BINGHAM — Brothers Jason and Matthew Tardy can juggle knives, burning torches, spinning hoops and illuminated tubes that create streaks of light in the dark. Matthew Tardy can fit his body through a broken tennis racket.

They call themselves high energy jugglers and will perform their hour-long show, “TWO: High Energy Juggling,” at 7 p.m. Friday at Upper Kennebec Valley Memorial High School.

Originally from Buckfield, Jason and Matthew Tardy have performed at the White House three times, in addition to venues across the country. Choreographed to original music and featuring physical comedy, the show is appropriate for all ages and will benefit the sophomore class, said sophomore Andrew Marden, 15, of Bingham.

“I saw them on a family trip in Boothbay last year and thought they would be a good fundraiser,” he said. “It’s really a very fun act. They interact with the audience. They’re very energetic, and it’s great for all ages.”

John Berube, an English teacher and an adviser for the class, said tickets are $5, and a family of any size costs $12.

“I just think it would be great for the community because you don’t get a lot of things like this in a small, rural Maine community. And for the prices we’re charging, I think it’s very reasonable,” Berube said. A percentage of proceeds will help fund the sophomore class prom and the senior trip.

Jason Tardy said he and his brother, Matthew, have been juggling for 17 years, starting when he was 15 and his brother was 13. They perform between 125 and 175 shows per year.

“It’s the only job we’ve ever had,” he said.

The brothers first became interested in juggling after Michael Miclon, of the Oddfellow Theater, saw them perform a lip-synching routine in a local variety show in Buckfield. Miclon asked them if they wanted to learn to juggle.

“‘That sounds like the coolest thing ever. We’ll do that,'” Jason Tardy recalled. “We had no idea we’d do it for a career … Because we had the sibling rivalry going on at that age, we learned really, really fast.”

Matthew Tardy later learned he could twist and stretch his body in unusual ways, so they added a contortionist component to the show. He has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which is a connected tissue disorder that allows him to stretch more than an average person.

“In general, most contortionists you see, they’re born with that ability,” Jason Tardy said. “It’s not painful.”

The brothers do many school performances and teach students about avoiding drugs and alcohol, Tardy said. He said they are a good fit for the topic because they need to keep their bodies strong for their livelihoods.

Tickets are available at the high school’s main office. Berube said people may reserve them by calling 672-3300 or purchase them the night of the show. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Erin Rhoda — 612-2368

erhoda@centralmaine.com

To learn more about “TWO,” visit www.twoshow.com. The juggling performance starts at 7 p.m., Friday, at Upper Kennebec Valley Memorial High School in Bingham.

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