FESTIVALS

 

Winnipeg Juggling Festival Winnipeg , Canada

The third annual Winnipeg festival in mid-April was the best yet. Mayor William Norrie proclaimed juggling week in the city and more than 500 participants crowded a high school gym for two days. A variety of workshops were taught by Dave Finnigan and Mike Vondruska of the Juggling Institute. They also served as masters of ceremony for the competitions and public show.

 

A Friday street show for students who couldn't attend the evening show included magic, string designs, soccer juggling and team juggling. There were mass joggling races, and John Matas won the senior championship for the third time.

 

On Friday night competitions were held using the IJA scoring system. The junior winner was Danny Miles from Winnipeg , who performed a funny story of creation. Bob Palmer from Saskatchewan won the seniors championship with his excellent performing skills.

 

Saturday featured workshops, more competitions and a phenomenally successful public show. Finnigan did a fine job introducing jugglers, magicians, mimes, team shows and unicycles.

A highlight was the juggling challenge taken by Mark Pomrenke, a local clown. However, he failed to juggle a telephone book, garden hose and pizza for the required throws and received the traditional pie in the face.

 - John Matas

 

Spoleto Festival Charleston , South Carolina

The Spoleto Festival, the largest fine arts festival in the world, kicked off May 20 with opening remarks by festival organizers and an appearance of the Flying Fettucini Brothers, Sean Sullivan and Steve Langley of Charlotte , N.C.

 

Larry Jordan of the New World Jugglers cut his street performing teeth at the Charleston Market. BiII Fry, the street performers' coordinator, dusted off his street show for a few rounds of pass the hat.

 

In the following week, the juggling dam burst and people arrived from all over. Allan Boyle came from Atlanta . Dave Levesque flew in from Portland . Mike Kushla drove down from Washington , D.C. Even Rich DiGiovanna tore himself away from a thriving real estate business to pass a few.