NOTES

 

* Anthony Gatto won a Gold Medal at the fifth Festival di Circo Mexicano in Mexico City in November, and fellow performers carried him around the ring on their shoulders when the prize was presented. Gatto was next off to Europe, where he performed in television shows in Munich and Milan, and won a Silver Medal at the Gran Premio Internazionale del Circo in Genoa, Italy. Also among the list of 27 international stars from 17 countries at the Genoa festival was Kristian Kristof, a Hungarian juggler who worked with hats and cigar boxes. Gatto juggled 11 rings in all those performances, and tried 12 in Genoa. He is back in Las Vegas now, performing at the Lady Luck casino.

 

* Look for jugglers in the upcoming Caroleo Studios film, "The Road to Wellville." Anthony Christian, Duane Deardorff, Karl Guth and Frank Jeffreys of the N.C. State University Juggling Club juggled Dube cork-body clubs and wooden balls in this "dark comedy," which is set in 1908. They were dressed in turn-of-the-century clothes, given some facial hair, and told to juggle in a garden party scene. The star of the show, John Cusak, runs through their pattern and destroys it in the scene. The movie is due for release this summer.

 

* IJA Junior champion Jay Gilligan made a nationwide appearance juggling torches in the big show at halftime of the Orange Bowl. He was invited to the event with the Finley (Ohio) Unicycle Club and juggled along with his brother Todd and friend Andrew Lane. Otherwise, Jay said he's enjoying his junior year in high school and doing only a little performing. He has enjoyed spending time with Senior champion Fritz Grobe in Bloomington, Ind., where the pair have been able to bounce pass 15 balls between them! Grobe reportedly learned many new diabolo moves during his trip to Europe last fall for the European convention, and can now keep three going.

 

* John Nations is juggling up to five clubs, serving tables, singing and banging a tambourine at the Ristorante Carnivale at Walt Disney World Dolphin. Other jugglers in the establishment are Reggie John and Jeff Deceder. Nations attended the European convention last fall and ended up winning the five club endurance contest and club-balance­on-the-face contest. Back in America, he won the "Most Stupendous" Punxatawney Phil trophy at this year's Atlanta Juggler's

Association Groundhog Day Festival. Other winners were Jay Gilligan as "Most Spectacular" and Brian Patz as "Most Incredible."

 

* Bruce Sarafian, who is listed in the 1993 and 1994 Guinness Book as a world record holder for juggling 11 bean bags, says now he's working on 12. He hopes to have the feat mastered by the time of the IJA festival in Burlington, which he plans to attend. Sarafian and partner Todd Kay perform as "Two of Clubs" in Orlando, Fla.

 

* Some juggling license plates around the country... Bruce Sarafian has Florida plate JUGL 11... Steve Salberg has New Jersey plate JUGLR, and his wife, Jennifer, has JUGLR2...

 

* Dan Menendez was broadcast as "The Play of the Day" with his piano juggling act in January on CNN Sports Latenight. He was shown doing a halftime show for about 10 seconds with his floor piano.

 

* Dale Jones, the one-armed comedy juggler, is filling the upcoming season with fair dates. Catch his act at the Iowa State Fair (Aug. 11-21), Tennessee Valley Fair (Sept. 9-17), Heart of Texas Fair (Oct. 1-5) and Arkansas State Fair (Oct. 7-16).

 

* Jugglers at the 1993-94 Sarasota International Circus Festival included Brian Weller, the Knott Brothers (Steve Haimes, Bryant McConn, Dave Bucala and Russ Hany) , Andre Soumiatin and umbrella juggling by the Akisians.

 

* Michael Moschen, Mark Nizer and Carl Carlson were featured on an episode of TV's "L.A. Law" in early February that concerned stealing a juggling routine. Moschen was accused by his former partner and mentor, the elderly Carlson, of stealing his material. Nizer made a brief appearance as an amateur unicycle riding, torch-juggling performer showing a new routine to an unimpressed arbiter involved with the case. Moschen and Carlson were shown juggling three balls. The arbiter decided that Moschen had not stolen Carlson's routine, and the judge ruled that Moschen must include Carlson in half his routines for the following year. Carlson is best known for his starring role in the film, "The Juggler of Notre Dame."

 

* Mark Nizer's home in Sylmar, Calif., was just a mile from the epicenter of the January Northridge earthquake. Though his home retained its structural integrity, he said much of his family's personal effects was destroyed. Another problem after the quake was finding a place to practice ­ all his usual gymna­sium sites were being used as quake relief centers!