* Notes on jugglers gathered from other publications... Greg Kennedy, the IJA's 1996 champion, has left his engineering career to pursue professional performing. His first contract is in Japan, performing from March- May in Huis-TenBosch theme park, near Nagasaki. Steve Patient, a professional juggler from New Jersey, is also performing there... Fire juggler Ray Wold appeared in the Fox TV network show "The Most Awesome Acts on Earth, Part II"... Michael Holly juggles and walks the wire in the show "Spellbound '97" at Harrah's in Lake Tahoe... Benni Fornasari with Carden's International Circus... Thomas Aguilar was a runner-up in the Circus Friends Association's awards balloting for "Best Ground Act of 1996"... Manuel Alvarez juggled with rings, clubs and boomerangs with Circus Krone... Lorenzo Carnavale juggled rings and clubs with the Togni Circus... The Four Francos appeared with Circus King... the five members of the Faltiny Family included a three-high column juggling to two members on the ground as they appeared with Billy Smart's Big Top Show...Todd Christiani juggled rings, balls, clubs and torches with John Lawson's Circus... Jamie Adkins juggles torches and juggles knives on the wire during his routines with the Pickle Family Circus... T.J. Howell performed in the Osmond Brothers Theatre Christmas show in Branson, Mo... Atsuko Koga is in the "Masquerade" show in Las Vegas... Gabriella Alexis and Jason Robert appeared in the 32nd annual Showfolks of Sarasota Circus... The Villams appeared at the Albuquerque, N.M., Sports Show in late February... Stephen Michael juggles and does many other acts as half of the two-person Family Sun Circus':.. Jastino Zoppe appeared with the Carden Circus... Antonio Alvarez with Circus Knie... Serge Percelli with Cirque de Noel in Stuttgart... Arturo Alegria with Circus Conelli... The Santus Family with Fossetts Circus in Ireland... Hungarian juggler Gabor with the Circus Berlin... Stephen Sallai with the Bobby Roberts Super Circus... 

* "Wildman Juggler" Frank Olivier presented a new solo show for four performances in early February at Venue 9 theatre in San Francisco. "Hold That Thought" combined Olivier's diverse skills into a comedy show about meditation. Olivier began learning magic, juggling, unicycling, fire- eating and other skills at age 11, the same year he started meditating. He attended Ringling Brothers Clown College, and at age 23 teamed up with Mickey Rooney and the Broadway hit Sugar Babies for a thee year nationwide tour. Since then he has toured Europe, Japan, Canada & the States, and appeared on many notable comedy and variety television shows.

* IJA People's Choice Award winner Elliot Cutler and Juniors Champion Casey Boehmer were featured on segments of the program "Real TV" in late March. Cutler performed his manipulations of a bathroom plunger, while Boehmers one-armed juggling prowess was featured. Mike Hout and Ashrita Furman were among several Guinness record holders featured on the February 24 edition of ABC's Caryl and Marilyn Show. Hout demonstrated joggling bowling balls over hurdles, and Furman talked about the 48 records he has set over the years. They include the record for the joggling marathon. Hout's demonstration was also rebroadcast on the E channel's "Talk Soup" program later.

* Joel Heidtman is juggling again at the MGM Grand theme park in Las Vegas following a globe-trotting fall and winter. Heidtman did some work for Ringling Brothers in advance of the circus's performance in Mexico City, then represented Ringling at a circus festival in Wuhan, China. Among performers there was the German juggler Andreas Wessels, who won a prize for his skillful manipulation of three, four and five soccer-size balls, and the Bobby May cigarette trick. Heidtman and 40- 50 other festival performers then made a 14- city, 51-day tour of other Chinese cities. Heidtman was the only English speaker among them! He performed diabolo, three and four clubs and a clown routine, and informally acted as juggling instructor across the language barrier for an 11-year-old Chinese boy in the troupe. Just as they parted for good, Heidtman gave the lad a surprise: presentation of all his equipment - five Todd Smith clubs, nine rings and eight balls. Heidtman said the boy's overwhelming gratitude and simple English statement, ''Thank you, teacher!" was ample payback for the gift. Heidtman now does six, six-minute shows for the MGM each weekday, and Noelle Franco covers his spot on the weekend. 

* 1996 IJA Juniors silver medalist Mike Price reports that his good performance there has opened new opportunities. He concluded his successful year on the fair and festival circuit, capping off 1996 with a Christmas performance for the Green Bay Packers and their families. 

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