Page 3 Winter 1984-85
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Letters:
Call
for opinions: It
is with great pleasure and a deep sense of commitment that I address
you for the first time in my new position as championships director. I
would like to thank my predecessor, Greg Moss, who has turned the
championships over to me in an unbelievably organized package. In the
past four years Greg has developed the championships into a
respectable, professional operation. His accomplishments and
commitment to a smooth transition have, and will in the future, make
my job much easier.
While
we're on the subject of my job, though, I'm curious about just what it
is. Do I maintain the status quo, leaving things the way the are? Or
do I take the U.S. Nationals to the 1988 Summer Olympics. Both of
these possibilities would result in an event that the IJA could be
proud of. And there is certainly a whole range of options between
these two; all of which are valid and perfectly feasible. Each would
result in a different position for the IJA, both internally and
externally.
The
championships are one of the IJA's greatest tools. They can attract or
discourage new members; they can generate money for the staging of
conventions and the publication of Juggler's World; they can
promote juggling as an art or a sport, perhaps both.
They
can be whatever the IJA chooses to make them. But without your input,
they will only be what I choose to make them. I have my own thoughts
and opinions about the future of the championships. But the
championships are not mine, they are yours. It is up to you to
consider the possibilities and decide what you want. It is also up to
you to communicate your thoughts to me. That is one of the purposes of
the questionnaire in this issue of Juggler's World. Please take
some time to fill it out thoughtfully and return it. If you have more
to say, say it. Write me a letter, give me a call, just get involved!
I
hope I'll see you all in Atlanta next summer. Holly
Greeley - IJA Championships Director Amherst. Massachusetts
Cheers
for volunteers: Congratulations
on a fantastic Fall 1984 issue. It was worth the extra wait. The quality
of the IJA magazine continues to grow from issue to issue. I
occasionally have to pinch myself to be reminded that the whole
organization runs on volunteers. This is why I especially appreciated
the piece about Greg Moss.
From
my heavy involvement as a volunteer in other organizations, I can
commiserate with what Greg is saying. But for those in the IJA who have
never put in a lot of time without pay for a cause they believe in, all
I can say is: try it. Then you may appreciate all the sacrifice that
Greg has gone through for four years on all of our behalves.
If
I was a more adroit juggler and could be a part of the payload on one of
the future space shuttle flights, I would take advantage of the moon's
reduced gravity to give Greg what he so justly deserves: A TWENTY-ONE
BALL SALUTE! Richard
Aaron - Toronto, Canada All
aboard! Renegade
Juggling Equipment and the Renegade Jugglers are currently arranging for
train transportation to the Atlanta convention next summer. We welcome any
and all interested parties to join us on a transcontinental juggling
extravaganza. If you are interested, please drop us a line for details: Renegade - Santa Cruz, California Europe/USA: I
believe characteristics of American and European jugglers can be
illustrated by looking at the difference between the competitions at our
respective conventions.
In Frankfurt this year, following in the tradition of Laval, we stressed that the competitions were "just for fun" and that "games" would be a more appropriate term for what was going on. (In German, the distinction is made clear by talking about Wettspiele - competitive games, as opposed to Wettkampfe - competitive struggle. Almost all the events were team games, and the "best" competitors were clearly not those who showed individual brilliance but who entered into the spirit of things most freely...
What
I'm saying is that to introduce serious competitions would be to destroy
this uniquely playful atmosphere. It's the element of friendly play which
gives the European conventions their special character, and I believe that
most of us Traveling Players (and even the few Olympians) would like to
keep things that way...
This
distinction between Traveling Players and Olympians also applies to the
content of Juggler's World. Without wishing to detract from
the tremendous improvement in the general quality of the mag, I get the
feeling that it's become a mag for, or at least primarily about,
Olympians. I'm thinking of features like that on Albert Lucas or earlier
on Anthony Gatto, which are in general fairly uncritical of the big-time
variety business.
In
Europe, I get the impression that most of the professionals and
semi-professionals who attend the European conventions have mixed feelings
about the branch of business they're in. Most of them want to earn an
adequate amount of money, but few of them seem to have the ambition to
headline variety bills or allow themselves to be packaged by agents or the
media or whoever else hires them. And that is reflected by the high
proportion of those who, by choice, prefer to do the majority of their
performing work on the streets. They prefer the direct contact with the
public, the challenge to their powers of spontaneity, and the splendid
independence which this kind of performing can offer. Paul
Keast - Co-editor, KASKADE Wiesbaden, Germany In
Memoriam Anna Letkowski, a street performer and original member of the Baltimore Jugglers Association, died Nov. 16, 1984. In 1978 she helped found The Freelance Fools troupe, a Baltimore-area clowning and juggling company. Many friends remember her in the role of Sweet Patootie, and as a puppeteer. Born Sept. 5, 1950, she died of leukemia she was aware of for three years before her death. |