Young Brazilian Juggler Strives Against the Odds

BY BILL GIDUZ

 

The city of Cuiaba in Matto Grosso, Brazil, doesn't appear to be a very juggler-friendly place, but the Huber family is doing its best to make sure the locals know that jugglers are friendly people!

 

As German emigrees to Brazil, the Hubers have been trying for the past seven years to establish a performing career for their 16-year­old son, Ferdinand, and teach juggling to native Brazilians.

 

He had an elegant introduction into the art years ago when the family still lived in Berlin. Walking into the theatre lobby to attend the Christmas show, "Mensch en, Tiere, Sensationen," seven-year-old Ferdinand ended up playing catch with featured performer Kris Kremo, who was warming up the crowd! When Ferdinand saw Kremo's act in the show, he made up his mind that he wanted to be a juggler, too.

 

To earn money for fancy balls like Kremo's, Ferdinand convinced his mother, Heidemarie, to accompany him as he juggled in the Kurfurstendamm. Thanks to some kind strangers who thought the young juggler was unique enough to deserve a few coins, he earned enough money in a day for his props.

 

Mother took him to the "DieJonglerie" juggling shop, where Neil Stammer met Ferdinand and took an interest in the young aficionado. Stammer showed Huber how to pass with six balls, and demonstrated a nine ball pattern. Later, at a Berlin jugglers' dinner meeting, Stammer convinced Heidemarie and her husband that young Ferdinand did, indeed, have a special talent for juggling.

 

A year later the family moved to Brazil, where the career path for promising young jugglers is not so smooth as in Germany. "We thought juggling in Brazil must be fun because the people like rhythm, music and shows," said Heidemarie.

 

However, juggling is not at all a popular pursuit there as it is in western Europe and America. And since very few people have seen a juggling performance, there is not a ready market for its performance. Even those who have heard of "malabaristas" may not think highly of them, because the word in Portuguese also means "doing tricks to betray people!"

 

The Hubers say it's impossible to prosper as a street performer in Brazil. Though it can work in Berlin, they say street children in Cuiaba will run off with not only your tips, but also your radio and props!

 

So the Hubers decided to give lessons to the street children. They began with a sack of lemons from their garden, and next Heidemarie made 30 beanbags from old socks and rice. They went to a public plaza on Saturday afternoons, but it was filthy and uninviting. After some pleading with city officials they got permission to meet once a week in the back yard of city hall. It was a fine place, but apparently so fine that street children were intimidated and would not attend. Attendance was limited to upper class girls who were more interested in meeting Ferdinand than learning juggling!