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The Champagne, The Glamour, The Juggling

Jess Monroe Tells of Lifestyle of Cabaret Juggler

by Bill Giduz

The U.S. Individual Championships stage was an entirely different experience for Jess Monroe. And though he finished last in the competition, he was proud to show the audience the style of juggling that has earned him steady work in smokey cabarets all over Europe for the past four years. Raised in New Jersey , he attended the IJA convention in Purchase, NY, in 1983 and left for Europe thereafter.

The niche he found there isn't the most glamorous. The customers come to the clubs where he performs not to see him, but to see and drink champagne with the girls who perform there as well. But the management demands that the obligatory variety on every bill do a sharp, clean routine. "If I have two drops it's a bad show," he said. And that's during a 15-minute routine. "If you drop much more than that, you're out of a job."

Performers like himself must deliver a certain "nightclub punch" that is a combination of classy costume, brassy background music, big smile and creative choreography. He generally does two 15-minute acts per night during the standard one-month stay at clubs all over Europe . He has 21 different routines he can use that include a wide variety of props - hat, cane and ball, ball spinning, cigar boxes, clubs, etc. He said others on the same circuit presently include Steve Bar , Sarin Montineau, Terry Parhade, Mark Robertson and Mark Steiger.

IJA BUSINESS NEWS

Life Membership Tops 100

Life Membership is more than 100 strong now! Quite a few IJA members were moved during the convention to sign up as Life Members of the organization and push the tally over the century mark.

We'd like to thank them and list their names here:

86. Kevin T. Wenzel, Irving, Tex;

87. Patricia Kelley, Rockaway Beach, N.Y.;

88. Richard Moll, Minneapolis , Minn. ;

89. Ray Calkins, FPO San Francisco , Calif;

90. Randy Mayo, Charlottesville , Va.;

91. Andy Howard, Marietta , Ga.;

92. Dave Parnin, Fort Wayne ,Ind.;

93. Jane Hussey, Arlington , Tex;

94. Albert Lucas, Las Vegas, Nev.;

95. Bruce Tiemann, Pasadena , Calif. ;

96. Beth Tison, Baltimore , Md. ;

97. Don Tison, Baltimore , Md. ;

98. Doug Hall, Cincinnati , Ohio ;

99. David Wilkins, Fort Wayne , Ind. ;

100. Richard Foley, Castle Rock, Colo. ;

101. Dan Berg, Marietta , Ga. ;

102. Richard Powers, Oceanside , Ore.

The Life Membership fee, now raised to $300, covers: first-class subscription to Juggler's World, reserved seating at convention events and a special membership card. The money collected from Life Memberships goes into a special endowment fund which assures the long-term stability of the organization.

IJA Board Sports New Faces

IJA members elected their board of directors for the coming year during the Denver convention. Those winning election were: Tricia Allen of Denver, Colo.; Carter Andrews of Nashville, Tenn.; Tom Bennett of Akron, Ohio; Sandy Brown of Frankfurt, Germany; Kevin Delagrange of Akron, Ohio; Bill Giduz of Davidson, N.C.; Laura Green of Baltimore, Md.; Tripp Holmgrain of Winston-Salem, N.C.; Perry Rubenfeld of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Ginny Rose of Buffalo, N.Y.; and Mike Vondruska of Bensenville, Ill.

It will be the first term of service for Allen, Andrews, Bennett, Holmgrain and Rubenfeld.

That group chose Delagrange to serve as chairman of the board, and renewed agreements with Rose to serve as paid treasurer and Rich Chamberlin to serve as paid secretary of the organization.

Board members agreed to chair committees to do the work of the organization. Committees assigned included:

Convention - Laura Green, Tom Bennett, Robert Peck, Mary Wilkins. Education - Mike Vondruska, Perry Rubenfeld, Todd Strong, Robert Peck. .

Sales & Marketing - Tripp Holmgrain, Sandy Brown.

Affiliates - Tom Bennett, Perry Rubenfeld.

Membership - Perry Rubenfeld, Rich Chamberlin.

Financial - Ginny Rose. Championships - Craig Barnes.

Video - Alan Howard, Mary Wilkins.

Juggler's World - Bill Giduz, Sharon Jacobs.

General members are encouraged to help by volunteering for

committee work. For more information, call Kevin Delagrange.