An Interview
Deaf Performer Juggles Her Way to Success

By Michael Walton

Pinky Aiello is a deaf performance artist from Portland, Oregon. She specializes in juggling and unicycling. She has performed all over the United States and has appeared in movies and television shows.

How did you become interested in juggling?

As a young girl I went to the circus and I saw a performer riding a unicycle. Right then and there I knew I wanted to learn how to do that. A few years later I was visiting a friend and saw a unicycle in his garage. He let me try it and I loved it. Then, a few years after that, I was with my mother in a mall and I saw a unicycle for sale. I begged my mother to buy it for me and I was absolutely thrilled when she did.

How did you begin your career as a professional juggler?

After graduating from the Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington, D.C., I moved to New York City and worked in a theater off-off-Broadway and with the Dance Company of the Deaf. While I was living in New York, I went to Connecticut for a month during the summer to study with the National Theatre of the Deaf’s Professional Theatre School. While I was there, a director flew in from Ohio, saw my work, and hired me for a role in The Double Pierrot with what is now the Cleveland SignStage Theatre. My role was a character named Zanni and I had to learn how to juggle for that role.

Who has been a role model for you in the juggling profession?

When I was learning how to juggle, I met another juggler who could juggle with pins. He taught me how to juggle with pins and taught me a number of juggling tricks as well. In turn, I inspired him to take up the unicycle again. We started a friendly competition to see which of us could ride the tallest giraffe unicycle. A giraffe unicycle is one that is at least five feet tall. We became close friends and performed together in Cleveland. We also went to New York City and worked as street performers.

Has your juggling career helped you land other acting roles?

Yes, it has. After working in New York City for several years, I decided to move to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles I received a professional certificate in computer graphic design and interactive multimedia from UCLA. I also got a lot of jobs working as an extra in movies, television programs, and commercials. I acted in Die Hard 2, Weird Science, The Howling 6, “Cheers,” “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose,” and “Unsolved Mysteries.” I continued to work as a juggler and a unicyclist.

Tell us what’s happening in your career today.

I am a member of the International Jugglers Association and I am currently performing at Universal Studios Hollywood and Six Flags Magic Mountain. I also perform with Girls on Stilts and The Juggling Fools with my partner, Doug Raphael. I work at private parties, carnivals, and other events. I am now branching out to perform at deaf festivals, schools, clubs, and camps, where I also give workshops on juggling, unicycle riding, and stilt-walking.

What is one of the most memorable moments in your career?

I just can’t stop thinking about the fact that I finally had the chance to perform on the midway at the Circus-Circus Hotel in Las Vegas. That was a memorable moment for me.

For more information about Pinky the Juggler, visit her website.

- Information from the Pinky the Juggler website