Raised in Manchester, Maine, Jan began performing professional juggling shows at age 12. He attended Bard College, where he took several days off from running the school's Surrealist Training Circus to jot down an economics thesis. However, after studying with clown masters Avner Eisenberg and Julie Goell, Jan knew his future was on the stage, the street, or anywhere people might be entertained. He once won 5 consecutive college debate rounds in clown makeup. Having completed improbable street performing tours of Canada and Europe, Jan currently teaches and trains at the San Francisco Circus Center.