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Aaron N. Jessup

Biography

 

Profile:  A very lucky few on this planet can actually point to a time and place in their past and pinpoint the exact moment their future life’s work became apparent.  For Scholar Aaron Jessup, it was when he was a little boy on his dad’s knee as his father read his son a wonderful book titled The Clown of God by Tomie de Paola.  “The story was about a little homeless boy who learned how to juggle and went on to perform throughout old Italy as a famous troubadour.  To this day I remember a scene in which the wandering juggler shares a meal with a pair of Franciscan monks who tell the juggler, ‘You are doing God’s work because you bring happiness to others.’ I believe it was this book that planted the idea in me that performing wasn't just for ego gratification, but that it was a way for me to serve a higher purpose.  And that spreading joy and laughter was that higher purpose.”  Aaron has performed on three continents and ten countries.  He has juggled, high-wire walked, danced, and entertained hundreds of thousands of people over the years.  Not just a performer, Aaron has taught contact improvisation dance in the US, Europe, Australia and South America.  He was also one of the top two students at his community college and at Chico State finished his degree in the top one percent of graduates.

Inspiration:  Aaron’s father was instrumental in his development as “a person and a performer.”  He was a street-performing juggler in New York City in the 1970’s before the family moved to California.  But Aaron’s most important mentor was Jeru Kabbal, the late famous teacher of meditation and author of the book Finding Clarity.   “Among the many things I learned from him over the course of our ten-year friendship, the most important was practicing gratitude.  He encouraged me to make it a habit to count my blessings.  He taught me that happiness was not the result of acquiring things, but rather was the result of genuine appreciation for the things I already have.”  One of Mr. Kabbal’s famous sayings was: “Existence is waiting for you to flower; waiting for you to dance your dance; waiting for you to sing your song.”  

Aspiration: Earning a Master of Fine Arts will allow Aaron to develop as an artist.  His goal is to integrate his various artistic endeavors such as dance, theater, circus and vaudeville into a unique expression of himself.

Making a Difference: Aaron has volunteered countless hours over the years performing benefits for social organizations in the Bay Area.  In addition he has worked at the Center for Peaceful Healing.  He has also worked with an organization called Abada which provides urban youth with physical, cultural, and social activities.

Accolades: Aaron was a top student at both his college alma maters, Feather River and Chico State.  At Feather River he was a “regular” on the dean’s list and was awarded the Academic Senate Scholarship.  Then at Chico he graduated Summa Cum Laude.

Interesting Fact:  If you go to the imdb website, you’ll find Aaron listed as “Boy Juggler #2” in the 1981 Burt Reynolds movie Paternity. “I was nine years old – that’s right, I hit the big time baby!”

 

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