Patrick
McGuire began juggling in 1989 at the age of fourteen.
That year he was introduced to the International
Jugglers Association (IJA), a worldwide federation
comprised of professional entertainers and juggling
enthusiasts. After only two years of near constant
practice he attained the highest award in his
division, the gold medal of the IJA's Junior National
Juggling Championships.
While
still a senior in High School, Patrick was handpicked
by the extraordinary juggler and artist Michael
Moschen to collaborate and perform an original
piece for the famed Cirque du Soleil in Las
Vegas. The piece, entitled "Manipulation,"
was highly abstract and involved the use of
giant wavelike metal forms and multiple rhythmic
gymnastic balls. Six months of intense training
and study with Mr. Moschen and Franco Dragone,
the brilliant director of Cirque Du Soleil,
proved an incredible learning experience and
an opportunity very few artists are privy. As
an original cast member of Las Vegas' most praised
revue, Cirque Du Soleil's Mystere, Patrick performed
"Manipulation" nightly to sell-out
crowds for over one thousand presentations.
In 1996, after two years of performances with
Mystere, Patrick was invited to join Cirque
Du Soleil's newest creation at that time, Quidam.
For three years, between 1996 and 1999, "Manipulation"
played all 1,010 presentations of Quidam throughout
12 of the largest metropolitan areas in North
America. As well as performing on the Cirque
stage, Patrick made many television appearances
including "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,"
"The Rosie O' Donnell Show," and "The
Today Show."
Upon
completion of his second contract with Cirque
Du Soleil, Patrick made the bold choice to decline
an offer to tour Europe for four years with
the highly successful Quidam. Following his
departure from Cirque, Patrick immediately began
a very industrious creation entitled "The
Monolith." After a full year of rehearsal
in his private studio he debuted the new work
on the eve of 2000 in Paris, France. After performing
"The Monolith" professionally in Paris,
Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, Patrick went back
into the studio to create more original material.
In 2001 he was invited to compete in the very
prestigious "Festival Mondial du Cirque
de Demain" in Paris. Patrick competed with
a new piece entitled "Liberation of the
Working Stiff" and was the winner of the
highly coveted "Moscow Circus Award."
