BIO

Richard Hartnell is among the most distinguished American contact jugglers.

From the fundamentals to the far reaches, Richard’s grasp of contact juggling technique summons students and audience members from around the world. His career in object manipulation now carpets North America’s west coast and spans an additional 11 countries beyond. In 2008, Richard co-founded the Bellingham Circus Guild in northwest Washington State. In 2009, he relocated to the Vulcan, a collective of movement artists in Oakland, California, where he resides while performing solo or with the area’s troupes.

STAGE

From intimate indie stages to tremendous festival fields, Richard has years of experience leaving audiences walking away buzzing about the act. Three stage acts run the gamut from high-energy circus feats to transcendent storytelling acts.

AMBIANCE

Honed to perfection by hardened street audiences yet smoothly urbane in the parlor, Richard is top-notch at charming close-up audiences and adding flavor and visual ambiance to all kinds of events.

FIRE

Well-known among fire spinners, Richard is one of a perhaps single-digit number of jugglers known to capably perform the “contact fireball” act. A resident artist at the Vulcan, one of the world’s most famous fire spinning collectives, he’s within arm’s reach of as many fire spinners as you need, guaranteed.