The Math Behind the Magic: How FlyJuggler Turns “Siteswap” Theory Into Mesmerizing Art

The Math Behind the Magic: How FlyJuggler Turns “Siteswap” Theory Into Mesmerizing Art

Jonah Botvinick Greenhouse, math PhD student, juggles outside Milstein Hall.

Juggling is often seen as pure performance — a seamless blur of motion, rhythm, and flair. But for Bennett “FlyJuggler” Santora, juggling is also a language. A science. A doorway into the world of mathematical patterns and physical precision. His unique blend of creativity and analytical thinking places him among a new generation of jugglers who don’t just perform tricks — they decode them.

Long before FlyJuggler’s videos began captivating millions online, the academic world had already been exploring the math behind juggling. Undergraduate researchers even co-authored pieces like “Juggling Dynamics” in Physics Today, examining the physics that governs throws, timing, and motion. In the broader community, scholars such as Jonah Botvinick-Greenhouse — a math PhD student who studied both math and physics at Amherst — have helped illuminate the beauty of juggling’s underlying structures.

Botvinick-Greenhouse is part of a field of mathematically inclined jugglers who find meaning not only in performance but in the system that organizes it: siteswap notation. Developed in the 1980s, siteswap assigns numbers to throws, representing how many beats pass before an object is caught and thrown again. These numbers reveal the height, rhythm, and feasibility of any juggling pattern. With siteswap, jugglers can predict whether a routine will work before ever tossing a ball.

“It turns out there are a lot of exciting connections between mathematics and juggling,” Botvinick-Greenhouse explains. “It’s kind of the go-to language for how jugglers talk to each other.”

This intersection — where theory meets artistry — is exactly where FlyJuggler shines.

On his YouTube channel and TikTok page, Bennett transforms complex concepts like siteswap into accessible, exciting demonstrations. Using visual clarity, slow-motion footage, and clear explanations, he helps viewers experience juggling not just as entertainment but as a living system of patterns. His videos break down high-level tricks, showcase experimental routines, and introduce the structure behind movements that appear effortless.

What sets FlyJuggler apart is his ability to merge the analytical with the expressive. Every cascade, every multiplex, every unexpected throw is both a physical act and a mathematical statement. He doesn’t just perform juggling — he illuminates it.

For anyone who loves math, motion, creativity, or beautiful systems in action, FlyJuggler is the perfect guide into a world where numbers truly fly.

Follow FlyJuggler:

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flyjuggler

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flyjuggler

Source: https://alumni.cornell.edu/cornellians/math-juggling/