From pirouettes, cascades, backcrosses and shoulder throws, there’s not much that Tanner Alder can’t do when it comes to the art of juggling and entertaining audiences of all ages. That’s why for the third year in a row, Tanner (or sometimes known as his clown stage persona, Daisy Voo) will once again be performing his dazzling juggling tricks for guests at this year’s Employee Appreciation Day (EAD)! Be sure to mark your calendar for Thursday, September 19 from 10 am – 2 pm at Rice-Eccles Stadium for this year’s annual employee recognition event and for the chance to watch a master at his craft!
Tanner’s journey to become a juggling master started in the 6th grade when his PE teacher taught an entire two-month unit on juggling. Tanner took it more seriously than his classmates and quickly fell in love with the artform, turning to Youtube tutorials to further enhance his skills. Only two years later, and he was entering his first juggling competition at the World Juggling Federation in Las Vegas.
“My parents were so confused about my passion for juggling! They really didn’t see it going anywhere, until I went to my first competition in Las Vegas,” he says. “They saw how juggling really is a technical sport, and the competitors are professional athletes – some even with sponsorships. My family began to take my juggling more seriously after that!”
Tanner competed several more times over the years, but turned his focus to performance rather than competition around the age 15. An aunt thought his skills could be put to use as a busker at Snowbird’s annual Oktoberfest, and suddenly he was thrust into the world of performance.
“I was actually a very shy kid,” he explains. “Performing in a non-competition setting was entirely new to me, and pretty intimidating. But if anything, juggling is all about confidence, so I mustered all my confidence for that first performance and found that I actually loved performing! I’ve brought that same confidence to every performance since then.”
Every year since his first performance at Snowbird’s Oktoberfest, Tanner has booked more and more professional opportunities, and built up his reputation as one of Utah’s premier juggling entertainment acts. He also loves to teach juggling skills, and encourages guests at EAD to seek him out if they’d like to learn a trick or two.
In addition to offering quick juggling lessons, Tanner plans on showcasing his hardest tricks during EAD this year as he roams around the stadium’s concourse. There may also be a special addition to Tanner’s act, as more busking entertainers have been invited to perform at this year’s event. He hints, “Be on the lookout for a special dual juggling act with one of my local busking buddies!”
If you are a University of Utah, HCI or U of U Health** employee or student employee, be sure to mark your calendar for Employee Appreciation Day on Thursday, September 19 from 10 am – 2 pm at Rice-Eccles Stadium! There are many other activities and entertainment opportunities at this year’s EAD – we recommend you check back frequently on the EAD website for more information on what to expect at this year’s event! We hope to see you there!
If you are a campus department or group who would like to table at EAD this year, please contact jake.sorensen@utah.edu.
**If you are a U of U Health employee in clinical position unable to attend the in-person event, please note that we will be bringing the celebration to you! Treat stations will be set-up at a number of clinic locations – check back on EAD website for more information or contact Kari Smith (kari.smith@hsc.utah.edu) with the Hospitals & Clinics recognition team.