Another added attraction was the potent pairing of previous instructors returning from "sabbatical" with young or old pros for sessions of spirited synchronicity, soulful synergy and semi-spontaneous combustion! Erudite examples of such individual initiative and creative collaborations included: Three Ball Crossed Arm Patterns, Four Ball Mills Mess (Todd Strong), Numbers Juggling Panel (Ben Schoenberg & Co.), Juggling & Magic; (Don Ganz and Chris Allison), Beginning Diabolo (Dick Cuyler and Ken Sprano, who also teamed with Peter Nicolaus to teach String Art), Flamingo Club (Laura Green and Jennifer Salberg), Four and Five Club Tricks (Paris Goudie, with special thanks to Sky King for talent scouting this young wunderkind), and Advanced Cigar Box (Jeff Daymont, who reprised this mind-body boggling workshop, at times ably abetted by Dan Holzman). Holzman himself instituted a new Open Forum On The Future Of The IJA Championships.

 

There was also Ask The Panel Of Pros (Barry Friedman of the Raspyni Bros., Jack Kalvan of Clockwork, Dan Menendez, Edward Jackman), and a host of other heroic/hilarious IJA classic personalities. Other offerings were Manipulative Miscellanea (Reg Bacon), Inter/Adv. Hat Juggling (Bacon, David Deeble and Andrew Head), Team Juggling Acts with Rick Rubenstein of Clockwork, Jon Wee of Passing Zone and Scotty Meltzer of American Dream Juggling Team. Scotty also recreated his near-legendary Comedy Writing workshop/roundtable dinner.

 

Additional "new wine in old bottles" was served up by David Deeble with Keeping A Performance Journal, Myron Wilcox with Juggling, Reading & Sports, Rick Rubenstein with Tips For Beginning Performers, Todd Strong's two-part Juggling & Choreography (which included thought provoking video clips ranging from cutting edge Euro-jugglers to Jerry Lewis). The three-part business side of show biz alternately co­led by Mike Vondruska, Larry Olson and Walt Szeezil; Don Ganz and Deena Frooman; Wendy Harms and Peter Nicolaus (spouses with different last names, but married all the same). For the truly diligent (masochistic?) there were the daily J.E.STS. (Juggling Enriched Staff Training Seminars) irreverently co-facilitated by Kay Caskey and Laurie Young of Laughter Works and Dave Finnigan, Jackie Erickson, Jerry Martin and Rob Peck.

 

In keeping with the theme of tandem teaching, I offer sincere appreciation/admiration to all the husband and wife teams brave enough to add one more joint venture into their marriage. In addition. to Peter and Wendy mentioned above, Kay Kimpling (wife of ol' tried and true teach Terry Kimpling) made her debut on Beginning Hat. Wisely

choosing, however, who she was not... and probably will never be married to... namely my buddy Don Ganz. Similarly when Steve Salberg's spouse, Jennifer, introduced her initiative, Playful Parents With Frisky Five Year Olds And Younger, it was separate from (though maybe not entirely unrelated to) Steve's Bullwhip Cracking workshop!

 

Far more reckless were Michael and Marilyn Sullivan who, for the second year in a row, not only team taught two workshops (Beginning Ball Passing and Ball Stealing), but taught each one twice! Semcycle's Sem & Teresa Abrahams also once again delighted fellow one wheel worshippers with their skill and savvy.

 

Other veterans reprising old favorites from past festival workshops included Forrest Hobbe's Inter-Adv. Rope Twirling, Cindy Marvel's Clubs & Movement ("poetry"... in motion!), Ray Bower's Contact Juggling, Bill Coad's Multiplex "A-to-U," and Todd Strong's Dice Stacking (what will he think of/write a book about next?). Special thanks as well to Sam Kilbourn, who took time out from his new duties as chairman of the board to continue his tradition of reaching at least one acrobatics workshop.

 

Last but definitely not least are my "aces," my core crew who continue to do double, (Bob Nickerson and Scott Slesnick) triple (Wendy Harms, Kit Summers, Dale Oliver) and even quadruple duty (Mike Vondruska, Dave Finnigan, David Deeble,Terry Kimpling).

 

Then there's the truly tireless (and seemingly ubiquitous) Ken Sprano and Laura Green, who between them almost doubled the record eight workshops taught by the one (and lonely) Todd Strong. Muchos kudos to you all, and I hope the inner reward for serving your fellow fools will prove almost as "timeless" as the commemorative Rastelli watch each of you should have received as thanks from the IJA.

 

Before I go, I must offer my appreciation as well to Ginny Rose and Norm Schneiderman and the rest of the festival staff for their ongoing support, and for kicking in such a truly memorable material reward. If you didn't get yours, let me know. As the bumper sticker says "It's never too late to have a happy childhood!"