School Assembly Program

The Show Must Go On!

Matt presents a high-energy school program that will inspire and entertain students of all grade levels, K-12.

Drawing from his own experience of overcoming a life-threatening illness, Matt now shares his remarkable story with students across the country. He has developed a complete character education performance that will grab students’ attention with Matt’s amazing juggling skills, while showing them the importance of persevering and never giving up on your dreams.

“Matt Tardy’s performance was thoroughly enjoyed by both students and teachers alike. The students were thrilled by the juggling and amazing feats by Matt. I loved that Matt talked about the importance of practicing plus seeing the positive in situations. Wonderful show! Wonderful messages!”
-Melissa Kirking, Deep Wood Elementary PTA

Matt’s Story

As a world-class performer, Matt has performed many challenging feats. Juggling dangerous objects, balancing ladders on his face, and stuffing his entire body through a tennis racquet, to name a few. However, after performing for decades, the greatest challenge he would ever face was about to begin.

In 2019, Matt was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. As he battled for his life, he soon realized that he may never perform on stage again. Matt was devastated. He endured years of experimental treatments, and several very close calls, but Matt never gave up hope. He never lost sight of a future with his family, friends, and his passion for bringing joy to an audience. Slowly, he began making miraculous strides to recovery. He regained his strength, practiced his skills, and never quit. In 2025, against all odds, Matt returned to the stage, sharing not only his incredible juggling but the even more incredible story behind it with audiences across the country.

Tailored for all grade levels

Despite the difficult story that Matt shares, this show is truly a celebration of overcoming great challenges. His quirky sense of humor and seasoned showmanship, blended with a powerful message, creates a show that is uplifting, highly motivating. … and VERY entertaining! Matt wants all kids to know that no challenge is too big, and anything is possible with hard work and a positive mindset.

“The combination of education and entertainment made the event a huge success. Thanks, Matt, for a fantastic show!” -Tommy Thompson, Primrose School of Round Rock at Forest Creek

This show can be tailored for ALL grade levels. For younger audiences Matt can easily omit the “heavier” aspects of the story. If you desire, the message can be modified in a way that never mentions “cancer” directly, but still carries the challenges Matt faced.

Topics can include:

Hard work, perseverance, and never giving up
The willingness to make mistakes
Making healthy choices for your mind and body including eating right, exercising, and drug awareness
The importance of a solid education as a foundation to building up your goals and dreams
Showing kindness to others and anti-bullying tips

Matt would love the opportunity to share his uplifting story and world-class performance with your students. He feels this is a message that all students should hear. For that reason, Matt offers a sliding scale to schools who may not typically have the funds for his program.

“That was great! The kids were very impressed!” -Principal, Abbe Lester, Jarrell Middle School

Contact Matt today to share this amazing program with your students!

Juggling Workshops

Matt also offers fun and engaging juggling workshops! These workshops can be booked independently or paired with a show. Matt inspires and energizes students with his world-class juggling show and then leads participants in an interactive juggling lesson. It’s a great way for students to put their newfound determination to the test, while learning a cool new skill! Click here to learn more!