User:Reidbelstock/Reid Belstock

Reid Belstock is an American Juggler, and Physical Comedian. His work has been seen live across the United States and Canada, Japan, and China, in Theaters, Festivals, Theme Parks, and Cruise Ships. Reid is also known as a competitive juggler, holding 2 Bronze medals, and 2 Silver medals in Team competitions taking place at the International Jugglers Associations International Juggling Competitions(www.juggle.org). These competitions often include competitors from countries such as Germany, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Japan, Canada, and South America.

Reid's early life:
Gross and Fine Motor Skill Impairment:

Reid suffered from problems with his Gross and Fine Motor Skills. To help, Reid attended a private school called The Havern Center in Denver(www.haverncenter.org). Reid spent 4 years there working with occupational therapists to help Reid's skill

A motor skill is a learned sequence of movements that combine to produce a smooth, efficient action in order to master a particular task. Gross motor skills include lifting one's head, rolling over, sitting up, balancing, crawling, and walking. Gross motor development usually follows a pattern. Generally large muscles develop before smaller ones, thus, gross motor development is the foundation for developing skills in other areas (such as fine motor skills). Development also generally moves from top to bottom. The first thing a baby usually learns to control is its eyes. Fine motor skills include the ability to manipulate small objects, transfer objects from hand to hand, and various hand-eye coordination tasks. Fine motor skills may involve the use of very precise motor movement in order to achieve an especially delicate task. Some examples of fine motor skills are using the pincer grasp (thumb and forefinger) to pick up small objects, cutting, coloring, writing, or threading beads. Fine motor development refers to the development of skills involving the smaller muscle groups. Ambidexterity is a specialized skill in which there is no dominance between body symmetries, so tasks requiring fine motor skills can be performed with the left or right extremities. The most common example of ambidexterity is the ability to write with the left or right hand, rather than one dominant side. [edit]Dysfunction

At age 11 a friend of Reid's was walking around juggling Clubs, and tried to show Reid the basic steps in juggling. Unfortunately, they didn't take. Over the next 4 years, Reid would periodically try to pick up 3 objects, and repeat what his friend had shown him. However, even after purchasing a packet of juggling scarves and directions, Reid still could not juggle.

While attending a health fair in High School Reid was helping for his 9th grade science class a fellow student named Lauren, had picked up some of the tennis balls lying around from one of the experiments, and began to juggle. Once again Reid tried to keep the 3 balls aloft. To his surprise, it actually worked. This sparked a huge interest from Reid, and soon after Reid kept 3 tennis balls with him where ever he went. Reid became more and more involved with juggling, and even began to search out others in the way of an advertisement he saw at the local magic store. The International Jugglers Association's Annual Convention, was taking place in Denver over the Summer, for one week in July. Reid participated in 2 days of the festival, and had an opportunity to see just how wide a range of props and styles of juggling existed. While very overwhelmed, Reid now had a goal for becoming a much more rounded juggler, and began to explore other styles of juggling(cigar boxes, diabolo, devil sticks, clubs, hat manipulation, unicycling). The following year in high school, Reid began a juggling club as a way of finding others to juggle with. This devotion to helping others learn, and the clubs willingness to perform at events for the school, earned Reid an honorary athletic letter in school spirit.

The beginning of a career: In the Summer of 1989, an ad was placed by Elitch Gardens. A local amusement park, looking for jugglers, magicians and mimes. Reid's father showed him the add, and Reid called immediately for an audition. The auditions were held at Loredo Heights, a local college. Reid performed some juggling to music, and demonstrated unicycling skills, and was put through some improvisational exercises. Shortly after Reid was notified that he passed the audition, and was cast in the 1989 Tennyson Street Players. Reid performed the entire Summer in a cast including a magician named Eric Presley, who like Reid would wind up to later become a Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus Clown, along with her sister Laura Presley, who attended Clown College the same year as Reid.

Reid's formal training was taken in Clowing at Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. Reid Belstock studied there in 1991. Training took place at Ringlings first Clown College location in Venice Florida. Training took place over 10 and a half weeks. The training was very intense. Often consisting of 14 hours a day 6 days a week. Classes taught were focused on the needs of clowning in respect to the large 3 ring circus. Often studying classes that dealt with using the body as a way to comunicate silently on a very large stage. Students were often referred to imagine themselves in Maddison Square Garden projecting to the farthest seats in the arena. Students studied arena choreography, gag history, gag creation mime, acrobatics, improvisation,make up, prop building, Juggling, Unicycling, and stilt walking. Clown College Students would perform live one day a week to the local residents in the area who had made coming to watch the student shows a tradition.

Reid's only other formal training took part at Walt Disney World in a special College program for artists, called the Entertainment Arts Festival in 1992. This program explored many aspects of the entertainment world, and students were often involved with hands on training from repertory companies, casting agents, voice trainers,movement artists, and other industry leaders that had useful lessons on what performers will need to make it out in the professional entertainment world.

Reid returned to perform with the Disney Company in different projects from 1993-2001. He had performed on property at the Village Market Place in 92-93. The Magic Kingdom in 93. Epcot Center 1999. Tokyo Disney Resorts Ikspiari(Festopera) 2000, and Disney Cruise Line in 2001.

Some notable performances include:

The MGM Grand Hotel Casino 1995-1996

Happy Kingdom Theme Park Shen Zhen China 2003

Lazer Vaudevilles national touring show 1998-1999

Hotel Juraku Fukushima Japan 1999-2000

Las Vegas Comedy Festival's Just For Laughs Winner(prop category)

Competitive years:

Reid has competed in Juggling Competitions for 15 years. These performances were both in solo and team performance.

1995-Teams/Tripp & Fall/Reid Belstock and Dextre Tripp

1996-Teams/Tripp & Fall/Reid Belstock and Dextre Tripp/Silver Medal

1996-Individuals/Reid Belstock

1997-Teams/Stoolies/Reid Belstock and Aaron Schettler/Bronze Medal

1998-Teams/Stoolies/Reid Belstock and Aaron Schettler

1999-Teams/Stoolies/Reid Belstock, Aaron Schettler, Luke Jay

2001-Individuals/Reid Belstock

2002-Teams/Stoolies/Reid Belstock, Aaron Schettler, Luke Jay/Bronze Medal

2009-Teams/Smirk/Reid Belstock and Warren Hamnond/Silver Medal