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THE MAILBOX

When I first got to Nome eight year ago, no one there had ever seen a clown or circus. It was simply outside the Eskimo culture and too complicated to import. So, I took to dressing up as a clown for parades, juggling for school classes and teaching kids at the Teen Center where I worked.

Through this, I gained a certain amount of noteriety and confused a lot of small children who couldn't figure out if I was really a white person who dressed as a clown occasionally or a clown who dressed down as a white person. Since the population of Nome is only 2,500, I'd see the same people every day.

One year I was privileged to attend a discussion group during the Eskimo elders' conference. They talked of life before the white man and told me of many of the native games. All the games came with songs, much like jumping rope rhymes. One was a chant done while two stones were juggled in one hand. When the stones fell your fortune was revealed by the song at the time of the miss. These games were learned from mothers while children sat on the beaches in the spring and summer waiting for the salmon runs.

Between Christmas and New Years, many Nome churches hold game nights where the congregation divides into two teams for five nights of relay races. Invariably a juggling race is included. All the little ladies get out and show their stuff: two stones in one hand for 30 yards. Drop a stone and you must start over.

That's the extent of Eskimo juggling as I've experienced it. The last three summers I've worked on a tug boat going up and down the Northern Coast and have juggled at the elementary school at each port. Both the teachers and kids enjoy the break and excitement. Jim Kerr came up from Anchorage and performed with me in Nome's Midnight Sun Festival. Next winter I hope to gather a varied troupe of entertainers and travel from village to village. I am talking to school officials about that now.

Lew Tobin - Nome, AK

Don Hooten, a long-time show business personality who supplied top hats to many IJA members, died recently at age 65.

Hooten started his show business career when he was five years old. He worked in numerous phases of the business as storyteller, pantomimist, baton-twirler, tap dancer, master of ceremonies and rope spinner:

He began devoting less time to entertainment and more time to the Prudential Life Insurance Co. about 20 years ago. He became a certified life underwriter for Prudential and worked for the firm until his retirement in 1978.

Some 15 years ago he founded the Don Hooton International Import Co., which imported top hats from Germany.

Karl-Heinz Zeithen suffered a serious injury to his left leg when he slipped and fell between the platform and railway carriage while stepping from a train in London in February. He is presently at the Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead, London NW3, and it is expected to be several months before he is reasonably mobile again.

Ironically, Karl underwent major surgery for a heart condition last September. The unfortunate new injury comes on the eve of publication of his two-volume book, 4,000 Years of Juggling. All IJAers wish him a speedy and thorough recovery.

Lindsay Leslie - Newport-on-Tay, Scotland

While I never see other jugglers in the Orlando, Fl. area, interested people occasionally approach me when I practice. Recently, someone told me about Mr. Lew Foldes, another juggler in town.

The next day I visited him at his business, an ice rink, and found a most amazing man.

Born in Austria, he came to this country in 1910 at age seven. Despite problems with his eyes now, I watched him expertly bounce five and six balls and later watched some of his three, four and five ball routines. He told me he used to shower six and hold a seven ball cascade for 30 seconds.

His entertainment career began as a dancer, but jobs were scarce and he decided to incorporate juggling into his act. He was 35 then, but soon began juggling full time. The new career took him all over the world, including two trips to South America with Holiday on Ice. Around that time, in 1948, he juggled in the original Broadway production of Carousel, performing outrageous tray spinning. Later, he booked himself in ice shows and night clubs.

We discussed the many famous jugglers he knew personally (Harry Lind, Francis Brunn. Marcello Truzzi, Bobby May) and how they juggled together at Bothners Gym on 42nd Street in New York City.

Mr. Foldes also showed me the props he had used for 40 years, including taped tambourines for juggling, handmade wooden clubs and rings, devil sticks, top hats and the Dracula cape in which he concealed them all.

William Reed Gregory - Altamonte Springs, FL

Ringling Brothers' and Barnum and Bailey Clown College is now accepting applications for the 1981 session, held for nine weeks beginning in mid-September.

Open auditions will be held in many of the Major cities in conjunction with the appearance of the RBB&B circus, but an audition is not mandatory. For information and application to he school, which is free, write to: CLOWN COLLEGE, Venice, FL.

A clever little piece you can pull of quickly and pleasantly is when someone takes your picture (you see the flash) stop immediately. Put down your props, adjust your tie or brush your hair with your hands (like you want to look your best for the next picture). Then pick up your props and continue to juggle. You don't have to say a word!

I always liked originality and never took another juggler's material- that is, unless I was alone or with somebody! I was the World's Greatest Juggler (Pause) number 7,562.

Bernard Joyce - Altoona, PA

Currently there is much juggling activity in London and much public interest from the media. My own workshop is very busy each week and I'm doing a lot of regular shows. Dr. Hot and Neon have just finished a run in a West End variety show and their act was singled out as the high spot in all the reviews. The Flying Karamazovs are playing at the Mayfair Theatre for six weeks, too.

We have finalized plans for the Fourth IJA European Convention and are hoping some of our North American juggling friends can attend. I expect as many as 100 European jugglers will come. Details are listed elsewhere in this issue.

Tim Batson London, England

Here's a four ball gag some members might like to try. After you finish a three ball routine, pick up the fourth ball, look at the audience and say "four" (Pause)... "Maybe"! (This should get a chuckle). Then juggle two in the right hand and say, "Here's two of them." Stop the juggling with the right hand and start with the left hand and say, "Here's the other two." Then go into your regular four-ball routine. After a few moves with the four, you let them drop to the floor. Look down at them, up at the audience and say, "Well, you've heard of 'four on the floor' haven't you?'"

I would recommend bean bags rather than balls so they stay close together on the drop. For a super finish, an acrobatic juggler does a flip landing on his back on the floor and says, "Here's five on the floor!"

Roger Montandon - Bixby, OK

CORRECTION

The last issue of the Newsletter incorrectly stated that the Flying Jimenez won the Gold Clown at the Seventh Monte Carlo Circus. The actual winner was the Troupe Parvanovi from the Bulgarian State Circus for their fast-moving teeterboard act. The Flying Jimenez won a Silver Clown, as did juggler Dick Franco. Franco was given, in addition, the Prix Andre-Rivollet, a cash award of about $600 and the Prix du Club Suisse du Cirque.