Henry Prudencio stood beside his bicycle near the intersection of Van Nuys Boulevard and San Fernando Road in Pacoima under clear blue skies and temperatures in the 70s. On this December day he was dressed for work in his multicolored shirt, black with white spotted shorts, black and white knee-high socks, black and white striped vest, and a checkered cap.
He eyed the traffic moving down Van Nuys Boulevard, clutching his fluorescent juggling clubs. As the signal turned red, the steady flow of vehicles stopped and Prudencio rushed into the street to give them a performance. The 39-year-old Prudencio, who goes by “La Comadreja jajaja” or “The Weasel hahaha” in English, began juggling and dancing in the street to amuse motorists waiting for the green light.
The colorful juggling clubs are thrown in the air as Prudencio catches them and returns them skyward. He spins and dances as he uses his hands, feet, and legs to bounce the clubs around, never missing a beat of the music from his cell phone. Some motorists smile and laugh as they watch one of the many traffic light-timed performances.
Before the light turns green and sends his audience on their way he takes a bow, hoping for a dollar or two of generosity from the captive audience, and rushes to the open car windows where hands are holding greenbacks.
Prudencio, who worked as a clown in his native El Salvador before emigrating to the United States in 2015 and settling in Sylmar, collects tips from drivers to earn extra money. As traffic moves again, Prudencio makes his way to the sidewalk and back to his position near the intersection, wiping the sweat from his brow, taking advantage of a brief green light break, and readying himself for his next red light performance.