The YouTube algorithm has introduced millions of viewers to an extraordinary performance known as “The Triangle.” Uploaded in November 2007, the video has attracted more than 20 million views, with many viewers joking that it unexpectedly appears during late-night browsing sessions. One popular comment perfectly captures the experience: “Me: ‘Time to go to bed…’ YouTube: ‘THE TRIANGLE!’”
The mesmerizing routine blends juggling, kinetic art, geometry and percussive rhythm into one beautifully controlled spectacle. Standing inside a 10-foot equilateral triangle, performer Michael Moschen repeatedly bounces between one and three balls against its angled sides and floor. Each carefully judged throw produces another beat in the routine’s evolving rhythm, while the balls repeatedly return to Moschen’s hands after travelling around the structure. The MacArthur Foundation describes the piece as a sensory experience combining movement, lighting, facial expression and sound.
The artist behind the performance is Michael Moschen, a pioneering American juggler and performance artist known for transforming object manipulation into a theatrical art form. “The Triangle” appeared in his 1991 television special In Motion with Michael Moschen, presented as part of PBS’s Great Performances series. The production explored several of Moschen’s innovative routines and featured an original musical score by percussionist and composer David Van Tieghem.
“The Triangle” has become one of Moschen’s most recognisable works, with its carefully controlled bounces turning the large geometric structure into something resembling a musical instrument. Viewers frequently praise both the accuracy of his throws and the rhythms created by the balls striking the frame. Others respond with characteristic internet humour, including one fan who wrote: “It’s like playing drums but with a triangle and three balls and without the drums.” Another jokingly wondered what Moschen might achieve with a hexagon.
Moschen’s achievements extend far beyond this viral performance. In 1990, he was selected as a MacArthur Fellow in recognition of his innovative work as a performance artist and juggler. Film audiences may also have unknowingly seen his hands in Jim Henson’s 1986 fantasy film Labyrinth. Moschen performed the elaborate crystal-ball movements associated with David Bowie’s character Jareth while positioned behind Bowie and carrying out many of the movements without being able to see the balls directly.
Moschen has described his wider approach to crystal-ball and object work as “dynamic manipulation,” distancing it from the later term “contact juggling.” His work incorporates elements of dance, mime, architecture, physics and sculpture, pushing juggling far beyond a conventional display of tricks. More than three decades after its television appearance, “The Triangle” continues to fascinate online audiences, demonstrating how a deceptively simple combination of three balls, a wooden frame and extraordinary coordination can become an unforgettable piece of performance art.