Encounters along the road to the Amherst festival

by Kit Summers

 

Traveling across country recently from West Coast to East, I saw many great juggling acts I'd like to tell you about.

 

My first stop was Las Vegas, where I had the dual privilege of seeing David Lucas and Anthony Gatto. David was at the MGM Hotel and Casino, doing an act with polish and stage presence that will surely put him at the forefront of his profession.

 

He opened with three and then five clubs. He did eight rings for many throws before pulling them over his head, then a routine with four and five tennis rackets. He used billiard pockets on his hips to work down from seven to three balls. I saw a great combination trick where he spun rings on his leg and arm, spun a ball on his finger and juggled three rings in one hand. He ended the act with a wonderful three torch display.

 

David has learned to relax on stage and establish a rapport with the audience, especially through facial expressions.

 

After that show I saw Anthony Gatto perform. Smiles, smiles, smiles and so much audience appeal! This young man has learned not just to stand and juggle ­ everyone knows he can do that superbly - but involves himself in the feelings of the audience and acknowledges appreciation throughout his routine. He did a great three club routine, then balanced a coyote doll on his head and juggled seven rings that he caught on the coyote's arms and legs. With five clubs he balanced one of his forehead and juggled four, then dropped into a five club juggle. Finally he did under the leg throws and backcrosses using double flips.

 

It's always a pleasure to watch young artists mature, and I would advise all who can to take in Anthony's new show at the earliest opportunity. Nick Gatto and Albert Moreira, Anthony and David's fathers, used to do an act together under the name of Los Gattos Trio. All their skills have gone into the training of their respective sons, a trio (including David's brother, Albert Lucas) of the best jugglers of this generation.

 

I also visited Rejean St. Jules, who works at Circus Circus. Predictably in that setting, he builds his act around a circus theme. He opens with four and five clubs, then force bounces five balls off a drum. His bounces are thrown from the center, rather than the outside of the pattern - an interesting and difficult variation on the norm. He ended with eight rings and a pulldown over his head.

 

With a wistful glance back, I left Las Vegas and went to Boulder, Colorado, to visit Airjazz. For those unfamiliar with the trio of Jon Held, Peter Davison and Kezia Tenenbaum, they are not a rock band, but a band of jugglers who assimilate dance into their show. Rumors are they are on their way to an off-Broadway show. They certainly have enough material for it!

 

From Boulder I whisked off to Chicago to witness a taping of "The Bozo Show" in which Andrew Head, the current IJA U.S. Nationals champion, performed. Andrew's character has developed quite a bit even since he won the championship in Atlanta. He seems to do every trick possible with one bowler hat. One remarkable move was letting the hat roll down his back to have it roll up again by itself!

 

In Cleveland I met with prop manufacturer Todd Smith, who showed me prototypes of his new model of club, the Elan line. Jugglers will be pleased, I'm sure, with the appearance of the Elans, and their good balance is superb for body throws.

 

On the east coast I visited Lottie Brunn at her home. We went to a shopping mall where she proved she's still one of the best women jugglers ever. She is so fast with three balls it's incredible, and her ball spinning is excellent. In that same show Ken Sherburne did clubs on a rolling globe, three tennis rackets, an axe, knife and torch, three and four clubs on a unicycle and finally axes on a nine-foot unicycle.

 

Next it was off to Amherst, Massachusetts, for the mini convention April 4-6. But it was more than a mini­convention - more than 250 jugglers attended from as far away as Toronto, Canada and San Diego, California (me!). Carol Gagnon and Susan Kirby did a marvelous job of staging the event.

 

There were workshops throughout the day Saturday, including devil sticks by Paul Richmond and club passing with Holly Greeley, Richard Dingman and Waldo. Jim Neff and Alan Howard talked about advanced three ball juggling, and Richard Cyler headed a diabolo workshop. Sunday's workshops included myself on making money with your juggling, Karen Rothstein on club swinging and hat manipulation by Rich Digiovana.

 

There was a big public show Saturday night. Dickens the clown did diabolo moves, followed by Susan Kirby and Mark Kloch, the Crab Trap Jugglers. They did a great box routine in which Susan played the straight woman to Mark's comedy. The Dexterity Brothers followed by juggling a plunger, chicken and bucket of water, as well as knocking a banana out of a volunteer's mouth.

 

After a drawing for props donated by various manufacturers, Larry Vee entertained the audience. When he juggled four tennis balls and two basketballs simultaneously, the crowd went crazy. Next I took the stage to do a club swinging routine using machetes and a lot of comedy. Alan Howard concluded the show with some great juggling.

 

Notable things I saw on the gym floor included Greg Moss's unique club pass, which is better described as a "launch." It starts like a shoulder throw, but instead of spinning the club to his partner, he launches it flat from behind his back by pushing on the knob with his open hand.

 

Alan Howard kicked up a devil stick to a balance. Fred Strempl assumed his usual position behind a soccer net against the wall to contain his seven ball practice. For a nice topping on the weekend, Mother Nature provided jugglers with a two-inch snowfall Saturday night.

 

The overall atmosphere was informal and spontaneous. Everyone left looking forward to San Jose this summer!