Bob Cates
Award-winning Comedy Juggling & Plate-Spinning
Bob Cates grew up on a large farm near the small town of Forest, Ontario, Canada. A quiet, unassuming young man, he had his head in the stars. One day at high school, Bob saw the most magical sight - someone juggling several balls. He experienced what his audiences now experience: the oxymoron of juggling. It's the most magical looking thing in the world, but it's totally real. It's within the grasp of most, but few will take up the challenge to learn it. It was this "air-born" love affair that would take him to undreamed-of heights. [more...]
Bob Cates grew up on a large farm near the small town of Forest, Ontario, Canada. A quiet, unassuming young man, he had his head in the stars. One day at high school, Bob saw the most magical sight - someone juggling several balls. He experienced what his audiences now experience: the oxymoron of juggling. It's the most magical looking thing in the world, but it's totally real. It's within the grasp of most, but few will take up the challenge to learn it. It was this "air-born" love affair that would take him to undreamed-of heights.
Learning to juggle with tennis balls as a teenager, he was a relative late starter to be considered a real contender for the Canadian Juggling Championships, let alone a full time professional. But he practiced hard; learning advanced juggling, unicycling, balancing skills and performance technique.
In the mid to late 1990s, Bob went full time and performed at many fairs, festivals, private events, as well as at every major Busking Festival in Canada. In 2000, Bob started performing on cruise ships about 20 weeks a year for Holland America, Disney, Cunard, Princess and Celebrity and continues today to fill much of his schedule with headline performances on cruise ships.
In June 2007, Bob married his dream girl Jane who in fact had hired him for a show several years earlier. They travel together now making it a family business, as she works behind the scenes as well as on the stage. They are looking forward to the first few years of marriage together with travels taking them to places far and wide, including Paris, the French Riviera, Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, California, the Caribbean, Alberta, Muskoka, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and China.
[less]A Clean Comedian for Canada and the World
Experience the Amazingly Funny world of Comedy in Motion with Canada’s favourite juggler, Bob Cates. This memorable interactive comedy show includes advanced juggling, wild unicycling and balancing skills, black light laser effects and a finale that you will remember for a long long time. Bob Cates, a Canadian Juggling Champion, physical comedian and new vaudevillian comes from humble roots as a pig farmer’s son. He was ecstatic to be nominated two years in a row for Best One Man Show at the 2006 and 2007 Canadian Comedy Awards which presents awards in many categories including Best Stand up Comedian, Best Improviser, and Best Television Performance.
The Comedy in Motion show is much more than a stand up routine, and involves a great deal of physical skill which has taken years to hone. Some skills include advanced juggling, wild unicycling and balancing skills, Dance Dance Revolution while juggling, Chinese Yo Yo and cigar box manipulation, illusion, slapstick and frantic plate spinning reminiscent of the Ed Sullivan Show. He is one of few performers left in North America performing authentic plate spinning – his signature piece. Overall, the show is very fast paced, highly interactive and uses situational comedy and advanced skills to keep audience members of all ages on the edge of their seats right to the very end.
Bob Cates was twice awarded "Best Entertainer of the Year" at the Molson Canadian F.E.O. Awards in 1999 & 2001. He has also been nominated for Best Entertainer of the Year at the 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010 Canadian Event Industry Awards and won the Most Difficult Trick Award at the RIT New York Juggling Festival. He has been a special guest performer at the Israeli Juggling Convention and several National Youth Conventions in the United States.
When he is not performing as a headliner on luxury cruise ships for Celebrity, Princess, Holland America, Royal Caribbean or Cunard, he often performs at corporate and private events.
For more information on Comedy in Motion simply contact us.
The show was a complete success every week! The turn-outs as well as subsequent comments were phenomenal. Your outstanding personality and ability to work with the resort's clientele (people of all ages) are second to none. Your willingness to do the best job possible and go above and beyond the call of duty is unparalleled and has definitely left a lasting impression with everyone you have ever come in contact with here at this resort.
–Delawana Inn Spa & Conference Resort
The show was a complete success every week! The turn-outs as well as subsequent comments were phenomenal. Your outstanding personality and ability to work with the resort's clientele (people of all ages) are second to none. Your willingness to do the best job possible and go above and beyond the call of duty is unparalleled and has definitely left a lasting impression with everyone you have ever come in contact with here at this resort.
–Delawana Inn Spa & Conference Resort
Bob performed for approximately 2000 people during the weekend and each show had the same "magic". The goal of our Christmas show is to provide a high calibre special event for our employees, and Bob certainly helped us achieve our goal. We were totally amazed. I would highly recommend Comedy in Motion with Bob Cates if you're looking for a professional, innovative, and amazing show, which will engage everyone!
–Syncrude Oil, Alberta
The energy and excitement of your act was the talk of the conference. The comedy was good clean fun that audiences of every age can relate to and appreciate, with no worry of offence.
–HS Legal Defense Association, Virginia
Bob is everything his descriptions claim him to be and more! The only reason one might not want the show to continue another hour is that your sides ache from laughing.
–Principia College, Illinois
In 14 years at sea Bob is the smoothest juggler I have worked with. Not only with his juggling but also with his patter!
–Cruise Director, Norwegian Cruise Line
I have to admit I was a bit skeptical when I'd heard that we had booked a "juggler." Then I sat back and watched in amazement as he interacted and entertained the audience. Let me tell you from past experience, that sometimes it can be difficult to please some of these people. But they just sat in awe and watched in amazement. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the show.
–O'Rourke Transport Inc.
Bob has certainly mastered his craft as an entertainer. His moves are well rehearsed; the timing of his jokes is impeccable. He responds to television cameras like a pro, and covers himself well in any situation that he finds himself in (and he's really funny!) Bob is extremely skilled and fascinating to watch ... whether he is warming up, juggling knives, unicycling, working with the diabolo, or kibitzing with the audience. He keeps things upbeat, uses music to his advantage, and keeps things very well paced. I particularly enjoy that when Bob works with audience members, there are no put downs, or any embarrassing remarks directed at that person.
–City of Kitchener
