The Third World Festival of the Circus of the Future

 

This special festival aimed at young participants was carried out in the same fashion as the Circus of Tomorrow. This year, two jugglers did very well:

 

Francoise Rochaix

 

This 15-year-old majorette comes from the small village of Les Sables d'Oionne. She was seen by an Australian juggler who recognized her talent. He convinced her parents to let her go to Australia for three months to learn the basics of juggling. The young woman is very talented, and the results were revealing. She juggles easily with three, four, five, and six majorette batons. Her presentation was pleasing because, beside the good work, it was a new act in Europe. Francoise Rochaix received a silver medal.

 

Sergei Ignatov Jr.

He isn't the son of Sergei Ignatov, but the nephew of the celebrated Soviet juggler. His father and mother are also circus artists. Sergei, who everyone has baptized as "the little prince of juggling," is the fourth generation of artists in his family. He surprised us with his professionalism, both in performance and in practice.

 

This 13-year-old has juggled since age two and had only finalized his act three weekbefore he came to Paris! During these three weeks, the Soviet circus management sent him to a circus in Riga to familiarize him with the ambiance and applause of the public. His work is clean and without the slightest mistake. He starts with a club and tap dances. Then he juggles three, four and five beach balls which tumble and create a dreamy air for the act. He followed with six knives and finally five clubs.

 

This young man concentrated, but maintained a very funny look and attitude; quite different from the usual mechanical performance of jugglers his age. Sergei gave the impression of having a good time and literally charmed the public. He received a gold medal.

 

14th International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo

 

There were very few jugglers in Monte Carlo in 1989, but all three brought home prizes for juggling.

 

Kong Xiang Hong

 

Acrobatic exercise has existed in China for eons. It was born among the peasants, which explains why the artists use bowls and jars for the art of juggling. At 23-years-old, Kong Xiang Hong is originally from Henan. He took over his father's act. His juggling of jars (the heaviest of which weighs about 20 pounds) required 14 years of effort at about seven hours of practice per day. He won the Jean­Louis Marsan prize.

The Lanka Duo

 

Uno Lanka, originally from Sri Lanka (the first time this country has been represented at Monte Carlo) put on a superb act of balancing, juggling and music. He balanced a ball and then a pyramid of glasses on the bow of a violin held between his teeth. He finally played a violin while maintaining the balance by rubbing it across the bow. Abandoning his instrument, he juggled with three balls, maintaining the balance all the while. His act ended with a balance of three golf clubs and two golf balls on his forehead while he played the flute. Of amazing talent, and never seen by the public at the festival, the Lanka Duo won the prize of the magazine Cirque dans l' Univers.

 

Victor Ponce & Sylvia

 

I won't do you the disservice of trying to describe the act of this elegant Argentine juggler of tambourines, clubs and straw hats, because he has worked in the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. He won the prize of the Monte Carlo Swimming Club.

 

In all, this festival was of high quality, despite the small number of participants (27). The flying trapeze act from the Pyongyang Troupe (N. Korea) won the Gold Clown.

Silver clowns went to:

1) The Shan­dong Troupe (China), two women and two men balancing on rola-bola;

2) Lara and Stefano Orfei Nones (Italy) who presented wild animals;

3) Nadja Gasser (Switzerland) who presented seals;

4) The Kotsuba Family (USSR) for hand balancing;

5) The Flying Navas (Ecuador) who presented flying trapeze.

 

(Frederic Bollmann lives in Sorvelier, Switzerland, and is editor of the circus fan's magazine, "Cirque.")