Page 34 Summer 1997
It was the polite but very firm, "Turn the engine off; open the trunk" that frightened me. Usually the U.S. Customs agents don't ask anything more than my name, address, length and purpose of visit outside the United States. Trying to appear casual and calm myself, I mentioned that we had traveled through Canada on our way home from a juggling convention in North Dakota. "A what?!" "The annual IJA convention in Fargo." "I don't believe you. Let me see you juggle." I volunteered my friend quickly. He got his clubs out of the car and put on a little show, which other customs agents came to watch. Cars headed north, I noticed, were slowing to look.
Feeling more confident, I described some of the miraculous juggling feats we had witnessed-seven objects, five club marathons, daredevil skateboarding, clubs thrown behind the back. "You can't leave until you juggle behind your back." Fortunately my friend was good for a few back tosses. They were duly impressed and we were on our way. But, boy! Next time I'm going home by way of Indiana. "Juggling On The Border Line" (IJA Newsletter, August 1980)
Juggling taps into the eastern Tao Philosophy of Yin and Yang, in that it requires the rapid and repeated use of the left (practical side) and the right (creative side) hemispheres of the brain. Hence juggling leads to a balanced outlook on life. Yet, let us remember that juggling requires no supernatural powers. No trick photography, no mirrors and our hands never leave our wrists. Juggling is indeed a God-given talent (atheists excepted). "Musing On Juggling" (IJA Newsletter, March 1981)
Most of the tricks I do are my own invention. Naturally, in my time I did many different types of juggling. At one time I did Indian clubs. I also did more hoops than I do now, and I worked with smaller balls. I have gone away from this kind of work because I felt very limited. By limited I mean you cannot really use much imagination. The possibilities are fewer. Sure, you can throw hoops, you can do eight or nine of them but the variations are less. So I found that with fewer objects there are more possible variations.
I was with Ringling Brothers from 1948 to 1950. My opening at Madison Square Garden was absolutely unique-the light went out and the announcer said, "Now in the center ring for the first time on this continent! The greatest juggler of the ages- better than the great Rastelli and 10 times faster! Watch, you will never see his like again! Frances Brunn!" They had put a stage in for me, but they hadn't fitted the stage together and I stepped between two boards and twisted my foot. It swelled up like a balloon and I never did one trick! That was my opening in America. "An Interview With Francis Brunn" (IJA Newsletter, May 1981)
Nick (Gatto) explained, "Anthony can duplicate tricks almost immediately. When I asked if he could do the head bounce with one ball and four ball juggle simultaneously, he did it the first time he tried." Though he is not yet a showman on stage, Barbara, his mother, pointed out Anthony's great sensitivity for a child his age. She said, "When everyone 2 crowded around Bobby May at the end of the competitions, Anthony pushed his way through to bring Bobby a glass of water." "An Introduction To The Winners" (IJA Newsletter, October 1981)
A lot of technical stuff can leave an audience cold. If you're a good entertainer, you can get them on your side juggling just one ball or club - that can mean more to them than juggling 10. When you see some of the entertainers on the circuit nowadays, it's clear that your don't have to be a great technical juggler to be a good entertainer. I think people are looking for a good entertainer who uses juggling as a vehicle, rather than just a juggler. For myself (Bounce), I hope I can develop more as an entertainer than just as a technician. Just being a technician won't get you very far. You have to be able to communicate verbally with the audience for you act to go over well. "An Interview With Loco-Motion Vaudeville" (Juggler's World, October 1981) |
Anthony Gatto's juggling prowess attracted legions of rubberneckers at many IJA festivals. |