Yo-Yo Craze Hits Dexter District Library

The yo-yo craze of the 1950s came to life Friday at the Dexter District Library as Yo-Master Zeemo (Paul Kyprie) took to the stage, dazzling youngsters with myriad juggling and yo-yo tricks.

Kyprie, a resident of Whitmore Lake, said his repertoire includes more than 200 tricks, from fundamental showstoppers such as “walk the dog” and “around the world” to more complex stunts such as juggling pins while yo-yoing.

He said he has been playing with yo-yos since the late 1950s.

“That was the form of entertainment for kids when I was growing up,” Kyprie said. “Nothing was on TV, so we had to find some alternative form of entertainment. Our games involved marbles, spin tops, yo-yos and kick the can.”

Kyprie, who uses the stage names Zeemo the Magnificent, Yo-Master Zeemo, Dr. Zeemo and Zeemo the Yo-Yo Man, said he always enjoys performing in front of a live audience and does 150 shows a year throughout the state.

“It’s different every single time,” he said. “My favorite part is being able to spend time with the kids after the performance and watch them experiment and play with the yo-yos.”

Robert Royce of Ann Arbor said he was inspired to continue practicing after seeing Kyprie’s performance.

“I liked the really cool tricks that he did,” Royce said.

Roshan Kilgore of Bloomington, IN, said Kyprie’s “walk the dog” act was his favorite.

“I’m just learning (how to yo-yo), but it was fun to watch,” he said.

Kyprie said teaching children how to play is fundamentally important for him, both as a professional yo-yo master and an entertainer.

“There’s not enough programs for kids to go out and play anymore,” he said. “Yo-yos don’t require you to be on a team to have fun while developing valuable skills such as hand-eye coordination. We’re cutting so far back on recreation budgets, it's hard for children to get the physical activity that they need.”

For information on future Zeemo shows or booking requests, visit Kyprie's website.