On the APAP convention, that took place in New York this past weekend, he said, “It was great to be back in New York. I was in the Big Apple for the annual APAP convention. APAP stands for the Association of Performing Arts Professionals. It’s the world’s premier gathering of the performing arts. It was a great place to showcase my show and get inspired again for the year to come. Last year I did over 500 shows for FeeHedrick Family Entertainment in Pigeon Forge. Pigeon Forge is a family-friendly Las Vegas in the South. Besides the theme park Dollywood there are many theaters with top class shows, including The Comedy Barn which is the worlds longest running clean comedy theater in the world. I did over 500 shows there last year and now being in New York again was a great and inspiring experience. I met many performing arts professionals from all over the world, got inspiration for new acts and booked some new shows.”
Duinker posted a short video clip of his juggling routine in Times Squares on his Instagram page.
Regarding his plans for 2018, Duinker said, “Until New Year’s I was performing with my juggling act at the Parkway in Pigeon Forge for FeeHedrick Family Entertainment. Between January 2 and 5, I was performing for Disney Cruise Line in the Bahamas, what a great way to kick off the new year! So 2018 was already of to a good start. APAP just made it better.”
Duinker continued, “I am originally from Holland and after APAP I flew to Amsterdam to see my family after being in the USA for 11 months. I am excited what this year will bring me and I am working on some new routines and acts to hopefully make this year spectacular. Tomorrow, I am meeting my prop builder to get a prop made to make my ring juggling act bigger and more spectacular. Besides a TV appearance, next week I am meeting Ger Copper who is the premier magic consultant in Europe. He is my friend and coached Hans Klok, Magus Utopia (FISM world champion), Dion and Niek Takens for years. Next month, I am heading to the Maldives to perform for the 6-star cruise line Oceania Cruises. And after that, it’s back to Tennessee to continue my contract for FeeHedrick.”
His juggling book and DVD was well-received. “It was great. Sharing a new book with the world is almost scary. For months and months you’re working on a project and then finally it’s ready and you’re ready to share it with the world. You feel so vulnerable. You put all your heart and soul into it, and now all you can do is wait with the hope people will like, or they will tear it apart. Luckily they liked it,” he said.
On his proudest professional moments, Duinker revealed, “Last year, I managed to juggle 14 cups. That was a big moment to me. For five years I had worked towards that goal. My mentor, Freddy Kenton, inspired me to start juggling the cups. Not many jugglers do this and Freddy didn’t want this style of juggling to get lost. He had much success with it when I performed at the world-famous Moulin Rouge in Paris during the peak of his own career. Before I started juggling the cups there was one colleague who performed with 10 cups in his shows. With dedication, support from my mentor I managed to elevate this style of juggling and set a new world record in the process. When I finally landed the 14 cups, I was so happy and proud.”
Digital transformation of the entertainment industry
On the impact of technology on the entertainment industry, Duinker said, “Technology always has inspired art and art have inspired science, which leads to new technology. Now with the Internet, computers and social media, there is so much to get inspired by. Social media has increased to speed with which we communicate and live. I feel that because of that our attention spans have shortened. In my shows, I feel that the comedy and juggling routines generally work better when they are fast paced and strong. It’s easy to lose an audience and hard to win them back over.”
Regarding his use of technology in his daily routine as a juggler, Duinker said, “Juggling is a really old art form. The first drawings of jugglers were found in a 4,000-year-old tomb in an Egyptian pyramid. Entertainment is changing fast and audiences are getting more and more used and expect the influence of technology, streaming media, and the change to give instant feedback on your work like they can on YouTube. For that reason, I love doing my LED juggling routine and the act in which I strap a video camera on myself and through a video stream I give the audience my juggler’s point of view. I am also working on a new act involving a balancing stick with a selfie stick and cell phone. I love reading in old juggling books what jugglers have done in the past few centuries and take inspiration from old vaudeville routines and then figure out how with modern stand-up comedy, technology etc. I can make something new and modern for the current day audiences.”
For his dedicated fans, Duinker concluded, “First off, I would like to thank everyone for their amazing support. Thank you for connecting with me on social media, coming to see my live shows and giving me the drive to keep pushing myself to do on a daily basis. You are the reason to keep going and giving me best!”
To learn more about internationally recognized juggler Niels Duinker, check out his official website.
