invited to perform as a guest artist at numerous regional juggling festivals, including Madfest (Madison, WI), Big Red Jugglefest (Ithaca, NY), Toss Up Juggling Festival (Lincolnshire, IL), St. Louis Jugglefest (St. Louis, MO), and Burning Club (Bowling Green, OH).
Working with a juggling coach at a circus school in Quebec City, Doug developed a stage act that he submitted to the International Jugglers Association in hopes of competing in the annual World Championships. He earned a spot in the competition finals with two other Americans and five Asians, besting them all with his crowd-pleasing act to win Gold at the 2009 competition in Winston-Salem, NC.
Based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Chicago, IL, Doug performs at various venues around the Midwest. When his schedule allows, you might find Doug street performing in Chicago near the Apple Store on Michigan Avenue. Through his professional juggling company, whatsup juggling, he presents interactive juggling programs at schools and other organizations. The story of his juggling career, interwoven with his eye-popping skills, offer an inspirational example of how determination and belief in yourself can lead to success in any area of life. Doug is available to perform at a wide range of events including festivals, corporate events, or private parties.