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Allan Jacobs of Slaphappy planned to juggle in the New York-based Balletfore's holiday production of "The Nutcracker Suite." During previous practice with the classical dance ensemble, Jacobs joked that they should write him into a production. He was surprised and pleased this fall when the producer announced that they had finally done just that.

Jacobs was to appear in the Nov. 27 Dec. 1 shows as Drosselmeyer, a friendly uncle of the family who has been portrayed previously as a magician. In this production, of course, uncle is a manipulator of hats, scarves, clubs and balls.

Tony Duncan is back in New York after a summer of juggling on the streets of Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Duncan does two ten-minute shows nightly at the Greenwich Village club "Mostly Magic" through December. The former IJA seven ball record holder is working now on one ball, three ball and three club juggling "polishing things up." Next spring, he and Steve Bernard plan to further the work they did together in Europe by collaborating on a two-man show.

Brian Dube, back from the European convention, reports juggling is booming on the continent. Two new business associates, Werner Rausch and Werner Luft, will be selling Dube's equipment exclusively at their new Berlin store, "Jonglierie." Dube estimates there are now about eight equipment manufacturers in Germany alone.

The Institut Francais de Jonglage will be in the USA in February and March performing school assembly shows through the auspices of the Juggling Institute. Dave Finnigan, founder of the institute, is traveling in the Far East with Barrett Felker performing and teaching juggling at military bases.

Building on a seven-year association with the Juggling Institute, Mike Vondruska has become its director. Instructors now certified by the institute are Larry Kluger in Oakland, California, and Jahnathon Whitfield and Peter Heitott in Santa Ana. Vondruska said he welcomes inquiries from others interested in becoming local area instructors.

In Las Vegas, Anthony Gatto continues to astound his father, Nick Gatto, with an outstanding ability to learn juggling tricks quickly. Nick says Anthony successfully showered six balls the first time he tried it, and is now working on seven! On Nov.

19, Anthony was to perform by invitation for Queen Elizabeth and the royal family in London in the Royal Command Performance. As an acrobat and juggler himself, Nick worked the same site, the Prince of Wales Theater, 34 years ago, but the Queen wasn't in the audience then!

Another Las Vegas Juggler, Rejean St. Jules, opens a year-long stay at CircusCircus in January. The finale of his routine will be under black light, bouncing five fluorescent orange balls off a drum head while wearing white gloves and a dark costume. Though he doesn't perform it, St. Jules says he can make a couple of passes with seven balls as well.

Michael Davis was to perform as the opening act for Shirley MacLaine at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas Dec. 27 - Jan. 1. This fall, he toured with Julio Iglesia nationwide, performing a 30 minute opening act. At a stop in Los Angeles during the Olympics, Davis juggled a javelin, a discus and a shot put! On Jan. 14 he is scheduled to appear on the Bob Monkhouse television show in London.

Barry Friedman and Daniel Holzman, The Raspyni Brothers, continue to take advantage of good jobs on the Renaissance fair circuit. They performed this year at fairs in Los Angeles, Minnesota, Chicago and Texas. Also at the Texas site were Arsene, Nick Newlin and Claude Sims.

During the week when the fairs are shut down, Holzman has been practicing solo work in the gentleman juggler style.

It took 47 tries, but Albert Lucas finally juggled two tomatoes, an onion, mushroom, a green pepper, a bunch of carrots, and a bunch of celery for 23 tosses. The 1984 IJA U.S. Nationals champion performed the seven vegetable feat for a Lancia Spaghetti Sauce commercial currently airing in Canada. The difficult trick was made harder by the fact that Lucas began with just two tomatoes, then picked up the other ingredients from a table top and added them to the pattern without stopping!

Otherwise, Lucas reports he is still working on juggling 12 rings and seven clubs between his nightly appearances at the Hacienda Hotel in Las Vegas.

Lana Reed of the Amazing Fantasy Jugglers in Boston appeared in American national television and print ads in November and December promoting a new line of Wang computers. The ad conveyed the idea that the computer helped secretaries "juggle" their work load. Seated at a desk, Lana caught and juggled four balls tossed from off camera by her husband, Don Reed. In the print ad, she juggled five. It will appear as a two-page color spread in January editions of People magazine. Lana was to appear for Wang at a Las Vegas computer show in midNovember in conjunction with the campaign.

Otherwise, the Amazing Fantasy Jugglers as a troupe will appear at the beginning of the new movie, "Little Sister."

Another Boston juggler, Bob Dunning, is also in that film.

Gene Jones of New York City has taped a comedy TV commercial for the New England Brown Egg Association in which he juggles three eggs. Geno is keeping busy with his Juggler's Network (see News Notes) as well as a number of personal appearances. He will provide roving entertainment for the MTV New Year's Eve party, and also WINS radio's Christmas party. He juggled torches one evening at Studio 54 disco as well!

Avner the Eccentric is performing a one-mime show at the Lamb's Theatre in. New York. He forte is balancing and comedy, but he does juggle of baseball bats.