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Lotte Brunn was among three 1996 inductees into the Circus Hall of Fame during a July 20 banquet of the Circus Fans of America. Tom Dunwoody, president of the nonprofit organization, said she is the only juggler among the 150 or so circus luminaries who have been so honored. Brunn received the IJA's Historical Achievement Award in 1992. An inscribed plaque with Brunn's picture now hangs in the Hall of Fame Room at the facility in Peru, Ind. The Hall of Fame was created in 1955 in Sarasota, Fla., but has been located in Peru since 1988. During the summer season, it features circus performances, magic shows, a menagerie and steam calliope concerts. Any member of the public may nominate an inductee to the Hall, and votes for membership are cast by about 30 internationally recognized circus owners, historians and producers.

 

· Looking for some new variations on five clubs? Although perfection is far in the future, Peter Blanchard claims to have achieved a long run of a new juggling pattern called "Blanchard's Balance." Just after launching into what turned out to be about 50 throws of five clubs in triple spins, a large piece of lint floated down from the stratosphere of the University of Alberta's aptly named Butterdome and settled in the eddies just above the cross in Blanchard's pattern. The lint stayed there, stabilized like a ping-pong ball balanced in the stream of a blow dryer, for the entire run. Unfortunately, subsequent attempts to repeat the pattern have been disastrously unsuccessful and embarrassing!

 

The Butterfly Man, Robert Nelson, served as artistic director and emcee for seven street artists known collectively as "The Wild Ones" who presented a four day extravaganza "Bravo Show" sponsored by the Sydney (Australia) Cove Authority. This 90 minute "ultimate juggling show" included: A.J. James doing a mini-tramp somersault over seven people while holding fire torches; Tom Comet, a.k.a. "The Beast," dressed in spikes, goggles and lycra with a chainsaw on a 12 foot unicycle; Zip And Zap, (Dom Ferry and Andy Young) with the "walk of death," doing fire and knife passing over, under, around and through members of the audience; Bob Lizardo risking his life and that of others in a heart-stopping, gut busting semi-nude razor-bladed double-high rola-bola using a kitchen sink; Damien Daredevil, reputedly raised by dredlocked Aborigines, becoming a fire breathing, sword swallowing maniac who feeds children to mandingo dogs.

 

Michelle Mills is inducted into "The Kids' Hall of Fame" in the November issue of "National Geographic World" magazine. A picture and short story about 10 year-old Michelle describes her involvement with The Dazzling Mills Family act, including the family's "four high" in which father Steve rides a unicycle while supporting his wife, Carol, Michelle and young son, Anthony.

 

Another youngster, 12-year-old Travis Saunders of Fredericton, New Brunswick, began his career about three years ago. His confidence grew with performances at family gatherings and school talent shows, and he went public last summer with jobs at a city shopping center, birthday parties and the local farmer's markets. In his black and gold costume and variety of hats, he delighted audiences with a new diabolo routine, and earned enough money to attend a circus/computer camp in Quebec.

 

The 13 students in the Ossipee Valley Christian School clown club have been performing in and around Limerick, Maine, for the past two years. The fifth- through eighth graders practice their juggling, illusion and balloon animal skill in meetings at the school once a week. Richard Hagerstrom, a junior high teacher who leads the group, has been performing a Christian-themed juggling routine for 11-12 years throughout New England. The Ossippee students also perform routines based on the scriptures. The Adam and Eve story includes a girl juggling apples, and everyone does some juggling 'in a "Joy to the World" group routine.

 

"The Wild Ones" in Sidney - Tom Comet, Damien Daredevil, Dom Ferry, A.J. James, Bob Lizardo, Robert Nelson and Andy Young. Hagerstrom encourages others to work with this age student, saying "It's physically a great age for them to learn, and being able to do something unique and special to stand out in the crowd is good for them."

 

Brad Zupp has settled into a new home in Phoenix, Ariz., following a five week gig on the cruise ship Scandinavia plying the waters between Finland and Sweden. He and his friend and frequent performing partner, Ron "Toto" Johnson, performed four comedy shows a day. Their routines included Johnson's pratfalls, dueling diabolos and Zupp's big finish trick - standing on a rola-bola while juggling two balls in one hand and a devil stick in the other and spinning a plate on a mouthstick. He adds, "I've recently added a hula hoop to the whole works, which proves once and for all I have way too much free time!" Zupp and another partner, comedy magician David Garrity, will sail on the ship again in January.

 

Juggle 100 - A Party and Show in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great juggler Enrico Rastelli, was to be presented by San Francisco Gutter Jugglers on December 20.

 

Golf, anyone? Several aficionados, including Dan Holzman, Barry Friedman and Steve Mills, want to organize an IJA golf tournament during next summer's 50th anniversary festival. Contact them if you're interested.

 

Last year's Junior winner, Casey Boehmer, was greeted as a hero upon his return home after the festival. The high school senior received a certificate and key to the city from Jerseyville, IL, mayor Jerry Wittman.