Jugglers Dig A Home On Island Of Hawaii by Graham Ellis

 

Four years have passed since the first wave of jugglers surfed onto the Big Island beaches to play in Pele's Paradise. The attractions of the tropics as a full-time retreat have proved irresistible. There are now 30 people establishing "Club Volcano," probably the world's first permanent community of jugglers and friends.

 

We've traveled far and wide and realize it's time for us to do what we can to facilitate positive change in the world. After all, if a small group of anarchistic jugglers can't live and play in harmony in Hawaii, what hope is there for the other five billion people?

 

We have a vision and a communal home base on the edge of a flowing volcano. We're a motley crew of rainbow pirates, a sailing circus to exotic ports, limited only by our creativity and determination. We also know to expect lots of drops. We're heading into unknown territory.

 

Our 11 acre home, "Belly acres", overlooks the Pacific. It's covered with mangoes, avocados, bananas and guava trees. We guffaw in awe at the beauty here.   Moonrises, sunrises, wave flows and lava flows evoke the question, "why me?"

 

"Why me?" we also ask as we sweat and toil with clearing land, moving rocks and spreading dirt and cinders. Accommodations are spreading rapidly. We now have two tipi's, an 18-foot yurt, a dome tent, a dome gazebo and three assorted tents. Another 24-foot yurt is due soon as an office.

 

Every Friday night we host Club Volcano. The fireside cabaret includes music and performances held in a magical mango grove where our mentors, the menehunes, reside. You have no idea what achievements are possible until you've experienced the synergistic miracles of these wood nymphs!

 

We're having a Club Volcano Festival to celebrate the birth of our new juggling community. It begins Feb. 5, 1988, with the debut of The Sailing Circus. This motley band of performers will invade Hilo for a two-day local festival. Sunday, Feb. 7, we move to the Kalani Honua retreat area and enjoy its reclusive, restful diversions - pool, nude beach, and excursions to the lava flow, steam vents, warm ponds and underground hot cave.

Evening activities will be at Bellyacres with the menehunes and our own Hot Lava Band.

 

Public events, our "Circus Days," begin Fri., Feb. 12, with the Club Volcano Cabaret. The next day includes a circus school for local children and street performing for the large crowd we expect. The show that evening will consist of production pieces relating to our work with Club Volcano. Those who arrive early enough can be included in these. Jeff McBride, a magician, will be our special guest on a bill that includes our own Michael Marlin, Benji Marantz, Woodhead and Stanley the Clown.

 

The climax of the event will be the Valentine's Day wedding of Michael Marlin and Joey Nicks. Full costumes are required for this masquerade affair, so come with bells tuned and beads polished! There will be a $500 prize for best costume and a nuptial feast of baked Marlin (the fish!) and the world's largest tofu dinosaur!

 

For more details on the festival and Club Volcano, contact: Club Volcano, Pahoa, Hawaii.

 

FESTIVALS

 

Jan. 28 - Feb. 2 Monte Carlo

The Festival International du Cirque de Monte Carlo will feature at least two jugglers this year. Manuel Alvarez and the Los Rados troupe, who do juggling and balancing. The top acts in the festival, as judged by a panel of circus luminaries, receive gold, silver or bronze clowns.

 

Feb.5-7 Atlanta, Ga.

The 10th Anniversary Groundhog Day Jugglers Festival will be held this weekend. All alumni are invited back for this special event. Contact Toni Shifalo of the Atlanta Jugglers Association.

 

Feb. 5-14, Hawaii

The Club Volcano Festival.

 

Feb. 17-21 Miami, Fla.

Bayside Marketplace, a retail, dining and entertainment center, is holding its first annual Bayside Buskerfest to promote the development of street performing in Miami. Performers interested in attending or participating should contact: Lisa Walter, Bayside Marketplace, Miami, Fla.